A summer solstice ride - 140 miles to Newport, West Wales

I missed out on a place, or rather, missed out sorting the accommodation for the organised Chase the Sun rides this year. Working out the logistics of travelling and sleeping at the start and end of the A-B routes was just too much for me.

So I decided to tackle my own dawn to dusk ride, riding as far west as I could in one day, straight from the back door / front door - we only have a front door onto the road, so yes it was the front door in the end.

We booked a place to stay - Cwt Gwyrdd, a great shepherd's hut and pod place near Newport on the coast south of Cardigan. This looked manageable in a day, just about, though the Preselli hills looked a bit annoying and in the way. Cycle.travel proved a god-send for checking elevation, stopping points, cycle lanes, so so easy, and I didn't get lost once after I'd loaded the route onto my Wahoo (bike device thingie).

Spoiling the direct route on the map was the muddy Bristol Estuary. Then I remembered the Waverley - the world's last sea going paddle steamer - was in the area in June. And oh yes, it was travelling between Clevedon and Penarth piers on the Solstice! What an opportunity - a biathlon - bike and paddle steamer. OK I wasn't piloting the paddle steamer myself exactly, but I could have if they'd asked I'm sure.

Forced to wake up later - shame -  it's under three hours from the (front) door to Clevedon pier, so there was no point getting up at dawn for my 9:30 paddle steamer.  A roads to Bath at 5am were fast and quiet, then on to the familiar Bath to Bristol bike path before hitting side roads to Bedminster, Ashton Gate, Nailsea and on to Clevedon. I did have a practice ride on this route to reassure myself navigating Bristol and meant I knew about ...

... the delicious coffee and brownie at 67 Barista Barber, Clevedon - I would have had a trim too but they're always bloomin' booked up on Saturday morning. Then down to the pier and sight of the queues already forming for the steamer.

The bike helped me skip the queues, as I had to carry the bike up and down a long and winding stair down to the boat. Top tip - don't wear cleats for this bit.

I had wondered why it was a 2 1/2 hour trip to Cardiff, it really didn't look that far on the map and you could see Cardiff across the estuary. Then we started heading south to the Holm Islands for a cruise. Never mind, I had a lovely chat with Mike and Christine on the absolutely rammed steamer, and a not quite so lovely egg roll. There was just an awful lot of meat on the menu, not so much for the vegetarian.

Docked at Penarth pier - met by F and P and we swapped my backpack for a couple more cheese and date rolls to keep me going for the next 110 mile section. This felt like the real start to the journey after the long commute to Penarth.

Oh, bike and baggage, you ask? I just had a top tube bag for the route, stuffed with mac and three rolls. Plus two water bottles. That saw me through, with the egg roll and sandwich on the boat in the morning and some water refilling.

The weather was hot and muggy and the route pretty dull and busy until after Barry. Then it was nothing but quiet quiet country lanes through Glamorganshire south of Cowbridge, helped by an easterly wind.

I rejoined the main well-signed Sustrans route 4 sometime around Bridgend. Through Margam and Port Talbot I deviated to stick to the more direct roadside bike paths, not so pretty, but super for cycling. At this point the wind changed to a gusty headwind, but nothing too awful. 

Along the seaside through Swansea and the Mumbles to Blackpill - a meeting point with F and P, the support team, and a chance to sit and look at the sea for 20 minutes munching the inevitable cheese and date roll.

A lovely bike path heads north and then at Lanelli you join the excellent Swiss Valley route (47) for 10 miles towards Carmarthen. It's gently uphill, but speedy and by 5:30 when I was there, totally deserted.

I was definitely flagging as I headed into Carmarthen, 120 miles from home. Missed P and F by minutes and decided to just crack on into the hills, how bad could they be?? Cheese and date roll time.

Up and down time - I can't remember how many ups and downs. I think the landscape was beautiful, but I can't say I was focused on the view at the time. The nearer I got to my final destination, the more time and my legs slowed. Every last drop of water and spare roasted nut or crumb of energy bar was scraped from the bottom of pockets and bag. 

Finally reached 1000 foot skirting Frenni Fawr then tumbled down towards the sea and our glamping site for a few more miles just after the sun set. That was a very special last couple of hours that lingered in the memory and the legs. I'm a bit sorry I didn't make it all the way to the sea, another 6 miles beyond, but my support team wasn't being paid to pick me up after 10:30 and take me back uphill to base. And my legs weren't being paid for that either.

Next year? The real Chase the Sun or another DIY job? TBC.