Last Afan fling for KL

For Ken's birthday we went to Afan for his last mountain bike fling before leaving the UK for real. We stayed at the Llynfi B&B and rode from there to ride the Wall trail in the morning and the Penhydd trail in the evening, clocking up about 40km all in all. After the traumatic start you can read about below we had a great ride despite the mood. No rain, barely any wind, glimpses of sunshine. 

That night we watched Wales lose to New Zealand and England to South Africa dismally at Glyncorrwg bike centre over a great meal and beer and hardly anyone there so we had deep sofas all to ourselves.

Sunday we rode Whites level, the long long climb which we barely stopped on. We rode the black run on our hardtails which added a whole new element of excitement to the ride. I managed to ride the rock ride at the bottom but almost felloff on Ken passing me on the left.

Windy pass was extremely windy,energy was excellent and grins were all around. Everyone was chatting at the end of each trail cos they were enjoying it so much. After yesterday it was glorious to be among a community of riders who share their fun as much as they shared in supporting someone in need.

I rode the Darkside with packed down forks- (I think they are broken again so will have to go back to windwave)- I made it. It started to rain just as we got into the visitor centre and we had lunch with Tim and Dave who we'd met at the B&B- all grinning with post-ride glows!

Back in London we grabbed a meal at the pub to say farewell to Ken- I don't know when and what countyr we will meet in again and now I'm home. 

Eventful but great weekendnin the end.

Life Support on the Mountain Bike Trails

Today we got wrapped up in an attempt to save a life of a mountain biker on the Afan Argoed Trails. We believed at first that he must have fallen or crashed his bike on the singletrack and been knocked unconscious but in fact he was just cycling along the flattish bridleway when he suffered a heart attack and just collapsed off his bike.

So what happened... well we headed out to Afan on Friday night and stayed in the Llynfi B&B. We had a late breakfast and set off at about 10am, after debating which trail to take we decided to head off on the Wall trail first. We were pretty mellow chatting away and relaxed as we pedalled the easy going doubletrack route at the start. We lifted our bikes through the gate at the Rhyslyn car park and started to pedal into the valley when a runner was coming towards us with a panic look on her face and arms flailing. Out of breath from her sprint she told us a biker had fallen off his bike and we could hear the ambulance sirens on the road across the valley, heading the wrong way. She asked us to go and intercept the ambulance as we would be faster on our bikes than her running. So we started off and I looked over my shoulder and said is he unconscious to which she said "Yes". 

Adrenalin kicked in and I sprinted back to the gate, threw my bike over and cycled down to the road and back up to the junction of the A4107 and B4287 at Pontrhydyfen. Of course I did not know any of that detail at the time but as I cycled along I took note of all the signs ahead and behind me.

No sign of the ambulance so I rang 999 and spoke to the call centre to get the Ambulance back to us. The forest warden arrived first and Ken went off to direct him and I stayed for the ambualnce. When that arrived I directed it up and cycled after it,  then I heard the 2nd ambulance so I turned around and pedaled back to them and told them where to go on the bridleway.

Only now did I pedal up to where the casualty was and it was pretty clear to me he had had a heart attack and 3 paramedics were doing CPR. I immediately worried for his survival as it seemed such a long time since we first met the runner and he was still in need of CPR.  

Watching from the side it suddenly brought back memories of the first 2 CPR casualties I had ever dealt with and I welled up with emotion before I quelled it again, feeling helpless now I'd done my bit. I hoped they could revive him but felt it was hardly possible to do so.

The helicopter ambulance came to take him to hospital and suddenly all was gone from the trail and we pedalled off to continue our ride in silence.

Later that day we were able to find out that he never recovered and our mood was very sombre thinking about his family and what he had left behind.

The whole incident has made me revisit my first aid skills and equipment. I am planning to renew my CPR and 1st aid skills and carry a resusci-aid to give my buddies a chance if the same should happen.

This was not an incident caused by mountain biking per se, but the remoteness of mountain bike trails just make it much more important that we mountain bikers can take care of our buddies if an accident or illness arises. I will urge those I ride with to get the skills too.

Here is a checklist of things to be aware of -

1- If an accident happens evaluate the full situation , get a history of what happened

2- Carry a mobile and contact emergency services asap

3- Pay attention to where you are at all times, even mountain bike trails signs have numbers on it that help the emergency service locate the casualty.

4- Carry a first aid kit and know how to use it.

5- Learn how to do basic CPR- you are the ebst chance your buddy has until the emeregency services can get there.

6- Send someone for help but make ure they know where you are excatly and what the incident status is.

I think the guys here did the right things, they sent runners to get help, they called the ambulance, they started CPR. I did the right thing in calling the ambulance again and telling them where to go because I'd look at all the signs around me. I was worried I might be interfering calling again but the more accurate the information I could give the quicker the services can respond. I should have asked for more info from the runner before I rushed off though, as I was unable to answer all the ambulance call centre questions. Easier to think that in retrospect of course.

My thoughts and condolences are currently with the family of this mountain biker, who ever he was, I'll probably never know.

We will remember them.

Nov 11 2008

90 years ago an armistice was signed to end the 1st World War. My Grandfather served int hat war on the western front as a Driver in the Royal Field Artillery 250th Brigade. Part of the 50th Northumbrian division. He was wounded by mustard gas on May 28 1918 and was invalided back to Tooting hospital where he no doubt celebrated the Armistice announcement.

Oddly had he not been gassed he may never have met my grandmother. He met her while sitting on the hospital walls as she and her friends walked to work at a munitions factory. As he was a Wolverhampton boy he probably never would have come to London at all. So in a "sliding doors" kind of way, that nasty evil gas resulted in my Dad and in turn me and the rest of my siblings and offspring being here today.

I will always honour the 11th November and encourage the kids as they grow up to do so too. When I visited the memorial in Ypres to the Northumbrian division it was quite overwhelming to see my grandfathers fallen compatriots in the 250th RFA. So many and so young and many were nameless "A soldier of the Great War - known unto God".

I never knew my Grandfather as he died 6 years before I was born but I wish he had told more of his war story to my father and he to me. For now I have traced his medal record and read the war diaries of the 250th RFA to get a glimpse of the terrible times he strived through to ensure I can have the great lifestyle we live today.

I will again visit France and Belgium to see the places where he fought and pass my respect to all  those who fell who left no descendants to remember them as well as those who were there and came back nursing their wounds be they physical or mental. Theirs was a hard life.

Am I an addictive personality?

So first it was Battlestar Gallactica- once Tom introduced me to that I could not stop watching and yearning for the next episode until I had made it through to the last episode of Season 4. Once I'd finished that one I worried about withdrawal symptoms until the rest of season 4 is aired. Solution? If I watch them all again it might just take me through to January and also I'll learn more bits I never saw first time right?

But I'm no Sci Fi trekkie fan! What's happening? Luckily youtube fills the gap with some snippets and stories about the actors  while I wait for Season4.5(?) but I needed another outlet.

After all I'm not travelling for the rest of the year, I'm home alone a lot,  I mountain bike but the weather and dark nights mean I don't go out there as much these days.

So along comes Guitar Hero on the Wii. It took me a while to give in and buy it

but boy now I can't put the thing down. In fact I'm only writing this now to give my fingers a rest from the guitar and RSI!

I NEVER thought I would get so addicted to playing musical instruments. OK well I don't play an instrument but this is the nearest I'll get to playing one! It's so de-stressing, and at the same time frustrating, after all I'm competitive and a perfectionist right? So I'm trying to unlock all the other songs as I progress in my career at the same time as trying to hit 100% of notes on 1 or 2 fave songs!

Well I sound like I'm mastering it but I admit I'm still on easy! I have only been playing for 3 days now (and don't worry I don't mean ALL day, one has to work and mountain bike, oh and eat and see the kids for fireworks etc, hmm did I sleep at any point? I don't recall. If I did I was humming Barracuda in my sleep).

Right! Withdrawal symptoms setting in. I'm off for another hit! Barr-a-cuda!

Woooh Ahhhh look at those fireworks!

Woooh Ahhhh look at those fireworks!, originally uploaded by kendyck1.

Nov 8th- Bonfire Night

Bangers and mash with the kids before we loaded up, 3 in my car and Cal with Garerth and Jules and headed to fireworks at Bramley.

We arrived just in time to get 4 torches and light them for the Torchlight parade. They were tin can's stuffed with petrol soaked tinder and wired on to a stick. 4 under 7's carrying them was worrying so we ended up carrying them with or for them!

A massive crowd paraded to the green through the deep mud. Ella lost a welly at one point and was rescued by a man behind her. Once on the green we threw our torches on the huge bonfire to burn many many guys at the stake! Then we waded through the mud to queue for hot dogs and roasted chestnuts.

At last the fireworks were set off just as the rain started (a typical British bonfire night then) and the oohs and ahhs rumbled through the crowds as the bangs in the air made our hearts thump faster. The sky was lit up completely by an array of colours one after another and the kids were loving it, looks of delight and amazement on their faces although some hands on ears were required.

There were even 2 cyclists lit up chasing one another and some tanks/ships shooting.

Just when we thought it was over another mass of fireworks shot up and lit the sky for a grand finale, one dropping into the crowd near us, but quickly stamped out.

What a great display! And so we walked back to the cars through the village and the mud, a little damper, but thrilled by the spectacle!

2nd night ride of the year

Nov 5th-

Unbelievable I know but I went back for more! It took quite some effort to get me off the couch and shut down my PC. A flat tyre almost gave me a get out excuse but I disciplined myself and fixed it.

The guys were also amazed thatI had come back for more but it was said with an element of respect, I think. Simon introduced himself and I felt like I was less of an outsider this week.

Still the pace was furious as we set off and I quickly got dropped as we headed towards Redlands and up a huge off-road climb that killed me at that pace. Being on a hardtail took a bit of getting used to I was bouncing on my seat a lot and felt very inefficient. The Fenix headtorch works great but once we got on the singletrack this week I had my supercharged up Lumicycle HID and that made a big difference to the speed I could go.

The ride was very boggy and again I wondered what on earth was I doing chasing these guys around from the back. They stopped and waited for me and set off as soon as I arrived so I really went non-stop for over 2.5hrs until we got to the top of Leith tower where we set off a couple of fireworks. One never made it off teh ground so we all scarpered for cover of the tower itself as it exploded on its stick. The other did not have a stick so we duck taped one on and set it alight eventually and it shot in the sky and exploded several times whilst we all still cowered behind the tower! Very funny moments!

We stopped at th Plough and I felt accepoted more as jokes at my expense and teasing started. After a couple of drinks we shot down summer lightening and Rookery at a fair pace and back in our cars.

Both my Fenix torch adn my Lumicycle HID with Lithium Ion battery lasted the whole ride. Pretty good going! It shows that reading reviews online really helps you choose the best products.

30km and 3.5 hrs- exahusted again but feeling good about myself for doing it!