Behind the Gears

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  • Le Tour de Dai

    From the early inception of our first ride, Le Tour de Pub, we weren’t fully aware of the delights that were to await us and the delicious adventures we would embark on.

    Now considered a basic ride, the pleasant route from the lush, green green valleys into the big city set the foundation of what was to come. 

    With each ride, we set goals to add more dimensions and local discoveries. This came in the form of a bakery to fuel up on coffee, a new pub to toast the celebrations and the not always gentle introduction of climbs along the route –  a few nuances to enhance each and every ride and escape the mundane.

    The ride is familiar, we start in the same location and crossing the finish line in Cardiff Bay is the end goal, but the journey is always different. No one ride is the same.

    Fresh conversations, the spinning of some yarn and spinning into the face of sometimes adverse weather conditions, experiencing new challenges, all coming together and enhancing the fun factor to this incredible adventure. This is not a revolution, time is the revelator and this is evolution!

    In steps TDD!

    TDD: it’s an affectionate name. The long form is Tour de Dai. Do we really need to explain why? OK, you have the Tour of France, Tour of Britain and the aforementioned Tour de Taff, but this is our version, the Valley version of a winter classic. Did you know Dai is the colloquial Welsh term for David… sure, it’s a cheesy obvious name for the Tour, but we like it.

    TDD is a ride that has started a passion, that has bonded and reignited a friendship.

    Once a month for the past 3+ years, Cliff and Christian have met up to cycle, but it’s not just about the bike; it’s a detox, a chance to talk through and shake off the toxins of life.

    Hell, it’s cheaper and way more fun than therapy.

    The UK weather in winter is, let’s face it, no matter how much we may try and romanticise it, it can be miserable and we all want to curl up in front of the metaphorical fire, but cyclists are a different breed; we want to ride – Ride or Dai!

    We can, with confidence, inform you that climbing a 10-14% hill knowing that a pub, with its window glowing amber from the roaring open fire waiting for you is one of the very best feelings in this crazy world.

    This route of the tour will explore some of  our favourite pubs, bars and places of interest and hopefully inspire you to brave the elements and follow in our tracks.

    Baby’s first impractical steps + Casio watch, band t-shirt, aqua ride helmet and a rucksack!

    Route: TDD – The Winter Classic

    Around 10 am start at Barry Sidings, aka Dirty Barry’s (For the Fools and Horses fans)

    Via “Dead Leg Climb”. I personally have a love/hate relationship with it; it’s short, easy, but still…

    From here, head to the “Cattle Grid”, aka Llanwunno Climb. This is a filthy 1km 10% climb, and we consider it a warm-up!

    Next, drop down into Pontypridd town; too early to stop, and the killer is coming in the form of “Cil Hill”, aka “Kill Hill”. It’s like they tarmacked this climb in kryptonite.

    This is metre for metre the toughest climb in the Taff Trail vicinity. Take the corners wide, tuck your head down and think of Wales; it’ll be all over soon.

    Don’t panic, there’s a pub stop coming.

    Once you have scaled Cil Hill and crossed the cattle grid, lean the bike alone side the farmers gate, take an elbow and while your heart rate scrambles to get below 120bpm, soak in the majestic view and let your achievement sink in.

    When you can talk again, follow the narrow farm roads, turn left at the junction and cruise downhill to The Railway Inn, Nelson, for a friendly refreshment. We told you there was a pub stop.

    Now play a “Reversal” card and casually roll back up the Railway hill, down Kill Hill and along to the wonderful and inviting public house The Bunch Of Grapes. The fire is always on and they serve an amazing Bloody Mary, plus the food is banging and they have a range of beers for every palate. Be warned, you can lose hours here, so keep an eye on that daylight.

    Say goodbye to the warmth as you’re now heading for the Taff Trail, a high cadence with picturesque views of the Taff Valley. Glorious.

    This is the calm before the storm. If the early part of the day was about shaking off the toxins of life, this segment is a much looser version where the banter replaces the heavy talk with that warm glow of friendship.

    A storm in heaven

    Whether it’s a sliding door, or a fork in the road, life has tough decisions to make, a path to choose. Thankfully, at Nant Garw hill you have a simple choice –  an easy roll at pace to Taffs Well and continue the trail, or an incline to duel that awaits. Heading left takes you to the infamous Caerphilly mountain, where past Tour de France winners were forged.

    Take a left and head for the Black Cock inn (always funny). This is where the speed demon can possess you; do you dare to challenge and race to the summit – Always! A pint and a nibble on Nobby’s Nuts is a welcoming reward and they do a great Sunday lunch apparently.

    Gwyneth Paltrow moment: What would have happened if Geraint ‘G’ Thomas and Luke Rowe had opted for the Battle of the BlackCock?

    This climb is a real tactical challenge, split into 3 sections. The initial section is a long drawn out climb, don’t be fooled into dancing on the pedals. Save yourself!

    A short respite of a downhill drags you onto the short punchy “I’m feeling confident” climb. Only to round the corner to a hellish finish that has seen many an epic Man o Mano contest. True Black Cock champions just grit the teeth and acknowledge defeat when it comes. A friendly pat on the back as you cruise past your opponent can be misconstrued and fear the payback, while  squealing “don’t hit me” while reminiscing on the rare occasion of being dropped.

    Cross the finish line and collapse on the beer garden bench. The race is over! One of us is seeing stars, only able to speak with a hoarse voice, and a galloping heart doing 185bpm while Christian is at the bar. 

    Lube the throat – chapeau to the champion!

    Le Tour de Dai
    Black Cock Champion
    Ride or Dai

    Only the best of the best will take home the sought-after and coveted trophy.

    Rule #27: The Black Cock Climb is only to be ridden during a TdD and not for personal gain. This is our Wembley.

    Finally you are now on the home stretch, drop down to Castell Coch (Red Castle) , which is a  wet and wild descent through the forestry. It’s always wet and wild and water sports are not for everyone, so take it easy, especially if it’s actually raining.

    As you descend on the village of Tongwynlais, on your right you’ll spot the Lewis Arms. On a rugby international day they’ll have a free valley buffet, which can be enjoyed with a pint of Barry Island IPA – Don’t be lured by the impressive barista coffee machine, far too mellow 🐦

    The Heavy Beast in the background, I’m talking about my bike of course – Not a coffee in sight!

    Almost there!

    Say goodbye to the impressive valley terrain and hello to green spaces and beautiful parks on the trail rolling in to Cardiff.


    Take care navigating around the students, dog walkers and everyone else in between, you’re now on the crisp and beautiful autumn covered floor into Bute park.

    At this point that satisfying feeling creeps in knowing you have done it, with a pang of sadness that it’s nearly over. If you have this feeling then we’re afraid to tell you that the cycling bug has bitten.

    TDD has cemented a love of this format of cycling adventure, a passion that continues to grow with every revolution of the pedals.

    Passing the impressive Radyr  Weir, onto Coopers Fields, taking a detour to the Mochyn Du (The Black Pig), a quick beer and a game of Corn Hole, where you discover one of you is the former 2010 Texas Cornhole Champion, and you’re ready for the Riverside embankment roll into Cardiff Bay, your final destination…

    … Or is it?

    Tour de Pub: The moving time may be sub 2 hours, but if I recall it took us several hours to reach Cardiff Bay – Never Turn Down A Good Time. #NTDAGT

  • My Secret Race

    Meet Cliff: In 2012/13 my doppelganger was moonlighting as an electrician; family life is hard and so expensive – we were down to only having smoked salmon twice a week.

    Unfortunately, more often than not, payments came in different guises, but live chickens were not going to pay the bills or keep me fit. Fortunately, on one occasion my alter ego was offered a 1980s retro Peugeot Road bike, AKA a drop handle.

    At the same time, I had been working at a large corporation for a boss who was an incredible support to my rugby-playing days, a guy who annually arranged the Tour de Taff. An event that started in Cardiff Sophia Gardens, up the Taff Trail, over the Beacons to Brecon Rugby Club. I had ridden my first edition in 2011 on a mountain bike!

    The governor convinced me to ride, telling me that the Tour was a casual 50 miles on a cycle trail, conveniently witholding the fact that 35 miles of it are uphill! The seed was planted, as this was, to date, the longest and most challenging ride I had attempted.

    The retro racer was duly serviced; the honcho even pumped up the tyres with the correct PSI. Off we went on a few local climbs near the office. The gaffer was instrumental in giving me so many important lessons in cycling; from the word cadence, to improving pedal stroke, to the benefits of drafting that Christian has so skilfully mastered. Also, the efficiency of a pedal stroke, keeping the legs close together, and having the seat at the correct height.

    Think about being in a squat position and trying to walk up the stairs – the pain you can imagine is an exaggerated version of having the seat too low, or even the bike too small. All of this will vastly improve the cycling experience.

    I learned the hard way, riding with an Eddy Merckx gear setup (11–21 rear cassette) up the local Welsh climbs were near impossible. However, foolishly riding alongside the gaffer on his slick, sexy Italian carbon, I hung in for dear life and the cycling bug bit hard.

    Using “twin funds” accumulated by my lookalike, I started to spend on cycling apparel, partially brought on by the ridicule of wearing orange gardening gloves during a group ride. I would like to say this was the only negative instance of group ride culture, but it can be an experience. Try it, you might like it, It’s not for me, and like Duncan Bannatyne, “I’m out!”

    My dear boss once asked me, “Are you starving on your rides?”

    “No, I always have my dinner before I ride.”

    Did I mention I have reduced hearing in one ear and don’t always catch what is being said? He was asking if I was using Strava on my ride! Ah well, nobody is perfect. I will say that this has never slowed me down and will never be an excuse for not seeking out the maximum in life.

    Being the top guy he was, he went on to explain what it was and how to use it. It quickly became an essential part of my rides.

    I fell in love with a route that was exactly 40 km, split with a long climb up one valley onto beautifully wild commons, then dropping down at breakneck speeds into the large Welsh, often misunderstood, town of Merthyr Tydfil. The last leg is a beautifully surfaced road home, where you can ‘big ring it’ and ride in the drops for mile after beautiful mile on largely wide-open, quiet roads.

    By now I had upgraded to a Specialized Allez. I considered this an expensive bike, only to join group rides and have it singled out in front of the peloton as “a nice, reliable, entry-level winter training heavy bike.”

    By this point, the nails were firmly being hammered home on group ride culture.

    The concept of Strava led me onto a ride that shaped my love of cycling in ways I would never have imagined; it helped me deal with painful grief and showed me how to dig myself out of life’s holes. Trust me, I have had my fair share.

    Not wanting to punch down too hard on the weekend warriors, there are some benefits to group rides. You get to ride in formation and learn the true advantages of drafting and increasing overall speed. The weekend warriors will push you to limits you thought were reserved for seasoned pros, like doing a Sunday morning 50-miler over some serious climbs, all while hearing about the latest expensive group-set…!

    Cycling, for me, shifted around a time when a very close family member was suffering from a terminal illness. I found myself cycling to hospital visits, which was a good way to clear my thoughts, reflect, and put life into perspective. Life is hard.

    On one of these rides, I discovered, through Strava, that I had beaten a Welsh international rugby player by a mere second on a climb. As fate would have it, I bumped into the very same player. As an icebreaker, I mentioned my Strava success.

    “You’re two stone lighter than me,” he mocked. “How about signing up to this?” gesturing to a charity bike ride he was organising. A real twist of fate—how could I refuse?

    It turned out to be an event where I made lifelong friends, riding from Essex to Barry Island Pleasure Park in the slow group – The Laughing Gang. I discovered on this ride that you ride yourself fit over the duration, and not to be too hard on yourself if you haven’t done the miles in the saddle. Yes, you will feel pain in places you wish you hadn’t, but the lasting memories are well worth it every ache!

    This fuelled my passion and gave me a love for cycling, and, in part, a peace offering with group rides. Cycling has obvious benefits—from fitness to weight loss—and from personal experience, it can help clear your thoughts and take you away from everyday problems, giving you that important headspace.

  • Introducing the band…


    Meet Christian: Fate is real; it’s inevitable; it comes in many different guises, and this particular guise came in the form of an accident, or as my wife will forever call it, a self-inflicted fracture (SIF). However you want to dress it up, it changed me!

    In my former life, and always in heart, and only in my eyes, I was a rock star. Whatever that means?!? I was in a band; I was in a couple of bands, but like everything, that dream met its own fate and died. I felt lost; I lost a few things—I still don’t know how and why—and I felt a shift. Sure, my life is happy; I have a good job and a wonderful family, but something was missing. 

    Music is my radar, and after an exhilarating gig by the wonderful Bug Club (check them out ), a string of unfortunate events led me to merrily take a late night\early morning, moon-lit jog along the rainy Grangetown Taff embankment—a true pluviophile. A quick misstep and I find myself face down in the Cardiff mud, a newly purchased record spinning off into the night. If that wasn’t enough, I also broke my ankle in the process, putting a stop to my running career before it even started!

    My sometimes excessive lifestyle calls for balance; jogging was the answer. I hated it, but it felt productive. “Get a bike, get a bike, get a bike” was the inner monologue (my wife) was saying!

    Seriously though, what am I going to achieve with a bike…

    Warming to the idea of never, ever jogging again, I contacted an old friend and the only cycling enthusiast I knew, Alun “Cliff” Radcliffe. I’ve known Cliff since we were 12, lost touch in later life due to geography, and reunited by technology.

    More from him later.

    Thinking I would never use it, I opted for a Boardman Hybrid MTX aka The Beast. It was bloody heavy, which turned out to be bloody useful!

    Armed with a Thousand aqua blue horse riding helmet, I was more about style than substance. I took to lunchtime rides across the beautiful barrage of Penarth, or the Cardiff Bay barrage, depending on your catchment. Picturesque? Yes. Productive? Kind of. Game changer? Not really.

     In stepped Kit, a student of Sports Psychology and son of Cliff, introducing me to the world of HIIT – High-Intensity Interval Training—in other words, hit the hills!

    Where I live, I’m blessed with access to the hilly delights of Penarth, or as I first saw them, the hills have eyes, and those eyes are looking at hills!

    The first climb was tough; the 2nd wasn’t easier, but eventually I progressed from 1 short Penarth Hill climb, barrage flat, approx 18KM, burning 307 calories in just under an hour (lunch break) to 7/8 full  hill climbs, similar distance and frying out 800+ calories or 5 glasses of Rioja 

    The Heavy Beast helped shred almost 2st, increase my fitness and more importantly, eclipse Cliff on the now Infamous Black Cock Climb, affectionately titled after the humorously named and rather excellent pub, The Black Cock Inn.

    The Beginning.