Back on the road once more, and with our usual precision timing, we brilliantly manage to pick the week when three months' worth of rain falls across England and Wales in as many days.
"Monsoon Britain" was the headline in the Metro newspaper as I took the tube (yes – you can take your bike on the Circle Line!) from Farringdon to Paddington, where I would meet Steve and we would catch our 'big train' to Wales.
Having walked the length of the train at Paddington to find the guard's van as usual, we were promptly re-educated in the practice of bike storage – the new electric trains on the Great Western line have spaces for two bikes every two carriages, although someone clearly didn't think things through properly, since my mountain bike tyres physically would not fit through the hooks provided, so we had to use Steve's bike (whose tyres just about fitted) to wedge my bike in place behind. More importantly, they don't give you free beer in First Class on Great Western trains anymore. What is the world coming to?! – I blame Brexit.
It would take more than this to dampen our spirits however, with both of us immensely looking forward to some fresh miles, despite the weather forecast for the next few days, which could most kindly be described as 'changeable'. Arriving at Tenby, we made the most of our 'Day Zero' evening by checking out a few of the local hostelries, and then getting a good night's sleep in the Royal Lion Hotel ready for whatever the elements might be preparing to throw at us.