Narrowboats at Govilon, Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. PLUS testing my Brompton with 39T chainring.

Thursday 12th September 2024:

Yesterday I drove over to Gilwern, on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, and rode along the towpath to Govilon Wharf. I wanted to test the Brompton out after fitting the 39 tooth chainring on Monday, and I knew there are some challenging hills behind Govilon, which are easily reached from the canal.

Happy to say the bike performed very well, and the smaller chainring made a big difference when going uphill – so it was £24.00 well spent!

Sadly, the weather wasn’t as forecast, and I got a little wet while riding… but much wetter when I got back to the car, when the heavens opened before I could fold up the bike and get it under cover. 😠 So this means another bike-cleaning job to do. ☹️

Don’t worry if you’re not into bikes, as there are plenty of boats and some disappointed ducks to see in the video.

Hope you’ll enjoy watching!

Jeff

By the way, if you do enjoy the video, then please consider subscribing – it really helps me to grow the channel! (Don’t forget to switch on ‘notifications’).

You can see more of my videos, including my journeys along the canals, and of my Brompton bike at:

https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCpU5ERG8MwVJN7vRLVvrHMg/content/playlists

[Music] yeah it’s actually Sunny now and yet it’s training at the same time look at all these cruiser boats must admit they look very tempting they are narrow boats well that was interesting I’m sorry guys and girls the only thing I can offer you is stardom on YouTube the boat there is all electric the lady told me I think it’s on higher from Beacon Park boats not much head room under there lovely spot here in gilwin on the M braen Canal yes there is a fishing ship shop but that’s not the reason why I’ve come here today what I’ve come here today for is I wanted to try out a new chain ring that I fitted on my Brompton that’s this thing with all the teeth on the bike came out standard with a 50 tough chain ring this is a 39 tough chain ring it’s smaller diameter it should make it a bit easier when I’m go up hills reduces the gearing quite a bit so I’m going to ride along the toall PA from here uh I guess up to gavan gavan Warf and have a little ride and see if there’s any little Hill or or things I can trade out on see if it’s made a difference weather forecast was for a fine sunny day and uh it was raining a few minutes ago fortunately I’ve dressed [Music] accordingly it’s not very warm and it’s quite Breezy so uh yeah it’s actually Sunny now and yet it’s raining at the same time British R eh [Music] very much yes [Music] this is the bridge that carries the a465 heads of the Valley’s Road nice wide area here on this band you could quite easily turn your boat lovely reflection of the water underneath the bridge this is once the site of a lift bridge around about 1830 no longer a LIF Bridge very very low driving a boat under there tell you what I don’t know who lives in that house over there just look at those Gardens going over a small Aqueduct here an interesting collection of road signs and dancing queen to obviously belongs to the people who live here than you ni have to cross cross the road here now rejoin the toe path on the other side I’m in the village of gon just by the canal and I think I found a hill I can try out my little gear on see what it feels like let’s go that’s not too bad at all well I must confess I am out of breath but I made it to the top of this hill there it’s pretty steep I don’t think I’ve ever been up here before in the far distance well not quite near distance you can see the town of abeni and the mountain behind it to the right is called the skuid when you know it is started to rain again so I she’ll use that as an excuse to catch my breath before cycling down the hill three-wheel in I should think and then rejoining the canal cycling into gan gan Warf okay okay [Music] right so this bridge beautiful isn’t it look at the brick work there how it curves underneath they knew how to build things in those days and this sign tells us a bit about it there is that bridge that’s how it looked apparently in uh 1860 and these to be a railway station here in gavon as well says in 1862 only 50 years after the canal was completed the Mur tro and a aeni Railway was opened and uh this bridge was built to carry a line to abeni up the hill behind me as far as brimar nearly 1,000 ft it climbed in less than 8 Miles some of the steepest Railway gradients in the country fting right let’s get back on this bik of mine and Carry On and see what more boats and things we can spot at Cav and Warf look at all these cruiser boats must admit they look very tempting lot less bothered than ordering an narrow boo I think what you see a lot of here at Island Warf is uh there’s a lot of boats which are known as Wilderness beavers so the yellow and green one there a red and cream one there’s another yellowy one there’s a blue and black one further down quite a number of them they are narrow boats well that was interesting they are narrow boats but they’re made of uh fiberglass rather than steel I think I better pull this Branch up before anybody snugs themselves in it a couple more Wilderness beavers one’s called mij one’s called Rita can’t quite make up the name on the uh third one very popular around [Music] here just a imagine having that for your back Garden I don’t know if you can actually make them out on the screen but there’s uh quite a number of ducks malards on the other side of the canal and they’re all soaking up the sand [Music] see I’ve lure them you see they mistakenly think that I’ve got something for them I’m sorry guys and girls the only thing I can offer you is stardom on YouTube but somehow I don’t think you’ll know what that is never mind you’re looking very good [Music] wow it’s pretty windy