Cornwall. Day 1. 115miles
Rainbows are always very lovely things to see. You always stop and go… “aah look at that rainbow,”- no matter if you’re 8 or 62. In it’s own special way, the rainbow I saw through the mist of road spray billowing out from a passing lorry on an A road in Cornwall in the pouring rain and cold was lovely too. A rare passing gift Mr Lorry driver. Merci.
The route down from Bristol to Land’s End is the toughest part- I’ve been told- more so than the Lake District and Scotland- thought it would be good to do a training ride from there ready for the big one over Easter.
Set off from Bristol on Tuesday to Penzance and stayed in a pub with mattresses made out of chicken wire. Unsure whether the pub quiz compere below or the trance from the staff living area upstairs was most annoying, I slept the night.
Breakfast at half seven looking out of the window at the wet pouring milk from a Malibu cocktail jug- the tropicalness of this was lost on me.
Land’s End is 10miles from Penzance so I cycled 5 miles towards it and then 5miles back through Penzance-
-Not wanting to spoil the finish of the real thing over Easter.
Or
-Not wanting to cycle any further than was absolutely necessary.
I’ll let you decide.
I didn’t know that it was possible to fit in as many hills in Cornwall as they have managed to- insane. Not one part of my journey was flat. Up down, up down, up up, up down etc.
Stopped every now and then for food and water.
I stopped for some food at 3 with still another 30 (which turned out to be 45) miles to go. I regretted it as soon as the macaroni cheese arrived swimming around in what looked like melted cheese and milk.
I was ‘escorted’ for a few miles into Okehampton by a man who had been fishing all day and drunk 10 pints- cursing at cars whilst wobbling around the road in the dark.
Cycled into Okehampton and out the otherside (up a hill of course) to my next B and B. Hot showers, homemade cookies, drying cupboard, a lift to the pub from the owner and no techno.
Perfect.
115miles- 7 ½ hours
Rainbows are always very lovely things to see. You always stop and go… “aah look at that rainbow,”- no matter if you’re 8 or 62. In it’s own special way, the rainbow I saw through the mist of road spray billowing out from a passing lorry on an A road in Cornwall in the pouring rain and cold was lovely too. A rare passing gift Mr Lorry driver. Merci.
The route down from Bristol to Land’s End is the toughest part- I’ve been told- more so than the Lake District and Scotland- thought it would be good to do a training ride from there ready for the big one over Easter.
Set off from Bristol on Tuesday to Penzance and stayed in a pub with mattresses made out of chicken wire. Unsure whether the pub quiz compere below or the trance from the staff living area upstairs was most annoying, I slept the night.
Breakfast at half seven looking out of the window at the wet pouring milk from a Malibu cocktail jug- the tropicalness of this was lost on me.
Land’s End is 10miles from Penzance so I cycled 5 miles towards it and then 5miles back through Penzance-
-Not wanting to spoil the finish of the real thing over Easter.
Or
-Not wanting to cycle any further than was absolutely necessary.
I’ll let you decide.
I didn’t know that it was possible to fit in as many hills in Cornwall as they have managed to- insane. Not one part of my journey was flat. Up down, up down, up up, up down etc.
Stopped every now and then for food and water.
I stopped for some food at 3 with still another 30 (which turned out to be 45) miles to go. I regretted it as soon as the macaroni cheese arrived swimming around in what looked like melted cheese and milk.
I was ‘escorted’ for a few miles into Okehampton by a man who had been fishing all day and drunk 10 pints- cursing at cars whilst wobbling around the road in the dark.
Cycled into Okehampton and out the otherside (up a hill of course) to my next B and B. Hot showers, homemade cookies, drying cupboard, a lift to the pub from the owner and no techno.
Perfect.
115miles- 7 ½ hours
Devon and Somerset. Day 2. 103miles.
Sunshine. Smiles. Beautiful countryside. Lovely day!
Left Okehampton and cycled across to Crediton. Still very hilly.
Until this point, cycling 115miles up and over every hill in Cornwall in 7 and a bit hours (and in the rain) I thought was not bad… I was pleased with myself… Well…
I had stopped to buy a bottle of lucozade. The older couple behind the counter- who were sitting on office swivel chairs and didn’t look like they’d left them for several years- asked me "how far you come? How far yesterday? 'Ow long that take you?"… the man exclaimed in a very Devonian accent- “115 miles… corrrr that’s far.” His wife (tilting her head from side to side in disagreement) replied “Wellllllllll…. not that far achally…” I thanked them and left. As I walked out, she started telling him about a sponsored walk she did in 2nd year of secondary school just to put my cycling in perspective.
Down through Tiverton to the A38 and then on through Taunton to Bridgewater… the unrelenting hills had stopped!
Made better time and total was 103 in about 6 ½ hours…
One more 100 mile ride tomorrow to make it 320 or so… then the weekend.
Sunshine. Smiles. Beautiful countryside. Lovely day!
Left Okehampton and cycled across to Crediton. Still very hilly.
Until this point, cycling 115miles up and over every hill in Cornwall in 7 and a bit hours (and in the rain) I thought was not bad… I was pleased with myself… Well…
I had stopped to buy a bottle of lucozade. The older couple behind the counter- who were sitting on office swivel chairs and didn’t look like they’d left them for several years- asked me "how far you come? How far yesterday? 'Ow long that take you?"… the man exclaimed in a very Devonian accent- “115 miles… corrrr that’s far.” His wife (tilting her head from side to side in disagreement) replied “Wellllllllll…. not that far achally…” I thanked them and left. As I walked out, she started telling him about a sponsored walk she did in 2nd year of secondary school just to put my cycling in perspective.
Down through Tiverton to the A38 and then on through Taunton to Bridgewater… the unrelenting hills had stopped!
Made better time and total was 103 in about 6 ½ hours…
One more 100 mile ride tomorrow to make it 320 or so… then the weekend.
Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wales. Day 3. 102miles
A lovely start, middle and end to the day.
Out the door, down past Avonmouth and along the A38 to Gloucester.
Stopped at the Harvester there (I’ve been twice before) and the three guys that were there the last time I was in were there again today. They were also there the first time I went there too.
Can’t imagine that much happens day in day out in the Harvester there but either way they appear to have become bored of me.
“You actually doing it yet?”
Cycled up more hills over into the Forest of Dean and down to Chepstow.
Average speed started to drop below 15mph but the sight of the Severn bridge perked me up until the Bristol traffic (that’s fine to blame that- right?!) slowed me down.
Oh, and I almost walked up a hill today. Almost.
A lovely start, middle and end to the day.
Out the door, down past Avonmouth and along the A38 to Gloucester.
Stopped at the Harvester there (I’ve been twice before) and the three guys that were there the last time I was in were there again today. They were also there the first time I went there too.
Can’t imagine that much happens day in day out in the Harvester there but either way they appear to have become bored of me.
“You actually doing it yet?”
Cycled up more hills over into the Forest of Dean and down to Chepstow.
Average speed started to drop below 15mph but the sight of the Severn bridge perked me up until the Bristol traffic (that’s fine to blame that- right?!) slowed me down.
Oh, and I almost walked up a hill today. Almost.
RSS Feed