Thursday 12.06.25

Berkeley - Tewkesbury        60kms     1,300'

Well, the good news is that we are safely arrived in Tewkesbury staying for two nights with my sister, Wendy. 

Wednesday was a beautiful day but the navigation around Bristol required very careful observation so lots of stops and starts. Not the prettiest of routes taking in the docklands of Avonmouth.  Once clear of all river and motorway crossings, the countryside was much appreciated. However,  we had used up a lot of time, and Berkeley was still a way off. Having checked alternative stopoffs, of which there were  none, Berkeley it had to be and a very charming hotel it was too. It was also encouraging to realise that the old legs and lungs are becoming a little more efficient.

Today (Thursday) got off to a cracking start. Excellent breakfast and we were packed and ready to go pretty smartish. (we are getting better at that too). Mistakenly, we thought this was to be a flattish day. Should have known better! It is true that we spent some time on a canal path, but after " no mow May" the overgrowth was attacking us at eye level. It began to drizzle and blow a bit as we rode beside the river but that was the baby of what followed! The storm arrived with torrential rain and what seemed like hurricane force winds. Our only choice was to sit it out underneath the trolley bay of Sainsbury's in Gloucester - not a bus shelter in sight! After some 3/4 of an hour, it began to abate so we set off again and in another hour or so, the sun was shining.!? To add insult to injury, our FLAT route had developed  carbuncles. While white van man excused himself for nearly killing Alan in a head on collisions on a blind bend on a single track  road, explaining that he was only going 30mph and the limit was 60mph. Good job a second white van coming in the opposite direction didn't share the same view of road etiquette. 

Great accommodation tonight! Washing already whirring in the machine and a lasagne in the oven. How good is it to have a sister, especially one who lives in a lovely house in Tewkesbury.

P S  Winged one of many road closures to find THIS as the reason!!

 Wednesday 11.06.25 

Yatton - Berkeley   72kms   1,500'

Evening all. This is a short comment on today with a full account tomorrow. The route we needed to follow around Bristol was quite, no really, tortuous and took a very long time. It entailed the  crossing of rivers, three motorways and any number of lanes and  cycle tracks. Thus our arrival at our b&b was subsequently delayed and added to that I am knackered.  Until the morrow.

 Tuesday 10.06.25

Taunton - Yatton     73kms   950'

Super day! We made a very speedy (for us) start as with the bikes sharing our room, loading was quick and easy so with the skill of Master Navigator returning us to our route, we were soon whizzing along the canal path. Sun was shining and hedgerows alive with birds and dragon  flies. Even the child minders and the dog walkers smiled as they kept their dogs and children under control. There was bound to be a hiccup to this idyll but it was only a minor one. The blame lay nowhere obvious, but someone was using very large machinery to do something significant with the canal or the path, the latter very definitely SHUT - and absolutely no way through. On the ball, as ever,  Master  Navigator had the solution so it really wasn't his fault that we found ourselves on another push up 20%! BUT we were soon back on route.

Why is it, you can never find a bench when you want one to sit on and enjoy a frugal lunch? We even managed that today and witnessed a family of three spreading the ashes of someone clearly loved into a small leat. No mean feat as the bank was steep. Lots of hugging followed and then off they went. A plaque at the site told the story of 35 trees being planted on that spot to commemorate the Jubilee of George the something in 1935. Maybe this was significant? Just thought I'd share that with you.

We knew today would be a long one, but the bonus of an old railway line at the end of the day was the business. Hope tomorrow goes well - too much to hope for?.............of course not!

 Monday 09.06.25

Tiverton - Taunton (should have been Bridgewater!) 49kms  1200'

The day didn't start as planned. All set to go and Alan noticed a flat front tyre! Something of a mechanical. Front wheel off and a pretty efficient replacement of the inner tube. However,  with the wheel off, it became obvious that the brake pads were in a sorry state, as in not really there. So Mr. Mechanic got on with the job of replacing them. ( I crossed the road to M & S foods). We did , after all, need lunch. Some 2 hours later, we were  ready to roll! 

An excellent start to the actual riding. Old railway, followed quite quickly by a canal path. Both charmingly flat. And people always keen for a morning chinwag. One couple had been chased off the canal by a ferocious swan which, thankfully, we didn't encounter. What we did encounter, if you haven't already sussed, was more of the going up things! Even the flat bits, and even  more so the down, require much vigilance as one could disappear forever in a pothole. These lanes have seen so much rainfall, that the banks have eroded and formed sand dunes in the middle of the road. Al thought to climb one and almost skidded into obscurity. It all adds to the excitement of eluding death from drivers hurtling along a single lane road. We met the daddy of them all today - an humongous tractor! Took up the whole road and looked like something from outer space. Really scarey as we were hard against the bank with tyres taller than me, just inches away from me and my bike. 

Anyway, all this meant that our original goal of 60kms to Bridgewater, didn't quite happen so Taunton was to be our next stop. I don't know who advised sacking Master Navigator, but this evening he has excelled himself and is definitely reinstated with all honours. He has led the way through Taunton, in the rush hour, without a fault. 11/10 mate.

That is why we have another comfortable night in a Premier Inn. 

 Sunday 07.06 25  

Oakhampton - Tiverton  60.5kms    2000' height gained

Well, after yesterday anything is going to be better and so it was. When we arrived at the Fountain Inn and stowed our bikes in the very small secure room, much of said space had already been taken up with two touring bikes and while we carefully but unobtrusively, surveyed the dining room, we were unable to identify the other cyclists. However, on retrieving our bikes, we found ourselves sharing the loading space with, surprisingly, the other two cyclists. They were a Dutch couple on a three month tour around the UK and Eire. If we thought we carried a lot of weight, these guys took it to a whole new level. I have to admit to being open mouthed at the amount of gear they/ he was carrying -  made us look very inadequate. And he actually managed to make the bike move! Off they went and we made the mistake of following them without giving much thought to our route. We should have realised even quicker than we did as we were not going uphill! Very soon, we were doing just that!

Sun was shining, weather dry and warm so a few hills were of little account. By lunch time (and a few more hills) we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a long conversation with a lady and her whippet on the merits of bike riding and, particularly, of borrowing her grandfather's bike to ride  into Crediton 4 miles up the road. (Lunch rolls are now about four or five days old). Need to buy some more ,I think. Kate gone into meltdown?..

We did only get lost once but it was a goody. At the top of another kilometer push, and consulting the route, Master Navigator announced we were not where we should have been! In fact it had been an unnecessary effort. Can you believe it. I just smiled and if you believe that you are way off. Anyway,  not lost for long. Cornwall and Devon have many beautiful small villages and we see even more of them when we  meander off the trail?....

Much of today has been along quiet lanes with little traffic but the last 15 kms or so not so quiet. It is at these times that we notice the continual evidence of collisions -  mirrors, bumpers, windscreen glass, wiper blades - so caution is the key. So far, dead bodies have been mostly of the rat variety but one roe deer had, sadly, met its maker.

Hoping for a less hilly day tomorrow?.......but just as much sunshine. Mmm.....

Flatlands await 

   

 Saturday 07.06.25

Launceston  - Oakhampton  45kms 1600'

The best that can be said of today is that we are 45kms nearer to our goal! I have eaten almost my entire elephaSant and we are now recovered from our bout of hyperthermia. We did want an adventure but today was just a tad ott. We had gone no more than 3kms when the heavens opened very wide indeed! Within minutes we were soaked and I mean down to knickers. Not content with ensuring we were wet (did I mention the rain?) the temperature plummeted and we had to seek our first bus shelter of this trip to take on hot drinks and for me to don a  extra layer just to get more stuff wet. Chill factor on the downhills was quite serious. When we reached Oakhampton, which did seem to get further and further away, we headed straight for a cafe at the station and discovered we couldn't even use our phones as we were trembling so much with the cold! Clothes were, by now sodden, but fortunately the chairs in said cafe were wooden so no cushions to soak. A large bacon and brie baguette and  cups of tea later, we (Alan) managed to open his phone with only a slightly shaking finger. The man really can come up trumps sometimes. This time he remembered the pub that we stayed in  5 years ago! They had a room! With a hot shower and radiators that are now blasting out the heat. Riding a bike is never without memorable experiences but this one can bugger off. No photos today as rain stopped play, (have I mentioned the rain/storm?).

Tomorrow is looking better, (apart from hail and snow, it couldn't be much worse )so maybe we can manage 50kms! I forgot to mention the added challenge of riding/walking uphill against a rising stream of water running downhill. Have I told you about the rain?!

Early night then onwards and definitely upwards in the morning. 

 Friday 06.06.2025.

Bodmin  - Launceston.     57kms   2500 ' Height gained.

Not nearly such a tricky day. A really whoopee start along 14kms of old railway line minus the rails obviously.  The Camel trail, so called as it follows the river Camel.  Not many camels in Cornwall. Ended at a coffee shop (tea and scones before tackling no 1 uphill of the day.  Worth the effort as we then spent much of the day high up on the moors - good weather and stunning views. Being that high meant that we really enjoyed a longish ride  down - so much so that we missed a turning. Found it, but then more of  the same ups and downs. 

This is called the Easy East Coaster ( Not that we are anywhere near the east coast yet) Uneasy might be a more accurate definition. ( Alan is thinking of suing under the trades description act).  However, to give the route finders' their due,  much of today was, mercifully traffic free. 

Our happy ending is an hotel situated at the top of another 20% climb and a room up three flights of stairs. Happy days!

 Thursday 5th June 2025

Perrenporth  - Bodmin   50kms   2,500 height gained. 

To say this was a  tricky day would be a huge understatement.  It was the hardest day we have ever ridden since we began our long rides - thank you Cornwall. Lots of uphill, lots of traffic, despite the route organiser's best efforts to make the route bike friendly. Quite a lot of the uphill was on Shank's Pony ( Not so much steep as  very intimidating with single lane traffic, potholes and gravel. ) Enough moaning, the topography is what it is and we must jolly well get on with it. Our first downhill of the morning came to a halt at a road closed sign. We winged it but it was completely blocked by the local electricity works. Undaunted, we sought a solution and the electric guys were well up for helping. Take the panniers off and we'll carry or wade through the stream running alongside the road. How heroic was that. As it turned out, the local neighbour arrived, having heard the conversation and offered us an alternative route through his garden and onto the road bypassing the lorries. All went well until we reached the final gate which was electronically controlled and the power was off! Not to be beaten, our new friend found a spanner and twisted some mechanism which released the gate. Hooray, and we were off and much impressed by the kindness of strangers. 

We had planned to spend this night in Camelford but had we continued we would be still going up and down! Might have to revise expectations for the morrow as I suspect more ups and downs can be expected. Anyway, we like Bodmin and it's friendly hotel. We have been given to understand that the reason for the increase in the traffic is likely to be the result of visitors to the Royal Cornish show in Wadebridge. We'll see. 

We are now, quite definitely ready to hit the sack. So, until tomorrow, we bid you good night.

 ednesday 4th June 2025

St. Bryan- Perrenporth 60+kms  2100'

Today we started by covering ground already ridden in the opposite direction. Thus, we went down the 16% hill in Neyland (burning  brakes) and then rode the coastal path for some 5 kms in sunshine with a following wind - what a difference. As you may imagine the euphoria lasted only until the next uphill. We are learning to love them! 

Route finding is causing Master Navigator considerable problems not helped at all by the fact that the GPS has finally overloaded and gone on long term sick. Today has been so demanding of attention that Master Navigator made the unforgivable mistake of going uphill and then realised that our turning had been at the bottom of the hill! Not something he makes a habit of. To be fair the road that we wanted did have a large road closed sign which we ignored and found just enough room for a body and a pannier carrying bike. So onward to a long but traffic free gravel track. Just another fine example of the varying terrain all designed to keep us off the A30 and very much appreciated. We have enjoyed some  very fine  views especially on the seaside at Portreath where we met an expat who lives in Western Australia who had much to say. And equally from the summit of our climbs. The views I mean.

I know I have made a bit of an issue of these uphills and I know that they will diminish but we have  now got the measure of them. We walk! It is not the hill which is so daunting it is the vehicles we are sharing the space with. Laden  bikes in our hands are a bit wobbly and unpredictable and cars and, even worse, huge farm machinery are very scary when they overtake at speed. Walking takes away all the angst.

Today has gone well and we finished it off with a very fine hotel having given up with air b and b. Nothing so helpful as a sign saying Rose in Vale Country Hotel. Admittedly at the bottom of another hill but very fine indeed.

So follows a good night's sleep and a large breakfast before the walk back up the hill in the  morning on fresh legs. 

Lejog - Day 1

 

Tuesday 03 June 2025

Penzance - Land's End - St. Bryan. 34.6 kms  1,400 feet. (felt a lot more!)

All Al's planning has born fruit. We left the van in Penzance, cycled to Land's End for the official start of the journey and then a little bit of the route north for our overnight accommodation.The distance is not great but at least 3/4 of that was with a "nostril wind" and for those of you who have followed us before, you will know how much I hate said wind! We have also spent some time pushing as we discover the idiosyncrasies of the Cornish hills.

That we did any riding at all was a surprise. I woke to gale force winds and pouring rain - not unusual but not great for a bike ride! So you can imagine my surprise and delight as the clouds broke,sun shone  but the f.......g wind continued!

It was never planned to do more than this on the first day and just as well as returning the van which Al had driven here and hired from Enterprise in Swansea, turned into a bit of an epic. Not interesting enough to include in detail but suffice to say there were defects on the tyres  ( Not our fault). Thus, our ride didn't start until late.  It was, however, a delightful start along the front into Penzance,  then the lovely ended when we hit the steepest climb ever - 16% and over 1km. Suddenly max power required.

Really pleased to have got going and had the best start with some fabulous accommodation which, sadly, we will leave behind tomorrow.