Monday 16th June.

Loughborough  -  Southwell    57kms    1,027'

I forgot to mention yesterday the warm welcome and the sorting of the bike storage. Everything was done with a smile and efficiency. Does make all the difference. So well done the Link Hotel  in Loughborough. 

Today has been very hot and fascinating. I think we were both a bit worried about traversing Nottingham so we made the most of the tranquil countryside in the morning. Found a delightful spot for coffee on a traditional village green, the name of  which eludes me. It wasn't long before we made the outskirts of Nottingham and the increase in the volume and the noise of traffic. While the way through entailed a lot of stopping and  checking,  the guys in the office had made a good job finding the interesting and the picturesque.  Very noticeable is the amount of new housing areas being developed and thus a few roads going in new directions. Master Navigator was on top of the job and made never a wrong turn and believe me, there was plenty of opportunity for that to happen. We followed paths through houses, paths through playing fields, tracks along the river and the canal and along the tramway - we crossed the river over a stunning bridge to which folk had added padlocks - not sure what that is all about but very pretty they looked glinting in the sunshine. We passed lots of university residences and colleges, all of which looked well cared for. Lots of cycle tracks and lots of, mostly young fit guys, using them. You may have guessed, we were impressed with Nottingham although once we got onto the main drag out of the city, we must have passed an Aldi or a Lidl at every roundabout and the traffic was incessant. The good news was that cycle lanes ran alongside the road.

We did manage to find a haven of peace in a churchyard with a shaded bench and a lot of dead people. It was at this point that we made the, very sensible decision, to not ride another 30 kms. Instead, we opted for a much less ambitious destination at 12 further kms. A bit disappointing not to have added another monster ride, but good sense prevailed and in view of the hills we encountered on the way to Southwell, it was a decision well made.

I think tomorrow may be hot again and we do have to factor that in when we attempt the next stage. Still, much easier to manage than the rain!

 Sunday 15th June 2025    

Haseley - Loughborough  80.5kms    2,100'

Well, an interesting day and a father's day to remember. If anyone had asked me a few weeks ago if I would consider riding 80 kms on a laden bike I would have laughed! Very tired but very chuffed.

Anyway, I feel I must comment on the Indian meal which we enjoyed last evening. It was quite exceptional and the chef is, apparently, a Michelin star chef who has taken on this restaurant.  A real treat. 

This morning, all went smoothly and we took a punt and started the ride by bypassing the route and following a main road with only Sunday traffic using it. Saved some time which, in retrospect,  was a good thing as we didn't arrive at our accommodation until around six this evening - a little weary! Tonight's understatement! 

Weather has been very kind and lunch was a pleasure taken on a proper bench surrounded by ,kiddies playground activities. At this point we  made the decision to book tonight's hotel and thus commit ourselves to a long continuation. It started so well. Lots of very fit cyclists on unladen bikes waved and hailed the old couple on the heavy bikes. Their day will come. No, really delighted to see so many people of similar mind. The terrain had ceased to be up and down and was nearly flat for quite some time and we were making really good time and then we entered Coalville and the route went haywire following tracks which were badly signposted and then others which were so neglected, they were unridable. However,  the tenacity of Master  a gator untangled the devious paths but we lost a lot of time. What we did do though, was cross the M1 which seemed quite a milestone.

Planning on tomorrow being a little shorter as we have to conquer the maze through Nottingham.

 Saturday 14th June 2025

Tewkesbury  -  Hasely 77kms   1752'

I  must start by thanking Wendy and Paul for providing us with a very comfortable day off! We washed all our very smelly gear, Al changed my front brakes and generally checked the bikes. My sister provided delicious food and everything else to make our stay a delight.

We set off in good time this morning and we're soon dicing with death on normally quiet roads (it was Saturday!) No they were okay and just at  coffee time we passed a village hall where a van was providing coffee and  cakes. Very English villagey and very good coffee.

We chose to ride this route from south to north based on some knowledge of prevailing winds and today was a good example. Fot the most part, the wind was behind us and very strong. When we changed direction cross winds could be guaged by the flattened grass in-between the hedges. Certainly made me wobble but fortunately it was blowing me into the side of the road and not into the middle.! 

Unexpectedly, because I had forgotten that it was Saturday, Evesham was heaving and the way through took a while, entailing some careful route finding. The final approach into Stratford was a joy, along the Stratford Greenway - several kms of flat well surfaced path and lots of folk to say hello to. Stratford town was pretty  chaotic ( I think I  mentioned it was Saturday) and then tourists were out in  full, wandering aimlessly, unaware of two cyclists trying to get to the other side of town. But we did.

We had stopped for lunch on a suitable bench and researched possible accommodation for the night. Options were so limited that there was only one, and that was a teeny bit further than we planned. How unusual is that!  Anyway it was duly booked so we  had to make the extra distance which we did and , in the process accepted that there is a general improvement in our performance which is increasing our overall confidence. The latter has also been enhanced by the encouragement of our followers and folk along the way. Thanks all.

Must tell you this - at some point we took a  cycle path, the easy access to which was a gate, well two in fact and both were locked! The only alternative was a bike hike over two wierd wooden steps. Quite a challenge with heavy bikes. Al went for it and then man mountain appeared and asked if I wanted help. 'Oh yes please," I simpered. And with that, he picked up my bike, panniers and all, and waltzed over the obstacles! My hero! 

Anyway here's to tomorrow, the route of which Al is working on right now.

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!