Day3, Exeter to Lower Langford

Blog day 3

Exeter to Lower Langford

Day started with some stress! Having been forbidden to ride on the A30/303 (with good reason, it has to be admitted) I added an alternative route to the GPS last night and it deleted all the other routes! Happily I noticed just as we were to set off and I had to fire up the laptop and reload them. Disater averted.

It lashed down during the night but happily was clear by breakfast and we set off, later than planned, in fine fettle. Today's hills were quite manageable and we missed all bar one of the forecast showers. The route alteration was brilliant after we'd done the vicious climb out from Honiton onto the ridge. Perfect riding and tea at a farm shop, with a later pub stop for lunch. We actually met up with Keith and Dave from Merseyside again in Honiton who were going to tackle the A-road ... wonder how they got on?

We met up with Anne & Maeve at Street and swapped our wee bags for the panniers as from then on we were on our own. The Somerset Levels were an easy break-in to cycling with a full load and we even managed the climb out of Cheddar with no problem.

We arrived at the B&B in Lower Langford rather late at around 19:30 to a welcome tea and cake, then a pub meal to finish the day.

An early night, I think. Bristol and the Severn Bridge to conquer tomorrow. Thank you ladies for the bag-carrying - it's all down to us now.

Stats : 79.2 miles at an average of 11.7 mph; 6hrs 45mins saddle-time; 1150m of ascent.

Day 2, Pelynt to Exeter

Woke up in the night to lashing rain and high winds. Woke up for breakfast to drizzle and hill fog. Set off in watery sunshine with a light tailwind. How lucky was that!

The first mile was a downhill but was immediately followed by a vicious steep climb just to remind us what is still in store. We made reasonable time for the first 19 miles to the Torpoint ferry to Plymouth but that delayed us, then getting through Plymouth was a slow process (routing using an OS map doesn't reveal the one-way streets or the closed roads!). Leaving Plymouth we realised we needed to eat so detoured to Morrisons for lunch. (Thankyou Morrisons at Plymport for letting us put the bikes in your dry cleaning room whilst we ate)

The Plym Valley cycleway took us, traffic free, to the base of Dartmoor where the big climb began. thank goodness Devon hills are easier and longer gradients : less strain to climb and brilliant to descend! It was also good to have a light tailwind to help us over Dartmoor ... and no rain!

It was a slow day really with all the ascent, and we arrived tired at Gypsey Hill Hotel at around 19:20.

No sign today of the two Merseysider Lejogers that we had been leapfrogging yesterday so I guess they are ahead of us now.

Looking forward to the Somerset Levels tomorrow! At least Joe's dodgy front mech won't be an issue there.

Stats: 74.3 miles; 10.3 mph avg; 7hrs 10mins saddle time; 1974m ascent (& 47.1 mph max coming down off Dartmoor!)

Day 1, Sennen to Pelynt

Well that's the first day done. We set off at 09:15 from Sunny Bank Hotel, 2 miles from Lands End, in glorious sunshine but with a bit of a nip in the air. Doing LEJOG from south to north means we go with the prevailing wind, so the light headwind we experienced for the first 20 miles was clearly imaginary.

We didn't even make it to midday before we needed a stop and after nearly 60 seconds deliberating, we opted for a pint rather than a coffee at the Royal Oak in Perranwell (36 miles). As a consequence, the lunch sandwich stop was delayed until 14:00 at Tregony (49 miles).

It was a good day, but the second half was tougher than the first. It's true what that say about how hard Cornwall and Devon is. We are extremely glad that the ladies are bag-carrying because the hills are killers and it's impossible to get into a rhythm as it's a constant up and down. It wasn't helped by Joe's front mech playing up and not always allowing him to get into the small chainring (not good on a steep hill). The two ferries broke up the journey and we arrived in one piece at the B&B at 17:15; 5 minutes after the drizzle started.

An excellent meal and a pint of cider completed a fantastic day.

Stats for the day : 74.1 miles; 11.0 mph avg; 1861m ascent; 6hrs 43min saddle time

We're here : Day 0

We've started!  Okay, okay, so we cheated a bit.  Anne and I arrived at Lands End around 15:30 and met up with Joe and Maeve who got there just a few minutes before us.  After a long blether with a couple of Merseysiders (who were also just arrived and planning on doing the LEJOG in 15 days) we decided that as the weather was so uncharacteristically good, we'd return to the B&B at Sennen, don the kit and return for a photograph.  So here it is.  Doing it at this time also had the advantage of being able to use the signpost after the chap had gone home for the day ... so it was free!

So with a following wind we banked the first 2 miles of the journey back to the B&B ready for a meal and an early night.

Easy so far!

Last Post Before Lands End

So, Joe's sly training on Isle of Wight was somewhat eventful as he was thrown form his trusty Thorn into a hedge.  Clearly down to poor quality cycle paths and not rider error (as if!) but the result was a mammoth multi-coloured bruise and slight cosmetic damage to bike.  No worries, though as the bike was booked into St John Street Cycles (in Bridgewater, where it was built) for a service and check-over.  Now it is resplendent with new leather bar tape to match the Brooks B17 saddle.

Nice leather bar tape, Joe, but what happens when it rains?

Meanwhile my Hewitt has had a couple of hours of loving attention lavished on it by my own hand with a wash, polish and service (complete with new chain).  I just have to get it inside the car and see how much room there is left for the rest of all our luggage!  The route is now fully loaded into the GPS, and as a back-up, transcribed onto the butchered pages of an old AA road atlas.  Now all we have to do is get down there and ride.  Just hope I don't forget the tyre levers!

On top of the Lancashire Dales ... to be revisited on 20th Jun according to plan

Next Post :  Lands End.  Back soon!

Phil



Nothing to do with LEJOG!

Just a test to check I can post to blog from iPhone using hotmail account over mobile network ('cos my other account plays up occasionally!)

7 days to go, oo-err!

Sunset over Marischal College, in case you were wondering.

Countdown Continues ...

Well, as Joe and Maeve drive south (on the best day we've had all year) for 2 weeks of partying, golfing and general fun, Anne and I are just returned from a 7-day, 347 mile cycle tour.  We went from Swanland (overlooking the Humber Bridge) to Lancaster and back and managed to choose the worst possible weather in which to do it.  We way underestimated the hills across the Pennines and the Lancashire Dales, and we underestimated the amount of offroad tracks on the Trans-Pennine Trail.  This, combined with high winds (in our face, naturally), torrential rain, cold, and discovering I'd forgotten the tyre levers when Anne eventually punctured in the rain, all combined to make the westerly leg a bit of a trial.  Thank you Steve and Lynda Almond for providing an oasis of calm in Clitheroe in which we could recuperate in luxury after the toughest day! We cut short the extension to Morecambe where The Way Of The Roses (by which we returned) actually started, and took a half day in Lancaster.  The return via Grassington and York was a comparative doddle (except for the rain), and the last day was actually sunny and warm for a change.  Still, it was all good battle-hardening for the epic journey to come.

Lesson learnt:  (1) hill climbing performance is seriously compromised when dragging 10kg of luggage!  (2) Check the tyre levers are actually in the tool roll (before you set off)!

Talking of lessons learnt, Joe has one too.  After packing saddle bags, panniers, handlebar bag (how much stuff are you taking, Joe?) kilt bag, two suitcases, golf kit, and the rest for a multi-faceted break, he can't find his wallet.  In the way that only wives can manage, he was made to unpack everything, bit by bit (I know the feeling, you have my sympathy, Joe ... ask Anne about the tyre levers!).  Wallet was found under the final suitcase on the floor of the boot!  It just shows what happens when you rush these things!

Anyway, Joe will be in Isle of Wight (with bike, so can get some hill climb practice there) then on to the West Country.  We head off to Kendal for a spot of visiting friends and Lake District hill walking, then home for some catch-up and bike prep.  Then we all meet up at Lands End on 13th June when the trial really begins and we see for real if we've done enough training.

lets just hope we get less of this ...

Lancashire Dales in the rain

and a lot more of this ...

Yorkshire Wolds in the sun