Instead of cycling on Saturday we had a leisurely cup of tea with some neighbours and got our exercise through dancing at a fundraising salsa night in the evening.
Through doorstep encounters we had discovered that our neighbours had done a London to Paris cycle ride last August. They kindly invited us over for a cup of tea to tell us about their trip and give us some tips. Their experience will have been somewhat different to ours - not only because they did a different route to us, but also because they did it on a tandem! It was fantastic to get some encouragement from them. We discussed everything from tandems and bike set up, through to clothes, what to eat and approaching the trip with the right frame of mind. Despite some real lows, including a cancelled ferry, which meant they didn't travel over to France until midnight on their first day, they were really positive about the whole trip and we can't wait to come back and swap stories with them. Top tips - expect to be tired and grumpy in the evenings, so try to be patient and don't take things personally...and my favourite...chocolate! I will definitely be sticking to that one! Feeling reassured, I came home looking forward to the trip again which was great. But for now, I had to concentrate on the salsa night ahead and hope that some guests would turn up.
Preparations for the salsa night had been relatively easy. We'd booked the venue, got our fab friend Alan to agree to do a salsa lesson and publicised it as much as possible. As we'd not sold tickets in advance, I just had to hope some people would come along. 15 minutes before the class I only had three people and was feeling rather worried the night would be a flop...however, as it got nearer to 8pm and a few minutes after, people kept coming and we had 24 in total. Phew! It was a perfect number for the venue. Relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine as the class got underway, I was delighted to watch the complete beginners who had been really nervous getting stuck in and giving it a go. Everyone did really well and they certainly seemed to be having fun! We had lots of postive comments at the end of the night and people asking if we would do it again, so we might just do that!
We raised £158 from the evening, which was excellent. Thanks to everyone who came along and a big thank you to the City Gate for providing the venue - and most of all thank you to Alan for a tip top salsa class and providing us with a great evening of music and dancing! If you're interested in going along to a salsa class, do visit his website at: www.MisterSalsa.net
Sunday 25 July 2010
The 'Rest' Week
We make it to the week I've been looking forward to for ages - the rest week! The training programme requires four evening rides, alternating between 10 miles and 5 miles. So on Monday we went down to Turf and back. It was wet but we were relieved that Ant's knee seemed fine. A saddle alteration proved unhelpful so it's going back to where I started! On Tuesday just a five mile hop down to Countess Weir and back through Marsh Barton. It was wet again, but I finally have my mudguard back, thanks Ant! Wednesday should have been an easy ride out to Topsham, but it was horribly windy and I struggled to keep my bike in a straight line and had awful trouble with my balance again...not good just one week before the start of the big trip! Ant had fitted his bar bag though, another step nearer to being ready. Finally on Thursday we repeated Tuesday's 5 mile ride. Ant adjusted his gears successfully leaving me very impressed! This week I feel more sleepy and achy than I have done for ages - I just hope the 'rest' will pay off next week...
Friday 23 July 2010
Time for Treasure - Sunday 18th July
On Sunday morning we re-joined our cycling buddies in the CTC for a day of Treasure Hunting by bike! It was a lovely day and we met up with Mike and Sue to cycle to the start in Exmouth. They took us a route we'd not been before and along the new stretch of cycle path from Exton to Lympstone...a route we'd end up seeing many times before the end of the day!
We arrived in Exmouth in good time, so we registered over a leisurely coffee and were delighted to see so many of our fellow Brittany tourers turn up. It was lovely to see people again and to chat about what everyone had been up to since the trip. We were also delighted to meet Tim and Judy at last having heard so much about them and their plans to cycle across France from the South to the North - a trip which they had just returned from.
All of a sudden, there was movement in the camp and we were setting off, directions and treasure clues in hand. We all pedalled off happily to investigate the first clue and were pleased to find two answers in quick succession. I soon gave up with following the directions as the others seemed to have it well in control - but I was ready with my pen and paper whenever there was a hint of a clue in the air!
Heading out of Exmouth and into Lympstone, we were amused to see that Kirby had been promoted to Station Master and many sneaky plans were developed for phoning him with complaints about the station...hope you've not had too many calls Kirby!
In Woodbury we stopped for a rather prolonged coffee stop. The pub opened up to serve us tea and coffee, but they weren't quite prepared for so many people, so as well as a rather slow moving queue, we also had to wait while they popped down to the shop to get more milk. Meanwhile Sue was keeping spirits high with some creative uses for traffic cones...
Back on the route again and saying goodbye to Sarah who was only out for a morning ride, the rest of us carried on to do the longer loop. Given our leisurely pace, long coffee stop and frequent photo stops this may have been a mistake! Up one lane the surface was particularly treacherous and we nearly lost Ant in a cavernous pot hole. If we hadn't been with the group I would have been off the bike and walking - but I gritted my teeth and chanted encouraging thoughts until we got the end. After a brief argument about whether 'Right' at the grass triangle meant we should go left or right, we turned right and carried on the correct route!
We soon seemed to be at the end of the loop with the extra clues answered and accounted for, so we thought we were doing very well until we stopped for lunch. As we were sitting down in a pub garden to munch on our sandwishes, Mike casually asked Steph how far we'd come. 20 miles came the reply, which meant we still had another 15 to do. That would be ok, except it was now 1:45 and we were due back at 3:30. We were ordered to finish up within 10 minutes and get back on the route again, so leaving my pint of coke having only taken a few sips, we were back on the bikes again. We were going to have to up our game during the afternoon.
From here on in things went a bit pear shaped! There were some steep hills which were slowing us down, then with me struggling to get much speed on down hill runs I was having to work hard to catch up on the hills. After one particularly bad downhill run and the return of my leaning issues, Ant, Sue and I got separated from the group and weren't sure where to go. We carried on, assuming someone would have waited at the junction if we were meant to turn off. Then, following some 'fresh bike tracks' Sue encouraged us off to the left. At the top of a hill, which Sue designated as a good dogging spot, we decided we might have gone wrong. Getting out the directions, we decided we should have turned off some way back...so off we set to retrace our steps. Just as we were heading down the hill again, we heard a voice calling us. Judy had spotted us at the top of the hill and although we should have turned off sooner, the road went round, so we were able to rejoin the group. By this time the race was really on and as soon as I arrived at a 'clue spot' everyone was done and was moving on again...so it all got a bit frantic and stressful!
We had a big hill to climb out of East Budleigh and then a race back to Exmouth. Unfortunately the route back wasn't direct and we had to go in to Budleigh for some more clues. It was here that our afternoon took a real turn for the worse as Ant's knee had been causing him trouble for some time and he was now finding it really difficult to keep up with the group. We got to the top of the hill on the seafront and had lost everyone again. The directions soon had us back on track, but we resolved to let the group go ahead of us so that we didn't hold them up and cause them to lose points. Don had come back to find us, so we instructed him to send everyone else on. As it turned out, most of them had gone ahead anyway, but Dom and Steph were waiting for us as we came out of Budleigh. We took it slowly back into Exmouth and by this time had given up on the clues as Ant just wanted to get back.
I thought we'd missed the deadline for completing the photo section of the quiz, but it turned it we hadn't, so we immediately had to set to and try and make sense of the photos and link them to places we'd been on the map. Harder than you might think - especially when you've not had time for a cuppa! The results were soon in and Roy had won! Very wisely it seems he had not stuck with the group and had gone on his own far more efficient mission! Ah well! We'd had a very fun morning, even if the afternoon hadn't been so good.
We'd originally planned to cycle back again from Exmouth as our training programme required a ride of 65-70 miles. With Ant's knee giving him trouble, we sent the others ahead and planned to catch the next train home. Ant was too stubborn for that though and decided to carry on past the station and cycle home. Stopping part way along the cycle path, I suggested again that it might be better to go back and get a train, but Ant was determined to cycle home...and the long way to get the miles in...so cycle home we did. We finished the day on 60 miles. It hadn't quite been the final confidence boosting ride we'd needed and Ant was seriously concerned about whether his knee would hamper our London to Paris ride. Unfortunately we coudln't do much about this, other than wait and see.
Thanks to Kirby for organising a great day out and thanks to all our fellow competitors who entertained us throughout the day. Extra special thanks go to Steph who sacrificed her time points to wait for us and make sure Ant was ok. I think you should get those back...if you speak nicely to Kirby he might upgrade you! He seems to have been enjoying downgrading Sue and Mike! :)
We arrived in Exmouth in good time, so we registered over a leisurely coffee and were delighted to see so many of our fellow Brittany tourers turn up. It was lovely to see people again and to chat about what everyone had been up to since the trip. We were also delighted to meet Tim and Judy at last having heard so much about them and their plans to cycle across France from the South to the North - a trip which they had just returned from.
All of a sudden, there was movement in the camp and we were setting off, directions and treasure clues in hand. We all pedalled off happily to investigate the first clue and were pleased to find two answers in quick succession. I soon gave up with following the directions as the others seemed to have it well in control - but I was ready with my pen and paper whenever there was a hint of a clue in the air!
Heading out of Exmouth and into Lympstone, we were amused to see that Kirby had been promoted to Station Master and many sneaky plans were developed for phoning him with complaints about the station...hope you've not had too many calls Kirby!
In Woodbury we stopped for a rather prolonged coffee stop. The pub opened up to serve us tea and coffee, but they weren't quite prepared for so many people, so as well as a rather slow moving queue, we also had to wait while they popped down to the shop to get more milk. Meanwhile Sue was keeping spirits high with some creative uses for traffic cones...
Back on the route again and saying goodbye to Sarah who was only out for a morning ride, the rest of us carried on to do the longer loop. Given our leisurely pace, long coffee stop and frequent photo stops this may have been a mistake! Up one lane the surface was particularly treacherous and we nearly lost Ant in a cavernous pot hole. If we hadn't been with the group I would have been off the bike and walking - but I gritted my teeth and chanted encouraging thoughts until we got the end. After a brief argument about whether 'Right' at the grass triangle meant we should go left or right, we turned right and carried on the correct route!
We soon seemed to be at the end of the loop with the extra clues answered and accounted for, so we thought we were doing very well until we stopped for lunch. As we were sitting down in a pub garden to munch on our sandwishes, Mike casually asked Steph how far we'd come. 20 miles came the reply, which meant we still had another 15 to do. That would be ok, except it was now 1:45 and we were due back at 3:30. We were ordered to finish up within 10 minutes and get back on the route again, so leaving my pint of coke having only taken a few sips, we were back on the bikes again. We were going to have to up our game during the afternoon.
From here on in things went a bit pear shaped! There were some steep hills which were slowing us down, then with me struggling to get much speed on down hill runs I was having to work hard to catch up on the hills. After one particularly bad downhill run and the return of my leaning issues, Ant, Sue and I got separated from the group and weren't sure where to go. We carried on, assuming someone would have waited at the junction if we were meant to turn off. Then, following some 'fresh bike tracks' Sue encouraged us off to the left. At the top of a hill, which Sue designated as a good dogging spot, we decided we might have gone wrong. Getting out the directions, we decided we should have turned off some way back...so off we set to retrace our steps. Just as we were heading down the hill again, we heard a voice calling us. Judy had spotted us at the top of the hill and although we should have turned off sooner, the road went round, so we were able to rejoin the group. By this time the race was really on and as soon as I arrived at a 'clue spot' everyone was done and was moving on again...so it all got a bit frantic and stressful!
We had a big hill to climb out of East Budleigh and then a race back to Exmouth. Unfortunately the route back wasn't direct and we had to go in to Budleigh for some more clues. It was here that our afternoon took a real turn for the worse as Ant's knee had been causing him trouble for some time and he was now finding it really difficult to keep up with the group. We got to the top of the hill on the seafront and had lost everyone again. The directions soon had us back on track, but we resolved to let the group go ahead of us so that we didn't hold them up and cause them to lose points. Don had come back to find us, so we instructed him to send everyone else on. As it turned out, most of them had gone ahead anyway, but Dom and Steph were waiting for us as we came out of Budleigh. We took it slowly back into Exmouth and by this time had given up on the clues as Ant just wanted to get back.
I thought we'd missed the deadline for completing the photo section of the quiz, but it turned it we hadn't, so we immediately had to set to and try and make sense of the photos and link them to places we'd been on the map. Harder than you might think - especially when you've not had time for a cuppa! The results were soon in and Roy had won! Very wisely it seems he had not stuck with the group and had gone on his own far more efficient mission! Ah well! We'd had a very fun morning, even if the afternoon hadn't been so good.
We'd originally planned to cycle back again from Exmouth as our training programme required a ride of 65-70 miles. With Ant's knee giving him trouble, we sent the others ahead and planned to catch the next train home. Ant was too stubborn for that though and decided to carry on past the station and cycle home. Stopping part way along the cycle path, I suggested again that it might be better to go back and get a train, but Ant was determined to cycle home...and the long way to get the miles in...so cycle home we did. We finished the day on 60 miles. It hadn't quite been the final confidence boosting ride we'd needed and Ant was seriously concerned about whether his knee would hamper our London to Paris ride. Unfortunately we coudln't do much about this, other than wait and see.
Thanks to Kirby for organising a great day out and thanks to all our fellow competitors who entertained us throughout the day. Extra special thanks go to Steph who sacrificed her time points to wait for us and make sure Ant was ok. I think you should get those back...if you speak nicely to Kirby he might upgrade you! He seems to have been enjoying downgrading Sue and Mike! :)
Saturday 17 July 2010
A wet and windy week
Monday - After our 100 miler we did a short ride to Turf Locks. The wind was against us and it started to pour with rain. Not fancying a drink outside, we flew home again with the wind behind us.
Wednesday - We set off in the dry to Brampford Speke and out through Thorverton, but the roads were wet and muddy, making descents slow and scary. Then the rain came. I was keen to turn back at Nether Exe but Ant decreed we should do our designated miles. Luck was on my side as we got to the junction and found the road closed. Yay! Turning back we found the lanes were really flooded at points and I made a note not to come this way in wet weather again!
Friday - We set out in sunshine to try and pick up the new cycle path in Topsham. On the second attempt we found it, only for it to stop shortly after at a junction with no signs. Following Ant's instinct, we turned left and found ourselves at Ebford. Perfect...oh, except we don't know the way from here! After a bit of 'exploring' we found the right road. At Lympstone the rain started coming down and on the cycle path to Exmouth the weather worsened. The rain got heavier and it was so windy I was struggling to control my bike. I soon decided I was going home! It was immediately easier with the wind behind us and shortly after the rain stopped and it brightened up again. It seemed a long journey back though - I was soaked through, tired and hungry. I was struggling with my leaning issues again and frustration set in. I hadn't found it so difficult for weeks.I can only hope Sunday's ride will go better. Oh - and I really must get round to fitting my mudguard!
Wednesday - We set off in the dry to Brampford Speke and out through Thorverton, but the roads were wet and muddy, making descents slow and scary. Then the rain came. I was keen to turn back at Nether Exe but Ant decreed we should do our designated miles. Luck was on my side as we got to the junction and found the road closed. Yay! Turning back we found the lanes were really flooded at points and I made a note not to come this way in wet weather again!
Friday - We set out in sunshine to try and pick up the new cycle path in Topsham. On the second attempt we found it, only for it to stop shortly after at a junction with no signs. Following Ant's instinct, we turned left and found ourselves at Ebford. Perfect...oh, except we don't know the way from here! After a bit of 'exploring' we found the right road. At Lympstone the rain started coming down and on the cycle path to Exmouth the weather worsened. The rain got heavier and it was so windy I was struggling to control my bike. I soon decided I was going home! It was immediately easier with the wind behind us and shortly after the rain stopped and it brightened up again. It seemed a long journey back though - I was soaked through, tired and hungry. I was struggling with my leaning issues again and frustration set in. I hadn't found it so difficult for weeks.I can only hope Sunday's ride will go better. Oh - and I really must get round to fitting my mudguard!
Saturday 10th July - 100 Miles!!
Following our disasterous attempt at the Devon Delight route and our all day effort to reach a total of 70 miles, I logged into my blog to discover that Kate, our fellow London to Paris participator, had done 103 miles that day. Oh dear! Feeling rather inadequate I immediately decided that the following weekend we would have to do 100 miles ourselves...and so it was that we set out on Saturday to do just that.
We planned out a route that predominantly covered routes we already knew to minimise getting lost and stopping to check directions all the time. To give ourselves a chance, we aimed to leave at 6am and actually set out at 6:20am.
Our morning route took us down to Exmouth (where I was delighted to discover the toilets were open nice and early!) out to Budleigh and up to Otterton. The coffee shop was still not open, so we sat on the village green to eat some oatcakes (another recommendation of Kate's) and take a quick breather. Ant had a strict timetable he wanted us to keep to, so we were soon heading off again following the lanes up to Tipton St John and out to Ottery St Mary. From there we headed to Feniton and up (yes, very up!) to Talaton. From there we cut across to Broadclyst and out to Killerton. This time the coffee shop had just opened, but with 46 miles under our belts we were getting hungry and ate our sarnies instead of going for coffee and cake. I couldn't quite believe we'd done nearly 50 miles and it was still only just gone 11am! I wished I'd discovered early morning riding earlier on in our training, as it means the roads are much quieter and you can do 50 miles before lunch and still have an afternoon to spare. Not today though...From Killerton we found our way to Silverton, where we stopped to re-stock on water supplies and then back into Exeter. Round 1 done!
For the second part of our route we decided to retrace our steps on the Devon Delight and see if we could do a better job this week! We were cutting out the busy section into Newton Abbot, but other than that we'd be doing the same as before. Heading up over Longdown was just as much of a struggle as the previous week, but at least this time I knew that once we'd made it and if I could survive the rapid descent down the other side, we'd have a nice long stretch of flat riding. It was good to get to the Teign Valley, but I was getting tired again and starting to realise that although we'd made great progress in the morning, we still had a long way to go. We tried to stop at a Garden Nurseries we'd spotted the week before, but on closer inspection, the Nestle sign outside only led us to a tiny shop with an ice cream freezer in the corner. No cafe and no toilets...ah well. Instead, we carried on to our picnic stop from the week before and had a break there again. Ant spotted a water snake in the river and I was glad to be safely up on the bank away from him!
Moving on, we followed the road all the way to Kingsteignton. This was again a very long sretch and although it was flat, the wind was getting up and it seemed like ages before we got to the roundabout where we could turn off. Coming past a quarry was particularly unpleasant as the wind whipped up around us. At last we found ourselves heading towards Gappah and the infamous cross we'd visited so many times the previous week! Luckily the gravelly lane had settled down a bit and made the riding much easier - and we only had to do it once this time! Heading up over the hill and along by the big wall, the cheery cyclist from the previous week went sailing past us again with a smile and a wave. I'd not remembered this section being such a long climb and found it much tougher this week. Although we did it twice the previous week, this week we had done a much longer route in the morning and it was starting to take it's toll. I called to Ant and took an impromptu stop by a gateway to have a quick rest and some more snacks. The cows watched us intently from where they stood, but didn't come any closer. The wonderful views down over the valley were a testament to how high we'd climbed - but I knew there was another climb ahead just after the junction.
We attacked the next hill as best we could, but we were both tired and ended up getting off our bikes and walking the last little section before we turned off towards Ashcombe. Back on the bikes again we soon found ourselves heading into Ashcombe, where we had to dismount again to go down the steep twisty hill. It was nice to be off the bikes again - and this time we knew we were nearly back at Dawlish and that our route would be much easier than laast weeks adventure! Down in the village, we came across a lovely friendly black and white cat who I fussed over for a little while before getting back on the bike again. From here we followed the road into Dawlish, marvelling at what an easy route it was and looking up across the hill we had climbed the previous week...we won't do that again! Arriving from a different direction, I was momentarily confused about which way to go when we got to Dawlish, but Ant recognised the turning and there we were in Dawlish. Wow! By this stage I was really excited. It suddenly sank in that we were nearly home and we were going to manage the 100 miles!
Outside the Co-op I bumped into an old work colleague who has recently retired. We had a quick natter and it felt very odd to say we'd cycled over 80 miles and would have done 100 when we got home again. Checking my watch I realised that if we cracked on with the final section, we could make it home within 12 hours from when we set off. So - after a quick stop to use the facilities (I'd not found any since Killerton!), re-stocking on water and cramming in several squares of chocolate (Cadburys chocolate with shortbread and cranberries in, if you've not tried it yet, you must - it's very yummy indeed!) we set off for home. Although I was feeling tired, adrenalin really kicked in at this stage and I was so excited about reaching 100 miles, I couldn't stop grinning all the way!
This week we followed the directions and took the road behind Powderham. This was nice and flat and much quieter than the main road. It seemed to take ages to reach the crossing over to Exminster and once we got there, the nice flat route finished and we were presented with some unexpected rather nasty hills! My smile started to fade as we dropped the gears and slogged up the hills...but finally we were back on familiar territory and heading through Exminster. From here it was flat quick riding all the way home and checking my watch again, I knew we could make it within the twelve hours. Grinning once more, I pedalled as fast as my tired legs would allow until we made it back up our drive. Time check: 11 hours and 55 minutes! Yay!!
Back at home, we enjoyed our recovery shakes we had been prepared in advance and were waiting in the fridge for us. Then I hopped in the shower and got ready to go out to the firework finale of the festival. Walking into to town I wondered what on earth we were doing, but I was still grinning from ear to ear as we met up with friends and impressed them with our stories of the day! I got increasingly tired as the night went on, but was amazed at how few aches and pains I had. For the first time ever I started to believe we might actually be able to manage our London to Paris ride...and if I'm this emotional after a one day ride, I'm not sure whether I'll be laughing or crying for a week after we get to Paris!
We planned out a route that predominantly covered routes we already knew to minimise getting lost and stopping to check directions all the time. To give ourselves a chance, we aimed to leave at 6am and actually set out at 6:20am.
Our morning route took us down to Exmouth (where I was delighted to discover the toilets were open nice and early!) out to Budleigh and up to Otterton. The coffee shop was still not open, so we sat on the village green to eat some oatcakes (another recommendation of Kate's) and take a quick breather. Ant had a strict timetable he wanted us to keep to, so we were soon heading off again following the lanes up to Tipton St John and out to Ottery St Mary. From there we headed to Feniton and up (yes, very up!) to Talaton. From there we cut across to Broadclyst and out to Killerton. This time the coffee shop had just opened, but with 46 miles under our belts we were getting hungry and ate our sarnies instead of going for coffee and cake. I couldn't quite believe we'd done nearly 50 miles and it was still only just gone 11am! I wished I'd discovered early morning riding earlier on in our training, as it means the roads are much quieter and you can do 50 miles before lunch and still have an afternoon to spare. Not today though...From Killerton we found our way to Silverton, where we stopped to re-stock on water supplies and then back into Exeter. Round 1 done!
For the second part of our route we decided to retrace our steps on the Devon Delight and see if we could do a better job this week! We were cutting out the busy section into Newton Abbot, but other than that we'd be doing the same as before. Heading up over Longdown was just as much of a struggle as the previous week, but at least this time I knew that once we'd made it and if I could survive the rapid descent down the other side, we'd have a nice long stretch of flat riding. It was good to get to the Teign Valley, but I was getting tired again and starting to realise that although we'd made great progress in the morning, we still had a long way to go. We tried to stop at a Garden Nurseries we'd spotted the week before, but on closer inspection, the Nestle sign outside only led us to a tiny shop with an ice cream freezer in the corner. No cafe and no toilets...ah well. Instead, we carried on to our picnic stop from the week before and had a break there again. Ant spotted a water snake in the river and I was glad to be safely up on the bank away from him!
Moving on, we followed the road all the way to Kingsteignton. This was again a very long sretch and although it was flat, the wind was getting up and it seemed like ages before we got to the roundabout where we could turn off. Coming past a quarry was particularly unpleasant as the wind whipped up around us. At last we found ourselves heading towards Gappah and the infamous cross we'd visited so many times the previous week! Luckily the gravelly lane had settled down a bit and made the riding much easier - and we only had to do it once this time! Heading up over the hill and along by the big wall, the cheery cyclist from the previous week went sailing past us again with a smile and a wave. I'd not remembered this section being such a long climb and found it much tougher this week. Although we did it twice the previous week, this week we had done a much longer route in the morning and it was starting to take it's toll. I called to Ant and took an impromptu stop by a gateway to have a quick rest and some more snacks. The cows watched us intently from where they stood, but didn't come any closer. The wonderful views down over the valley were a testament to how high we'd climbed - but I knew there was another climb ahead just after the junction.
We attacked the next hill as best we could, but we were both tired and ended up getting off our bikes and walking the last little section before we turned off towards Ashcombe. Back on the bikes again we soon found ourselves heading into Ashcombe, where we had to dismount again to go down the steep twisty hill. It was nice to be off the bikes again - and this time we knew we were nearly back at Dawlish and that our route would be much easier than laast weeks adventure! Down in the village, we came across a lovely friendly black and white cat who I fussed over for a little while before getting back on the bike again. From here we followed the road into Dawlish, marvelling at what an easy route it was and looking up across the hill we had climbed the previous week...we won't do that again! Arriving from a different direction, I was momentarily confused about which way to go when we got to Dawlish, but Ant recognised the turning and there we were in Dawlish. Wow! By this stage I was really excited. It suddenly sank in that we were nearly home and we were going to manage the 100 miles!
Outside the Co-op I bumped into an old work colleague who has recently retired. We had a quick natter and it felt very odd to say we'd cycled over 80 miles and would have done 100 when we got home again. Checking my watch I realised that if we cracked on with the final section, we could make it home within 12 hours from when we set off. So - after a quick stop to use the facilities (I'd not found any since Killerton!), re-stocking on water and cramming in several squares of chocolate (Cadburys chocolate with shortbread and cranberries in, if you've not tried it yet, you must - it's very yummy indeed!) we set off for home. Although I was feeling tired, adrenalin really kicked in at this stage and I was so excited about reaching 100 miles, I couldn't stop grinning all the way!
This week we followed the directions and took the road behind Powderham. This was nice and flat and much quieter than the main road. It seemed to take ages to reach the crossing over to Exminster and once we got there, the nice flat route finished and we were presented with some unexpected rather nasty hills! My smile started to fade as we dropped the gears and slogged up the hills...but finally we were back on familiar territory and heading through Exminster. From here it was flat quick riding all the way home and checking my watch again, I knew we could make it within the twelve hours. Grinning once more, I pedalled as fast as my tired legs would allow until we made it back up our drive. Time check: 11 hours and 55 minutes! Yay!!
Back at home, we enjoyed our recovery shakes we had been prepared in advance and were waiting in the fridge for us. Then I hopped in the shower and got ready to go out to the firework finale of the festival. Walking into to town I wondered what on earth we were doing, but I was still grinning from ear to ear as we met up with friends and impressed them with our stories of the day! I got increasingly tired as the night went on, but was amazed at how few aches and pains I had. For the first time ever I started to believe we might actually be able to manage our London to Paris ride...and if I'm this emotional after a one day ride, I'm not sure whether I'll be laughing or crying for a week after we get to Paris!
Friday 16 July 2010
Trixy lives up to her name!
On Monday we planned to get back on our training schedule and got ready to ride to Exmouth again. Unfortunately, Trixy had other ideas. My braking and vibrating issue had come back and despite some efforts to adjust the brakes, all we succeeded in doing was jamming the rear brake on... Not a helpful start to the week. So on Tuesday it was into the Bike Shed to plead for some emergency help! They duly offered to look at it for me during the afternoon and I went back again after work to pck Trixy up. A spring in the brake had broken, so they'd had to build a new one for me, but it was all sorted. Hoorah.
Just down the road I discovered the braking / vibrating issues hadn't been resolved! So, back I went with Trixy for some more adjustments. Off down the road again and the problem was still there...so back to the Bike Shed I went! After further adjustments and a small trial ride out the back, it was thought the issue was sorted...but once I took it down a hill again, the vibrating was no better. By this time the Bike Shed had closed so I gingerly continued home and went back to the Bike Shed again on Wednesday. A thorough cleaning of the rims and a scrub of the brake pads finally seemed to sort things out. Apparently my new brake blocks may be too 'grabby' for my rims...so I'll just have to see how I go.
Since then Trixy has (touch wood!) been fine! So - after a quick trip home to change and pick up Ant, we headed out to Bickleigh. Despite some very threatening clouds ahead, the rain held off and we sat outside at the Fisherman's Cott for dinner. Very nice indeed! It was getting chilly on the ride back, but I sooned warmed up after a couple of short hill climbs and the weather was looking brighter again back towards Exeter.
On Thursday evening we headed down to Exmouth. We had a good run down there but I was getting hungry when we arrived and hoped to get a quick bite to eat on the sea front. Apart from the pub, everything else was closed, so rather than sit and wait to order something at the pub, or detour into the town centre, we decided to head back into Lympstone and pick up something at the village shop. This had been open on our way past, but when we got back, we discovered it closes at 8pm...it was now 8:25pm! Digging into my emergency supplies, we shared a bag of Minstrels at the roadside, took a deep breath and headed home - where we finally got to have a nice big dinner!
Just down the road I discovered the braking / vibrating issues hadn't been resolved! So, back I went with Trixy for some more adjustments. Off down the road again and the problem was still there...so back to the Bike Shed I went! After further adjustments and a small trial ride out the back, it was thought the issue was sorted...but once I took it down a hill again, the vibrating was no better. By this time the Bike Shed had closed so I gingerly continued home and went back to the Bike Shed again on Wednesday. A thorough cleaning of the rims and a scrub of the brake pads finally seemed to sort things out. Apparently my new brake blocks may be too 'grabby' for my rims...so I'll just have to see how I go.
Since then Trixy has (touch wood!) been fine! So - after a quick trip home to change and pick up Ant, we headed out to Bickleigh. Despite some very threatening clouds ahead, the rain held off and we sat outside at the Fisherman's Cott for dinner. Very nice indeed! It was getting chilly on the ride back, but I sooned warmed up after a couple of short hill climbs and the weather was looking brighter again back towards Exeter.
On Thursday evening we headed down to Exmouth. We had a good run down there but I was getting hungry when we arrived and hoped to get a quick bite to eat on the sea front. Apart from the pub, everything else was closed, so rather than sit and wait to order something at the pub, or detour into the town centre, we decided to head back into Lympstone and pick up something at the village shop. This had been open on our way past, but when we got back, we discovered it closes at 8pm...it was now 8:25pm! Digging into my emergency supplies, we shared a bag of Minstrels at the roadside, took a deep breath and headed home - where we finally got to have a nice big dinner!
Tuesday 13 July 2010
The Devon 'Delight' - Saturday 3rd July
The Devon Delight Audax was taking place on Sunday, but as the forecast looked terrible and we were planning to start the route in Exeter rather than going down to Newton Abbot for the start, we decided to do it on Saturday. This is a ride which is just over 60 miles and was advertised as a fairly easy ride with just a couple of climbs...
Setting out from Exeter we had a really good morning's ride. The route took us out through Brampford Speke (a bit of a climb first thing in the morning!) then through Thorverton and on to Killerton. We arrived at Killerton in good time - in fact, in such good time that the coffee shop wasn't open for another 10 minutes! Rather than wait, we took a quick break and had a snack from our supplies. We came back into Exeter via Ratsloe and Stoke Canon and were soon heading towards the second and larger loop of our ride. Our first delay came at St. David's Station where we got held up for 15 minutes as three different trains went past. Just a bit further down the road, we turned off right too soon. Luckily I knew this wasn't the road to Longdown, so soon had us back on track. Dunsford Hill followed by the climb to Longdown was a real struggle! Just by the RSPCA turning, we got off our bikes and walked up as the hill was very steep. Getting back on again, we had no idea how much further we would be climbing for!
After Longdown came the descent. It started off ok but further down the hill gets steeper and bumpier and by the bottom of the hill I felt shaken to pieces! My shoulder was hurting and my knee was sore when I started pedalling again. I wanted to stop and have a quick break to recover, but by this stage, Ant had soared off round the corner and every time he just came into sight, he would disappear again. By the time I caught him at our next turning, I felt ok again, so we carried on. We were looking out for a good point to stop and have lunch. Nothing presented itself for a while, but luckily the riding was now flatter and much easier, so we were able to make good progress through the beautiful and wonderfully shady Teign Valley.
We found a lovely little spot for a picnic at Lower Ashton. We ate our sandwiches sitting on the grass, looking out over the river and a beautiful stone bridge. Here I watched a squirrel bravely furrowing about on the lawn until each time a car came past when he would scurry up the trunk of a nearby tree. A heron also took flight, but disappeared before I could get the camera out. It seemed as if it was about to rain, so we packed up our things again and got back on the road.
The next section was long and dull, but fairly flat, so I couldn't complain too much! Heading into Newton Abbot we got a bit confused by the directions. I should have stuck with my initial instinct, but I couldn't see any sign of a Tesco next to the first roundabout we came to, so thought we must have gone wrong. Ant had seen a Tesco Express back at the mini-roundabout, so we went back to investigate. Whilst there, I made use of the facilities nearby and Ant stocked up on water and cakes for later. Continuing along the initial route we'd tried, we soon found it was correct - there was the huge Tesco at the next roundabout! With no sign of B&Q at the following roundabout, we ignored this remark on the directions and soon found ourselves at the 'Starting Point' for the ride. As we hadn't started at the start, we took a quick picture to prove we'd been there and got back on our bikes.
Heading out of Newton Abbot in busy Saturday afternoon traffic (the downside of not riding on a Sunday) we spotted B&Q further down the road! On a little off-road track, I was just complaining that it was a bit overgrown and the kind of route Roy would have had us trekking along, when who should come around the corner but Roy? He had been attempting the longer route - and as he'd started at the beginning, he was almost finished. Turning down the offer of a lift back, we carried on our way. We started off ok on this section, but soon got confused again! After turning off and going past a farm as instructed, our next instruction was to take the next right signposted Gappah. The next right had no signpost, but there was a sign saying that the road markings had been removed. The lane was horribly gravelly, but we decided to take a chance and hope it was correct. At the top of the road we came to what appeared to be an unmarked junction. We were looking for Gappah Cross, but I wasn't sure this was it. Ant decided that as there were no signs, we should just follow the road and keep going. I was increasingly nervous that we'd gone the wrong way. A cyclist zooming down the hill gave me a brief moment of hope, but calling out to him was useless as I realised he had headphones in, so he just gave us a cheery smile and a wave and was gone. Having climbed another hill and cycled along by a big wall for ages with no sign of a signpost, we eventually stopped and turned around again.
I was dreading going back down the gravelly lane, but knew it would take far too long to walk, so decided I would try and cycle as much of it as possible. Ant meanwhile expected me to get off my bike, so had stopped and got off his. I was concentrating so hard on staying on my bike and getting as far as I could that I didn't notice Ant wasn't with me. Finally coming to a flatter section, I called back and got no response, so stopped and waited. More calling and nothing...so I turned round and started going back up the hill. A minute or so later, Ant was following me down...having discovered that Gappah Cross was at the top of the gravelly hill! The signpost had no signs coming off it, and the post indicating that it was Gappah was buried under some leaves! It was frustrating to think we'd have to climb the gravel road again, but we saw the funny side and I was glad we at last knew where to go. We retraced our steps and continued along the walled road. At the next junction, it was straight over and then up a steep hill. We were both flagging again and stopped on a grass verge to eat our cakes.
We turned off towards Ashcombe and were pleased to find this section was relatively flat. The directions warned of a steep descent to Ashcombe and after struggling down the top section, I managed to stop my bike and get off to walk down. The hill seemed to go on for ages, but finally we were at the bottom and able to get back on our bikes to follow the road to Dawlish. The signs said 4 miles...yay, not far now...then 3 and half miles...great! Then just around a corner I saw a sign off to the right which said Dawlish 4 miles. Stopping to consult our directions, we contemplated what to do. We were supposed to follow the road to Dawlish - did that mean following the signs? The road we were on was signposted to Starcross, so we weren't sure if that would take us into Dawlish. Not wanting to take any shortcuts, we decided to follow the sign to Dawlish. This was a BIG MISTAKE! The hill soon became too steep for us to cycle up, so we got off and pushed for a bit. Where it seemed to level out a bit, we got back on to cycle again, but it just kept going and going and going...up and up and up. Now I was really tired and really struggling, so had to get off and walk again. This was horribly disheartening. We were wasting so much time and I was feeling exhausted. I was hot, getting low on water and wondering what on earth we were doing. This ride was turning out to be anything but 'delightful' for us!
Finally reaching the top of the hill, we got back on our bikes and enjoyed a flat section across the top for a short while. Then came the descent. This was just as bad as the ascent and although I tried a couple of times to get back on my bike and ride down, it was just too steep and I didn't feel I had enough strength to keep braking and controlling my bike. So - down and down and down we walked. By this stage, I was seriously contemplating trying to catch a train back from Dawlish. I was tired, exhausted and miserable. However, as the hill levelled out towards the bottom we got back on our bikes and it just seemed so fantastic to be moving at a decent pace again! Just around the corner we saw a sign to our left for Ashcombe. This confirmed our suspicions that we should have carried on along the road we'd been on...3 pretty flat easily cyclable miles that would have saved us walking almost 4 miles up and down steep hills pushing our bikes! By now I didn't care and I was delighted to have made it to Dawlish. We were both hungry and tired and stopped to pick up some sandwiches and went to sit in the park.
Feeling a bit more positive now I had some food inside me and was back on familiar territory, all thoughts of getting a train were squashed. We are training for a long charity ride and we can't get into the habit of giving up and getting a train when it gets tough! So - off we went, up the hill from Dawlish. We were surprised at how close Dawlish Warren was, so speeding down the hill into the Warren and along the flat road out again was great! I misread the directions from here and didn't realise I was meant to turn off behind Powderham Castle, so we ended up staying on the main road back to Exminster and then heading up through the village to re-join the final section of the route.
We had been over the moon with our progress in the morning and kept telling ourselves that if we hadn't got lost and hadn't had to walk for ages, our finish time would have been much better. That didn't stop me worrying that we might get lost on London-Paris, or end up having to walk on steep sections. I was also extremely saddle sore for the first time. It didn't seem to make any sense when I'd done rides almost as long and ridden on consecutive days before with no trouble. Luckily I'd already got some cream in case I'd developed any issues in Brittany. This definitely helped, but it would have been very painful to have got back on the bike again the next day. So, I was tired, sore and had very mixed feelings about what lay ahead as we sat down for dinner.
The next day, I most certainly didn't feel up to getting on my bike again, but we did make some progress with our London to Paris travel arrangements and went to the train station to buy our tickets. I was give a huge wadge of tickets - including train tickets especially for our bikes. How exciting!
Setting out from Exeter we had a really good morning's ride. The route took us out through Brampford Speke (a bit of a climb first thing in the morning!) then through Thorverton and on to Killerton. We arrived at Killerton in good time - in fact, in such good time that the coffee shop wasn't open for another 10 minutes! Rather than wait, we took a quick break and had a snack from our supplies. We came back into Exeter via Ratsloe and Stoke Canon and were soon heading towards the second and larger loop of our ride. Our first delay came at St. David's Station where we got held up for 15 minutes as three different trains went past. Just a bit further down the road, we turned off right too soon. Luckily I knew this wasn't the road to Longdown, so soon had us back on track. Dunsford Hill followed by the climb to Longdown was a real struggle! Just by the RSPCA turning, we got off our bikes and walked up as the hill was very steep. Getting back on again, we had no idea how much further we would be climbing for!
After Longdown came the descent. It started off ok but further down the hill gets steeper and bumpier and by the bottom of the hill I felt shaken to pieces! My shoulder was hurting and my knee was sore when I started pedalling again. I wanted to stop and have a quick break to recover, but by this stage, Ant had soared off round the corner and every time he just came into sight, he would disappear again. By the time I caught him at our next turning, I felt ok again, so we carried on. We were looking out for a good point to stop and have lunch. Nothing presented itself for a while, but luckily the riding was now flatter and much easier, so we were able to make good progress through the beautiful and wonderfully shady Teign Valley.
We found a lovely little spot for a picnic at Lower Ashton. We ate our sandwiches sitting on the grass, looking out over the river and a beautiful stone bridge. Here I watched a squirrel bravely furrowing about on the lawn until each time a car came past when he would scurry up the trunk of a nearby tree. A heron also took flight, but disappeared before I could get the camera out. It seemed as if it was about to rain, so we packed up our things again and got back on the road.
The next section was long and dull, but fairly flat, so I couldn't complain too much! Heading into Newton Abbot we got a bit confused by the directions. I should have stuck with my initial instinct, but I couldn't see any sign of a Tesco next to the first roundabout we came to, so thought we must have gone wrong. Ant had seen a Tesco Express back at the mini-roundabout, so we went back to investigate. Whilst there, I made use of the facilities nearby and Ant stocked up on water and cakes for later. Continuing along the initial route we'd tried, we soon found it was correct - there was the huge Tesco at the next roundabout! With no sign of B&Q at the following roundabout, we ignored this remark on the directions and soon found ourselves at the 'Starting Point' for the ride. As we hadn't started at the start, we took a quick picture to prove we'd been there and got back on our bikes.
Heading out of Newton Abbot in busy Saturday afternoon traffic (the downside of not riding on a Sunday) we spotted B&Q further down the road! On a little off-road track, I was just complaining that it was a bit overgrown and the kind of route Roy would have had us trekking along, when who should come around the corner but Roy? He had been attempting the longer route - and as he'd started at the beginning, he was almost finished. Turning down the offer of a lift back, we carried on our way. We started off ok on this section, but soon got confused again! After turning off and going past a farm as instructed, our next instruction was to take the next right signposted Gappah. The next right had no signpost, but there was a sign saying that the road markings had been removed. The lane was horribly gravelly, but we decided to take a chance and hope it was correct. At the top of the road we came to what appeared to be an unmarked junction. We were looking for Gappah Cross, but I wasn't sure this was it. Ant decided that as there were no signs, we should just follow the road and keep going. I was increasingly nervous that we'd gone the wrong way. A cyclist zooming down the hill gave me a brief moment of hope, but calling out to him was useless as I realised he had headphones in, so he just gave us a cheery smile and a wave and was gone. Having climbed another hill and cycled along by a big wall for ages with no sign of a signpost, we eventually stopped and turned around again.
I was dreading going back down the gravelly lane, but knew it would take far too long to walk, so decided I would try and cycle as much of it as possible. Ant meanwhile expected me to get off my bike, so had stopped and got off his. I was concentrating so hard on staying on my bike and getting as far as I could that I didn't notice Ant wasn't with me. Finally coming to a flatter section, I called back and got no response, so stopped and waited. More calling and nothing...so I turned round and started going back up the hill. A minute or so later, Ant was following me down...having discovered that Gappah Cross was at the top of the gravelly hill! The signpost had no signs coming off it, and the post indicating that it was Gappah was buried under some leaves! It was frustrating to think we'd have to climb the gravel road again, but we saw the funny side and I was glad we at last knew where to go. We retraced our steps and continued along the walled road. At the next junction, it was straight over and then up a steep hill. We were both flagging again and stopped on a grass verge to eat our cakes.
We turned off towards Ashcombe and were pleased to find this section was relatively flat. The directions warned of a steep descent to Ashcombe and after struggling down the top section, I managed to stop my bike and get off to walk down. The hill seemed to go on for ages, but finally we were at the bottom and able to get back on our bikes to follow the road to Dawlish. The signs said 4 miles...yay, not far now...then 3 and half miles...great! Then just around a corner I saw a sign off to the right which said Dawlish 4 miles. Stopping to consult our directions, we contemplated what to do. We were supposed to follow the road to Dawlish - did that mean following the signs? The road we were on was signposted to Starcross, so we weren't sure if that would take us into Dawlish. Not wanting to take any shortcuts, we decided to follow the sign to Dawlish. This was a BIG MISTAKE! The hill soon became too steep for us to cycle up, so we got off and pushed for a bit. Where it seemed to level out a bit, we got back on to cycle again, but it just kept going and going and going...up and up and up. Now I was really tired and really struggling, so had to get off and walk again. This was horribly disheartening. We were wasting so much time and I was feeling exhausted. I was hot, getting low on water and wondering what on earth we were doing. This ride was turning out to be anything but 'delightful' for us!
Finally reaching the top of the hill, we got back on our bikes and enjoyed a flat section across the top for a short while. Then came the descent. This was just as bad as the ascent and although I tried a couple of times to get back on my bike and ride down, it was just too steep and I didn't feel I had enough strength to keep braking and controlling my bike. So - down and down and down we walked. By this stage, I was seriously contemplating trying to catch a train back from Dawlish. I was tired, exhausted and miserable. However, as the hill levelled out towards the bottom we got back on our bikes and it just seemed so fantastic to be moving at a decent pace again! Just around the corner we saw a sign to our left for Ashcombe. This confirmed our suspicions that we should have carried on along the road we'd been on...3 pretty flat easily cyclable miles that would have saved us walking almost 4 miles up and down steep hills pushing our bikes! By now I didn't care and I was delighted to have made it to Dawlish. We were both hungry and tired and stopped to pick up some sandwiches and went to sit in the park.
Feeling a bit more positive now I had some food inside me and was back on familiar territory, all thoughts of getting a train were squashed. We are training for a long charity ride and we can't get into the habit of giving up and getting a train when it gets tough! So - off we went, up the hill from Dawlish. We were surprised at how close Dawlish Warren was, so speeding down the hill into the Warren and along the flat road out again was great! I misread the directions from here and didn't realise I was meant to turn off behind Powderham Castle, so we ended up staying on the main road back to Exminster and then heading up through the village to re-join the final section of the route.
We had been over the moon with our progress in the morning and kept telling ourselves that if we hadn't got lost and hadn't had to walk for ages, our finish time would have been much better. That didn't stop me worrying that we might get lost on London-Paris, or end up having to walk on steep sections. I was also extremely saddle sore for the first time. It didn't seem to make any sense when I'd done rides almost as long and ridden on consecutive days before with no trouble. Luckily I'd already got some cream in case I'd developed any issues in Brittany. This definitely helped, but it would have been very painful to have got back on the bike again the next day. So, I was tired, sore and had very mixed feelings about what lay ahead as we sat down for dinner.
The next day, I most certainly didn't feel up to getting on my bike again, but we did make some progress with our London to Paris travel arrangements and went to the train station to buy our tickets. I was give a huge wadge of tickets - including train tickets especially for our bikes. How exciting!
A break for Glasto
On Monday 21st June we went for our last ride before Glastonbury. We didn't have much time to go too far, but we knew we should do a decent training ride before heading off to Glastonbury. We did the route Kirby showed us out through Exminster, up a few hills and back through Shillinford St George. I always forget just how much I dislike this route! The ground is rough and full of potholes and the hills are really steep! Not a good combination in my mind, but I guess it's all good for the training.
Before we headed off to Glastonbury I dropped my bike into the Bike Shed for a service with a big list of issues. As a result, I had a quick session with one of the Bike Fit chaps who checked my position on the bike and measured various distances to make sure it was set up properly. Everything was fine, other than my saddle height, which I already knew as I've been riding it low due to my braking issues. We had various discussions about brakes, but it was generally felt that this couldn't be improved and that I just have to get used to the fact that brakes on road bikes aren't designed to make the bike stop! So - this was a bit of a mixed session. It was reassuring to know my bike is the right size for me and is set up ok, but on the other hand, it hadn't brought up any miraculous solutions to my difficulties or the pains I've been getting in my shoulder. I would just need to persevere...
On Wednesday I decided to take some time to practice my balancing skills and headed over to a car park I've used before. To my surprise, the car park has now been split in two, making it much smaller to cycle round. Undeterred I did a couple of laps before deciding I needed the loo! So - off I went to the other side of the quay and then came back again...only to get back to the car park and run over a huge pile of glass. Closer inspection revealed there was a shard of glass stuck in my tyre, so I wandered back home with the bike and used some tweezers to remove it. Not a great start to my new determination to improve my confidence on my bike!
Then on Thursday we felt we couldn't really afford another night of circling round a car park (or not!), so we went for a quick ride down to Lympstone and back. It was wet and I'd still not put my mudguard back on my bike...I got very muddy! It was a good little ride though and nice to be riding in cooler temperatures for a change.
Before we headed off to Glastonbury I dropped my bike into the Bike Shed for a service with a big list of issues. As a result, I had a quick session with one of the Bike Fit chaps who checked my position on the bike and measured various distances to make sure it was set up properly. Everything was fine, other than my saddle height, which I already knew as I've been riding it low due to my braking issues. We had various discussions about brakes, but it was generally felt that this couldn't be improved and that I just have to get used to the fact that brakes on road bikes aren't designed to make the bike stop! So - this was a bit of a mixed session. It was reassuring to know my bike is the right size for me and is set up ok, but on the other hand, it hadn't brought up any miraculous solutions to my difficulties or the pains I've been getting in my shoulder. I would just need to persevere...
On Wednesday I decided to take some time to practice my balancing skills and headed over to a car park I've used before. To my surprise, the car park has now been split in two, making it much smaller to cycle round. Undeterred I did a couple of laps before deciding I needed the loo! So - off I went to the other side of the quay and then came back again...only to get back to the car park and run over a huge pile of glass. Closer inspection revealed there was a shard of glass stuck in my tyre, so I wandered back home with the bike and used some tweezers to remove it. Not a great start to my new determination to improve my confidence on my bike!
Then on Thursday we felt we couldn't really afford another night of circling round a car park (or not!), so we went for a quick ride down to Lympstone and back. It was wet and I'd still not put my mudguard back on my bike...I got very muddy! It was a good little ride though and nice to be riding in cooler temperatures for a change.
Frustration and Fun rides 16th - 20th June
After the 100km ride we went to put my bike back together again and had a few issues! To start with the chain had come off and somehow got through the hook on the seat post designed to stop this happening. As is typical with such things, we then couldn't get the chain back on past this hook, so we had to unscrew it and move it to get the chain back on.
Finally, with tyres pumped back up again and not bothering to put the mudguard on, we went to set off on our ride only to find my brakes had developed a dreadfully loud squealing noise. Accompany the squealing was a nasty vibration that went all through the frame and which I could feel coming up through my saddle. Not a nice experience and after trying to adjust the brakes, but with no improvement, we decided to abandon the ride.
When I arrived home from an after work coffee with a friend the next day, I found Ant out in the garage tinkering with my bike. He'd been reading up on bike vibrations and braking issues and as a result had moved the brake blocks to try and fix it. It worked! I found the braking a bit harder, but the squealing and most thankfully, the vibration had disappeared, so we set off for a short ride to Topsham. The following day we did another quick ride to Turf. I would have stopped to use the facilities, but when we arrived the whole driveway up to the pub was full of Scouts, so we made an about turn and came home again!
On Saturday we headed out again in the direction of Exmouth and decided we'd try to find a quicker route out of Exmouth and into Budleigh. We followed a road out of Exmouth which was a great little route - more 'normal' CTC type lanes that are perfect for cycling, if a little on the hilly side! We took a wrong turn and found ourselves at Sandy Bay, but it was only a short detour and we soon found ourselves back on the road and then joined the cycle path towards Budleigh. This time Ant was pre-warned about the turning off the main road, so we headed towards the sea front. We had to guess the way from here though as we couldn't find any further cycle network signs. Luckily our instincts were correct and we soon found ourselves stopping for a snack on a bench on the sea front. From here, we decided to carry on into Otterton.
Our map indicated a cycle route to Otterton, so we found our way to the start of this route and then regretted it! Whilst off-road, it was rather bumpy and quite narrow in places, so it slowed us down. We came across a 'route closed' section of path, but as we'd seen a van go this way and not come back, we pedalled on through and saw no sign of any reason we shouldn't be there. Finally we came to the end of the path and found ourselves in Otterton, where Otterton Mill once again provided a fantastic coffee stop.
Consulting the map again we had to choose between a longer flatter route, or a more direct but hilly route. We went for the more direct route and took a different route up over the common and cut back towards Exmouth to head home from there. The climb didn't seem as tough as on the previous ride, so that was a relief! Soon we were heading home back through Woodbury again and Ant and I agreed that this was the first ride we'd been out on for ages that we'd actually really enjoyed! Rides and going out training had become a bit of a chore. Today though, everything seemed to come together - sunshine, a lovely route that went mostly to plan and a nice relaxed day on the bike. Hip hip hip hip hooray! :)
Finally, with tyres pumped back up again and not bothering to put the mudguard on, we went to set off on our ride only to find my brakes had developed a dreadfully loud squealing noise. Accompany the squealing was a nasty vibration that went all through the frame and which I could feel coming up through my saddle. Not a nice experience and after trying to adjust the brakes, but with no improvement, we decided to abandon the ride.
When I arrived home from an after work coffee with a friend the next day, I found Ant out in the garage tinkering with my bike. He'd been reading up on bike vibrations and braking issues and as a result had moved the brake blocks to try and fix it. It worked! I found the braking a bit harder, but the squealing and most thankfully, the vibration had disappeared, so we set off for a short ride to Topsham. The following day we did another quick ride to Turf. I would have stopped to use the facilities, but when we arrived the whole driveway up to the pub was full of Scouts, so we made an about turn and came home again!
On Saturday we headed out again in the direction of Exmouth and decided we'd try to find a quicker route out of Exmouth and into Budleigh. We followed a road out of Exmouth which was a great little route - more 'normal' CTC type lanes that are perfect for cycling, if a little on the hilly side! We took a wrong turn and found ourselves at Sandy Bay, but it was only a short detour and we soon found ourselves back on the road and then joined the cycle path towards Budleigh. This time Ant was pre-warned about the turning off the main road, so we headed towards the sea front. We had to guess the way from here though as we couldn't find any further cycle network signs. Luckily our instincts were correct and we soon found ourselves stopping for a snack on a bench on the sea front. From here, we decided to carry on into Otterton.
Our map indicated a cycle route to Otterton, so we found our way to the start of this route and then regretted it! Whilst off-road, it was rather bumpy and quite narrow in places, so it slowed us down. We came across a 'route closed' section of path, but as we'd seen a van go this way and not come back, we pedalled on through and saw no sign of any reason we shouldn't be there. Finally we came to the end of the path and found ourselves in Otterton, where Otterton Mill once again provided a fantastic coffee stop.
Consulting the map again we had to choose between a longer flatter route, or a more direct but hilly route. We went for the more direct route and took a different route up over the common and cut back towards Exmouth to head home from there. The climb didn't seem as tough as on the previous ride, so that was a relief! Soon we were heading home back through Woodbury again and Ant and I agreed that this was the first ride we'd been out on for ages that we'd actually really enjoyed! Rides and going out training had become a bit of a chore. Today though, everything seemed to come together - sunshine, a lovely route that went mostly to plan and a nice relaxed day on the bike. Hip hip hip hip hooray! :)
Monday 12 July 2010
A mission to master 100km
Whilst we'd pottered around East Devon the previous week, we knew we needed to keep upping the mileage if we were going to have any chance of improving our fitness and our stamina levels for our London to Paris ride.
Alongside a 100mile Tri-vets ride in Devon, there was a 100km ride which we hoped would be a bit more achievable for us! On the Thursday we headed to the gym to try and keep our fitness levels going and on the Friday evening we set out on a bike ride. I can't remember where we'd been heading, but once we got to Countess Weir I'd decided I didn't want to go too far or be too late back, so we agreed that instead of a longer ride, we'd go for a flat quick ride to Turf. We couldn't hide our laziness when we got to Turf and bumped into Steph! Oops! Never mind, it was good to see Steph again...and to meet the infamous Warren. Stupidly I didn't think to take a photo as proof - or to try and verify if this was the same 'Warren' that other people had been introduced to previously in a pub!
Heading back from Turf I took the opportunity to try and practice my balancing and signalling skills and amazingly in just that one ride I came on in leaps and bounds, managing to signal strongly with my right hand, although still only very feebly able to let go with my left hand for short periods. This is what I've so desperately needed - just a bit of time out with my new bike, off-road with no pressure just to get used to the different set up. We've been so busy trying to get in the miles and get ready for Brittany that I've just not done the basics.
Back at home and we've got a big task on our hands...getting two bikes into the back of a tiny Citroen C1! We used to be able to do this with our mountain bikes, but Ant's frame is much bigger and we have mudguards and not very quick 'quick release' tyres. At twenty to eleven Ant started taking the mudguards off my bike and I started to lose enthusiasm for the whole idea as we'd have to rebuild our bikes again first thing in the morning when we arrived in Kentisbeare. Not to be disheartened, Ant carried on regardless and finally, with seats pushed as far forward as possible, handlebars sticking through the seats and a few curses under our breath later...the job was done!
Arriving in Kentisbeare Roy came and found us in the car park with our bikes in pieces just half an hour before the event was due to start. Nevertheless, we got to it and re-constructed our bikes again. We missed out on the tea and toast, but just managed to register in time to start with the others. Not that it mattered, as they'd already lost us before we got to the first corner and we didn't see them again until much later on in the day! Ant was riding without helmet, gloves or glasses as we thought we'd forgotten to put them in the car...this made the day particularly tough for him, as it was hot and without a helmet or glasses, the sun really got to him and he also suffered terribly from hayfever.
The first section of the route went relatively smoothly and although we were briefly confused by some directions where I think we'd popped out from a cycle path in the wrong place, we soon found our way again and got back on track. We came across our first 'Road Closed' sign, but decided to chance it and luckily there was no sign of any obstruction on the route. With clear directions, we progressed along steadily, stopping regularly to check the next turnings we needed to be looking out for. I also stopped at one point convinced that my bike was making a funny noise, but I couldn't locate it and decided it was best to carry on. Not long after we came across a lovely little cat who was very friendly, so we stopped to give her a cuddle and took the opportunity to have a snack. Part way through the morning we were joined by Roy who had caught us up and really put us to shame as he had already done the 100mile route the day before! Arriving at the first potential coffee stop, Ant and I decided to push on whilst Roy stopped to meet up with Pippa to sort out some mobile phone issues.
The next section got a bit hillier and as we'd not stopped for a break we started to flag and felt like even though we were pedalling we weren't getting anywhere very fast! With 8 miles to go to Watchet, I felt like we were never going to get there! I desperately wanted to go to the loo and contemplated the 'hedge' option, but never quite found a secluded enough section of hedge! Just as we'd stopped after another of Ant's sneezing fits, we discovered a group of baby moorhens on a pond...oh how cute they were! Luckily Roy caught up with us again at that point and put a stop to our pulling over to admire every bit of wildlife we passed on route! It was great to get to Watchet and as time was marching on, I was glad we hadn't stopped for coffee earlier. We still had a long way to go and it looked like we wouldn't make the afternoon coffee stop before the cafe closed. Boo! Feeling refreshed after sandwiches, watching the steam train come through and eventually finding a toilet, we got back on track again. With Roy leading, we were able to make better progress in the afternoon, but we were both feeling tired and the heat and hayfever were really get Ant down by this stage and by the time we got to the Station Stop, we were out of water and very glad to have a rest.
With tea, sausage rolls and cake on offer, we refuelled whilst Roy tried to track down someone who hadn't signed in at this stop. A couple of phonecalls later and it has been established that he did go through and just forgot to sign in, so with all well again, we were able to head on. Roy had offered to get us a lift if we didn't feel able to complete the route, but we decided to take it easy and push on if we could. As the afternoon turned to early evening, the heat was dying down, making for cooler riding conditions. Roy took us on a brief detour to avoid a steep gravelly downhill road which he thought I wouldn't be too keen on (how did he guess that?!?) and then we were on the final stint to Coldharbour Mill and the finishing point of the event. Another refreshing cup of tea to celebrate our longest ride yet...and then another 3 miles to get back to the starting point and the car.
We were greeted by a very smiley Pippa back at the pub and after putting the bikes back in the car again we went back to wait for the 100milers to arrive shortly after us. It had been a very long hot day and we'd been out on the road for 10 hours...but at least we had made it! Feeling somewhat embarrassed that we looked more exhausted than our elder companions who had cycled much further than us...we snuck off to go an get an early night. Youngsters these days...what's the matter with them?!?
Alongside a 100mile Tri-vets ride in Devon, there was a 100km ride which we hoped would be a bit more achievable for us! On the Thursday we headed to the gym to try and keep our fitness levels going and on the Friday evening we set out on a bike ride. I can't remember where we'd been heading, but once we got to Countess Weir I'd decided I didn't want to go too far or be too late back, so we agreed that instead of a longer ride, we'd go for a flat quick ride to Turf. We couldn't hide our laziness when we got to Turf and bumped into Steph! Oops! Never mind, it was good to see Steph again...and to meet the infamous Warren. Stupidly I didn't think to take a photo as proof - or to try and verify if this was the same 'Warren' that other people had been introduced to previously in a pub!
Heading back from Turf I took the opportunity to try and practice my balancing and signalling skills and amazingly in just that one ride I came on in leaps and bounds, managing to signal strongly with my right hand, although still only very feebly able to let go with my left hand for short periods. This is what I've so desperately needed - just a bit of time out with my new bike, off-road with no pressure just to get used to the different set up. We've been so busy trying to get in the miles and get ready for Brittany that I've just not done the basics.
Back at home and we've got a big task on our hands...getting two bikes into the back of a tiny Citroen C1! We used to be able to do this with our mountain bikes, but Ant's frame is much bigger and we have mudguards and not very quick 'quick release' tyres. At twenty to eleven Ant started taking the mudguards off my bike and I started to lose enthusiasm for the whole idea as we'd have to rebuild our bikes again first thing in the morning when we arrived in Kentisbeare. Not to be disheartened, Ant carried on regardless and finally, with seats pushed as far forward as possible, handlebars sticking through the seats and a few curses under our breath later...the job was done!
Arriving in Kentisbeare Roy came and found us in the car park with our bikes in pieces just half an hour before the event was due to start. Nevertheless, we got to it and re-constructed our bikes again. We missed out on the tea and toast, but just managed to register in time to start with the others. Not that it mattered, as they'd already lost us before we got to the first corner and we didn't see them again until much later on in the day! Ant was riding without helmet, gloves or glasses as we thought we'd forgotten to put them in the car...this made the day particularly tough for him, as it was hot and without a helmet or glasses, the sun really got to him and he also suffered terribly from hayfever.
The first section of the route went relatively smoothly and although we were briefly confused by some directions where I think we'd popped out from a cycle path in the wrong place, we soon found our way again and got back on track. We came across our first 'Road Closed' sign, but decided to chance it and luckily there was no sign of any obstruction on the route. With clear directions, we progressed along steadily, stopping regularly to check the next turnings we needed to be looking out for. I also stopped at one point convinced that my bike was making a funny noise, but I couldn't locate it and decided it was best to carry on. Not long after we came across a lovely little cat who was very friendly, so we stopped to give her a cuddle and took the opportunity to have a snack. Part way through the morning we were joined by Roy who had caught us up and really put us to shame as he had already done the 100mile route the day before! Arriving at the first potential coffee stop, Ant and I decided to push on whilst Roy stopped to meet up with Pippa to sort out some mobile phone issues.
The next section got a bit hillier and as we'd not stopped for a break we started to flag and felt like even though we were pedalling we weren't getting anywhere very fast! With 8 miles to go to Watchet, I felt like we were never going to get there! I desperately wanted to go to the loo and contemplated the 'hedge' option, but never quite found a secluded enough section of hedge! Just as we'd stopped after another of Ant's sneezing fits, we discovered a group of baby moorhens on a pond...oh how cute they were! Luckily Roy caught up with us again at that point and put a stop to our pulling over to admire every bit of wildlife we passed on route! It was great to get to Watchet and as time was marching on, I was glad we hadn't stopped for coffee earlier. We still had a long way to go and it looked like we wouldn't make the afternoon coffee stop before the cafe closed. Boo! Feeling refreshed after sandwiches, watching the steam train come through and eventually finding a toilet, we got back on track again. With Roy leading, we were able to make better progress in the afternoon, but we were both feeling tired and the heat and hayfever were really get Ant down by this stage and by the time we got to the Station Stop, we were out of water and very glad to have a rest.
With tea, sausage rolls and cake on offer, we refuelled whilst Roy tried to track down someone who hadn't signed in at this stop. A couple of phonecalls later and it has been established that he did go through and just forgot to sign in, so with all well again, we were able to head on. Roy had offered to get us a lift if we didn't feel able to complete the route, but we decided to take it easy and push on if we could. As the afternoon turned to early evening, the heat was dying down, making for cooler riding conditions. Roy took us on a brief detour to avoid a steep gravelly downhill road which he thought I wouldn't be too keen on (how did he guess that?!?) and then we were on the final stint to Coldharbour Mill and the finishing point of the event. Another refreshing cup of tea to celebrate our longest ride yet...and then another 3 miles to get back to the starting point and the car.
We were greeted by a very smiley Pippa back at the pub and after putting the bikes back in the car again we went back to wait for the 100milers to arrive shortly after us. It had been a very long hot day and we'd been out on the road for 10 hours...but at least we had made it! Feeling somewhat embarrassed that we looked more exhausted than our elder companions who had cycled much further than us...we snuck off to go an get an early night. Youngsters these days...what's the matter with them?!?
Getting Back on the Bikes - 4th & 6th June
We knew we'd need to keep our fitness levels up afer Brittany so on the Friday we hopped back on the bikes for a short ride out to Topsham and back. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset over Topsham harbour before we headed back home.
On the Saturday we set out to try and join the CTC riders at Kings Garden Centre on the outskirts of Exeter. We'd only been there twice before and both times we had taken different routes, but we thought we'd recognise at least one of the routes...Sadly that wasn't to be and we found ourselves at a junction with the main road and heading into Lympstone. We probably could have found our way back to the Garden Centre, but as time was marching on, the others would probably have been leaving by the time we'd arrived, so we gave up on that idea and decided to carry on into Exmouth and find a coffee there.
As we rode along the new cycle path from Lympstone to Exmouth we could see lots of kites flying above the estuary and stopped to admire the spectacle. Heading into Exmouth, we saw signs for the kite festival and decided to take an early lunch break to investigate. On first inspection there didn't seem to be a lot going on, but as it turned out we were just in time to see some displays. We put the bikes down on the grass and sat ourselves down to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the displays and the skills on show. We saw everything from one man flying two kites at the same time in time to music, to a man flying a kite using a belt round his waste, to four men flying 4 sets of mini kites all together at the same time. It was a delightful, if rather unusual way to spend a break during a cycle ride!
After finding ourselves a very nice, but mischievously difficult to eat without getting it all down your front, chilli fajita for lunch, we decided to head on out to Budleigh along the marked Cycle Route network. This was a bit of a stop-start route, having to stop and cross lots of roads and even coming to some junctions where there didn't appear to be a sign and we just had to guess! Finally we joined the off-road section of the route which is a very pleasant ride if you don't mind a bumpy ride! I also wasn't too keen on the long downhill descent on such rough ground, still being rather nervous from my fall and not 100% confident with my new brakes. However, we made it in one piece and joined the road at the other end. Unfortunately Ant missed the Cycle Route sign at the next junction and by the time I'd stopped, failed to shout loudly enough and caught him up again, we decided we'd just carry along the road down into East Budleigh and then out to Otterton.
We'd chosen to follow a little lane off the main road that would take us into East Budleigh. This proved to be a slow choice as the hedge was overgrown and it was a steep gravelly route...not my favourite combination! Stopping to walk at points, we meandered on down to East Budleigh and were soon back on the bikes again and heading out to Otterton.
From Otterton we had a choice of routes home and picked a direct, but rather more hilly than anticipated route up over Lympstone Common. We had great views from the top and before we knew it we were back on familiar territory...and heading right past the entrace to Kings Garden Centre! I had a bit of a wobble here and started feeling very unbalanced on bike again. As traffic was so heavy, I stopped and tried to set off again, but still felt uncomfortable, so we got off to walk along the main road. This wasn't a great place to be either, but I felt safer walking in a controlled manner than fearing I would swerve out into the path of fast moving traffic.
Shortly after we were back on our bikes again and pedalling home through the lanes. It had been a bit of a frustrating day with missing the CTC crowd, missing Budleigh and having to get off our bikes and walk on a couple of occasions. However, we had enjoyed the kite festival and we'd done more miles than I had expected us to, so overall it had been a worthwhile excursion.
On the Saturday we set out to try and join the CTC riders at Kings Garden Centre on the outskirts of Exeter. We'd only been there twice before and both times we had taken different routes, but we thought we'd recognise at least one of the routes...Sadly that wasn't to be and we found ourselves at a junction with the main road and heading into Lympstone. We probably could have found our way back to the Garden Centre, but as time was marching on, the others would probably have been leaving by the time we'd arrived, so we gave up on that idea and decided to carry on into Exmouth and find a coffee there.
As we rode along the new cycle path from Lympstone to Exmouth we could see lots of kites flying above the estuary and stopped to admire the spectacle. Heading into Exmouth, we saw signs for the kite festival and decided to take an early lunch break to investigate. On first inspection there didn't seem to be a lot going on, but as it turned out we were just in time to see some displays. We put the bikes down on the grass and sat ourselves down to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the displays and the skills on show. We saw everything from one man flying two kites at the same time in time to music, to a man flying a kite using a belt round his waste, to four men flying 4 sets of mini kites all together at the same time. It was a delightful, if rather unusual way to spend a break during a cycle ride!
After finding ourselves a very nice, but mischievously difficult to eat without getting it all down your front, chilli fajita for lunch, we decided to head on out to Budleigh along the marked Cycle Route network. This was a bit of a stop-start route, having to stop and cross lots of roads and even coming to some junctions where there didn't appear to be a sign and we just had to guess! Finally we joined the off-road section of the route which is a very pleasant ride if you don't mind a bumpy ride! I also wasn't too keen on the long downhill descent on such rough ground, still being rather nervous from my fall and not 100% confident with my new brakes. However, we made it in one piece and joined the road at the other end. Unfortunately Ant missed the Cycle Route sign at the next junction and by the time I'd stopped, failed to shout loudly enough and caught him up again, we decided we'd just carry along the road down into East Budleigh and then out to Otterton.
We'd chosen to follow a little lane off the main road that would take us into East Budleigh. This proved to be a slow choice as the hedge was overgrown and it was a steep gravelly route...not my favourite combination! Stopping to walk at points, we meandered on down to East Budleigh and were soon back on the bikes again and heading out to Otterton.
From Otterton we had a choice of routes home and picked a direct, but rather more hilly than anticipated route up over Lympstone Common. We had great views from the top and before we knew it we were back on familiar territory...and heading right past the entrace to Kings Garden Centre! I had a bit of a wobble here and started feeling very unbalanced on bike again. As traffic was so heavy, I stopped and tried to set off again, but still felt uncomfortable, so we got off to walk along the main road. This wasn't a great place to be either, but I felt safer walking in a controlled manner than fearing I would swerve out into the path of fast moving traffic.
Shortly after we were back on our bikes again and pedalling home through the lanes. It had been a bit of a frustrating day with missing the CTC crowd, missing Budleigh and having to get off our bikes and walk on a couple of occasions. However, we had enjoyed the kite festival and we'd done more miles than I had expected us to, so overall it had been a worthwhile excursion.
Tour Series - Thursday 3rd June
Back from Brittany and what better excuse for a night off the bike than going to watch a top level cycle race in the heart of Exeter? Joined by friends we set off into town to watch the spectacle.
It was great to see the buzz around town for the event. I was particularly excited to get to the CTC stand and find pictures of us on the Brittany trip only a few days before! We bumped into some fellow Brittany trip travellers and had a quick natter before the action got underway. We also picked up free water bottles from Cycle Exeter and some Devon flags to wave - but we never managed to find an inflatable orange Halfords Hand...how will we ever survive without one?!?
I'd not been to see the Tour Series before so wasn't sure what to expect and had worried that standing round for over an hour to watch a bunch of people going past on bikes every few minutes might get a bit boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the time flew by! It was definitely made more interesting by the randomly placed sprint laps that were indicated by a buzzer on the lap before. Unfortunately the commentating wasn't quite up to scratch - a few riders got separated from the pack and despite speculation about a possible crash, we never did find out what actually happened. I know it's not quite the F1 Grand Prix, but I would expect there to be someone out on the rest of the lap / or a camera following the pack that could report back to the commentators and keep the crowd informed.
Having said that, whilst the commentary lacked solid facts and information, it was made up for by the characters of the chaps who were commentating. I have no idea what they were waffling on about at some points, but it was all the more entertaining for it.
If you've not had chance to go before, I would recommend you make the effort to get there another year as it truly is spectacular to see all the racers whizzing by and it's great to have such a fantastic spectacle right here on our doorstep in Exeter.
It was great to see the buzz around town for the event. I was particularly excited to get to the CTC stand and find pictures of us on the Brittany trip only a few days before! We bumped into some fellow Brittany trip travellers and had a quick natter before the action got underway. We also picked up free water bottles from Cycle Exeter and some Devon flags to wave - but we never managed to find an inflatable orange Halfords Hand...how will we ever survive without one?!?
I'd not been to see the Tour Series before so wasn't sure what to expect and had worried that standing round for over an hour to watch a bunch of people going past on bikes every few minutes might get a bit boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the time flew by! It was definitely made more interesting by the randomly placed sprint laps that were indicated by a buzzer on the lap before. Unfortunately the commentating wasn't quite up to scratch - a few riders got separated from the pack and despite speculation about a possible crash, we never did find out what actually happened. I know it's not quite the F1 Grand Prix, but I would expect there to be someone out on the rest of the lap / or a camera following the pack that could report back to the commentators and keep the crowd informed.
Having said that, whilst the commentary lacked solid facts and information, it was made up for by the characters of the chaps who were commentating. I have no idea what they were waffling on about at some points, but it was all the more entertaining for it.
If you've not had chance to go before, I would recommend you make the effort to get there another year as it truly is spectacular to see all the racers whizzing by and it's great to have such a fantastic spectacle right here on our doorstep in Exeter.
Friday 2 July 2010
The Big Tour of Brittany
Finally here it is...the report on the big tour of Brittany!
Day One - Thursday 27th May
Having gone to bed at midnight after repacking my panniers just once more, the alarm went off at 4am for our 5am departure. Luckily Roy had loaded our bikes onto the car the night before, so that was one early morning struggle we avoided. As we drove down to Plymouth, I was excited but nervous about what lay ahead.
We arrived at the port in good time and despite being delayed by the impossible car parking machines, we were finally paid up and we cycled round to join the queue for the ferry. We dismounted to enter the car deck and our bikes were put against the wall and tied up with string! We left our panniers on them to provide some protection and headed upstairs where we tucked into coffee and croissants in the lounge.
As we left port we headed up on deck. It was a beautiful sunny morning and all around us were Navy boats out on exercise. Sitting out in the sunshine, finally feeling like I was going on holiday, the boat was joined by a helicopter which hovered alongside us on two occasions then bowed to the passengers and disappeared again.
At Roscoff we all cycled off the car deck, up the ramp and out into Roscoff. This was fantastic sight to see and I wished I'd got my camera to hand so I could have filmed us all cycling off the ferry and out into France. My initial feeling of elation and freedom was short lived and soon turned to worry as I contemplated sitting on my saddle for the next five days. Would I manage the distances, would I be able to keep up with the group, how painful would days three, four and five be? I was also rather baffled by cycling on the 'wrong' side of the road, particularly when it came to junctions and roundabouts!
The trip didn't get off to a great start, with three people falling off their bikes on the first afternoon! The first accident was caused by me, as I stopped in front of a kerb that those in front of me had merrily cycled up. This caused a bit of a pile up behind me and the first casualty of the day. Later in the day Don got caught out by a deep patch of sand as we left a boarded path across a beach front and Steph lost her balance coming to a quick stop at a roundabout. Everyone was getting used to the full weight of their panniers which aren't too bad when you're cycling, but when you come to a stop, or try and get going again, the bike is much heavier than you're used to. I was dreading being the next person to come a cropper, but fortunately managed to keep it together, no doubt aided by my low saddle position enabling me to put my feet down!
The final section of the ride was a nice descent into Morlaix and before I knew it we were all pulled up at the side of the road near our lodge for the night. Having said that, it wasn't a moment too soon for me as I was wearing my new fingerless gloves and had lost the feeling in my left thumb, which I now gratefully released and waggled about to try and revive it. We sent off a scout to locate the guest house, which didn't take long as it was just a few metres down the road. However, it was long enough for Steph to make the mistake of passing her Minstrels up the line...not to be seen again until quite some time later! We piled our bikes up outside the rather rundown looking building and went in to explore. Luckily at the top of the stairs, the view opened up to reveal a lovely courtyard area and a fantastic house which we had to ourselves for the night. A wonderful lounge area with sofas and a wooden floor, lots of good sized rooms (although not laid out as we expected, causing some last minute revisions to the room sharing plans which had carefully been drawn by lot before the trip...!) and even a swing in the garden!
There was some confusion about the plan for the evening. I'd been led to believe we were going cycle on into town for a coffee, where we would discuss arrangements for dinner. As it happened, several people had already changed and were ready for dinner when we left...meaning some of us ended up going for dinner in our cycling kit (not a good look!). As we got into town, people disappeared off all over the place, some heading to patisseries to get breakfast, others planning to go to the supermarket later. I was totally confused by what was going on...so much for discussing a plan over coffee! We did eventually manage to get some coffee when a lady finally emerged from a seemingly empty cafe - whilst half the group abandoned us in search of alcohol at the neigbouring pub!
Mike recommended a restaurant for those eating out and a jolly fine recommendation it was too! I had a delicious meal and felt very stuffed and contented as we headed back for a good night's rest. I didn't sleep too brilliantly as I was in a strange place, it was pretty cold (I was kicking myself for bringing my skimpy PJs to save on weight in my panniers and at 6am I got up and put my fleece on...should have done that earlier!) and I was worrying about the next day's cycling. We were due to do a 60 mile ride, the longest ride I would ever have done...
Day 2 - Friday 28th May
I had a delicious custard pastry for breakfast, but by the time we left, I had butterflies in my stomach and was feeling extremely nervous about the 60 miles that lay ahead. It was a beautiful morning and I was lulled into a false sense of security as the day began with a long flat stretch along the estuary. This was followed by a long but gentle climb up a hill and I was pleased that I'd made it to the top without too much of a struggle. The rest of the morning's route is a bit of a blur, but I do remember the coffee stop! We arrived at a fantastic bay and sat outside a cafe, with more delicious pastries from a patisserie Kirby had spotted around the corner. Despite the great food and coffee, this was to be the first of many stressful coffee stops! By the time I'd locked my bike up and found my purse, most people had already bought cakes, sat down at the cafe and ordered drinks! Then it all happened in reverse as I was slow to get back to my bike, put my bike lock and purse away and to put my helmet, glasses and gloves back on ready for departure. During the trip I became increasingly obsessed with trying to perfect the routine and not end up last all the time!
After coffee we had a climb up from the bay and a nice gentle descent down again. We stopped briefly to regroup and continued on our way. The next section contained some very steep hills. Not realising how many there were going to be, I think I pushed a bit too hard too soon and wore myself out. However, the first time I got off my bike to push was going down a steep rough path which I just didn't have the confidence to tackle. There was no sign of this section ending, so I eventually got back on the bike and found Roy waiting for us just round the corner. After this was a very steep climb and already flagging, I got off to walk up. I managed to keep on the bike after that, but when we rejoined the others who had stopped to wait for us, I was really feeling the heat and feeling completely exhausted. I got off and spent a few minutes in the shade sipping at my water. I hoped we were nearly at the lunch stop...but alas, it was still a long way off.
It seemed like a very long time until our next stop, which was at a bakery. Everyone scuttled into to get supplies and yet again, by the time I'd found somewhere to lean my bike against the wall and get my purse out, everyone else had bought food, had a munch and were getting back on their bikes again! I thought we were stopping here for lunch, but this was just a brief snack stop on the way to the supermarket to get lunch... So before I had chance to even have a nibble on my goodies, we were heading off again. The town was busy and as often seemed to happen, I got separated from the group at a junction. I'd assumed the supermarket was just around the corner, but it was around several corners and then up a great big hill on the main road...it seemed never ending and I have never been so pleased to see a Lidl store!
Another rush to lock up the bikes and purchase supplies. This time we weren't the last to finish, but back outside an argument was brewing in the camp. Some wanted to move on and find a nicer spot for lunch whilst others were hungry and wanted to stop and eat in the car park. I was definitely in the latter camp and much to my relief, some had already plonked themselves under a tree and started their picnic!
I felt much better after a good lunch, some time under a shady tree and the wonderful discovery that there was after all a customer toilet in the Lidl store! There was an option to take a short cut from here to our accommodation, but that cut out the coast and we were after all supposed to be training for our London to Paris bike ride. So, we put all our gear on again and followed our trusty leaders.
Despite the group voting to stay together and do the longer route, we ended up with an unexpected split! For once, being at the back of the group paid off as Roy was cycling with us and decided not to follow Kirby and his merry gang down a no through road! Shouts to try and alert them to turn round weren't heard, so we left a couple of people at the junction expecting them to come back and we headed on with Roy, out onto the main road and then back on to the path we wanted to join. From the path, we could see a very steep rough gravelly track coming up out of the valley. We sat down to wait for our lost companions, but there was still no sign of them. Eventually a few shouts were heard and Roy and Ant tried to call down and direct them to us. By this stage though, Kirby had found another route through, so they turned back and followed his lead... Eventually they all arrived back with us, covered in nettle stings and telling us their tales of adventure through the forest and findng a fantastic little church in the middle of nowhere. Whilst it did make a good story to tell, I was still quietly very pleased that I'd not gone down that route and had taken the easy ride! I think I would have been in tears if I'd had to drag my bike through nettles! Despite the second group finding us, we'd lost the people who had stayed at the junction and not caught up with either group. A couple of phonecalls later we established that they'd carried on into the next town and would meet us there for coffee.
We stopped at a fantastic beach side cafe with great views out across the sea and some fabulous stacks of boulers that looked like Dartmoor tors sitting in the sea. I was finally feeling like we might make it to our destination and looking forward to a rest at our hotel. Just as I thought we were nearly there, Kirby suggested a detour to look at the pink rocks on the coast. 'It's mostly downhill' he said...you can't pull the wool over my eyes...that means mostly uphill on the way back! It was worth the detour though, the rocks were very pretty and it would have been a shame to miss them (and to miss Steph's first paddle of the trip!)
The final leg of the day became a real struggle again for me. We'd made it to the town we were staying in, but our hotel was a couple of miles away on the other side of town. I was coping quite well until we came to a huge steep downhill run. For most cyclists, this would be a dream, but it really is my worst nightmare. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, my arms were hurting from pulling on the brakes and I was more out of breath than I normally am going up hill. Everyone else had disappeared across a roundabout and I felt thoroughly frustrated and fed up at being so far behind again. At last we came across our hotel next to a big roundabout and I was sure I couldn't have cycled another mile. In fact, when Steph realised she'd done 59miles according to her cycle computer, she decided to go out and cycle round a bit more to make it 60miles...and there was no way I was going to do that! I'd taken off my helmet and seen the bike shed...I was not going another centimetre further!
It was just after 8pm when we arrived and dinner had been booked for us in town at 9pm, so after a quick shower and change, it was time to head back out again. I was feeling sore, had some chafing that I was worried would only get worse during the rest of the trip and felt completely exhausted as I sat on the stairs waiting for the rest of the group to join us. However, after the nerves of the morning, I was feeling delighted that we had made it and over dinner, I even allowed myself to have a cider! I was still nervous about having to do another four days riding after this...but for now I was going to celebrate our achievement and our longest ride ever! The hotel was lovely and the cider, combined with a nice snug bed and heavy duvet combined to provide a very welcome wonderful night's sleep!
Day 3 - Saturday 29th May
It was raining on Saturday morning giving Geoff and Penny the opportunity to show off their fantastic waterproof ponchos as we gathered in the hotel car park. I was yet again worrying about the day's ride as I was still feeling sore from the day before and wasn't looking forward to another day in the saddle. However, our coffee stop seemed to come round quickly and we stopped in a lovely little town where market day was in full swing. The place was full of character and it was a joy to soak up the atmosphere in the busy cafe.
Moving on from there, we headed out to the coast again. We crossed a 'submersible route' across a beach and then joined a fantastic bit of coastline, free of traffic and with wonderful views. There was an impromptu snack stop whilst some went off to find the bushes and a little further on around the corner, we found a block of toilets! I was glad I had waited! We found a perfect little stop for lunch that was a small shop, bakery and cafe all under one roof. As it was still raining it provided a brilliant stopping place. The service was terribly slow and we graciously let locals pick up their one loaf of bread, as the 14 of us queued with bread and cheese, admiring the beautiful selection of cakes and wondering how on earth it could take so long to make one cup of coffee!
Don gathered up various bottles and cans to make adjustments to his bar bag. I thought he was being a bit optimistic to think he could fix it with such primitive means, but to my amazement after the failure of the first attempt with the water bottle, the fanta can worked...and even more amazingly, continued to hold up for the rest of the trip! Well done Don - very resourceful!
I began to tire again towards the end of the ride and as Penny valiantly checked out the local area for food supplies (we would be staying nearby for the next couple of days) my enthusiasm started to fade. We took a detour to the next point on the map, which proved to be little more than another beach and a roundabout we all cycled around at the bottom before heading back again! At least now I knew we were going straight to our accommodation, so it was worth making the effort to get there. We had a bit of a climb up to Lanmodez, but then we turned off the main road and found ourselves in the car park at our destination! Hoorah!
The accommodation was basic, but clean and adequate. Our group was taking over the whole of the top floor and there was a great big kitchen and dining area meaning we could stay in and cook dinner if we wanted to. By now I was completely exhausted and the only option for eating out was to cycle into town. I just couldn't face getting back on the bike again, so I took a shower and sent Ant off with the group to get supplies for dinner. It was good to take some time out and I sat and chatted with Don as we browsed through the leaflets on the local area and used the internet connection to post a quick update on the blog (which was kept very brief because the keyboard was all topsy turvy - made worse by the fact that it was very similar to our keyboards, but just a few key letters were in the wrong place...too much for my tired brain at this stage!)
Our night in was really enjoyable. We ate olives and sipped wine whilst Geoff and Penny oversaw the creation of a fantastic chilli. We chatted and got to know our fellow travellers more, Geoff told us about his involvement in the origins of Quorn, Ant provided music through his phone, amplifying it with a saucepan and Don, Jenny and I shared physio and yoga moves in the dining area! The evening was topped off by a beautiful sunset, another glass of wine and a very precise share of some creme brulee puddings!
Day 4 - Sunday, the day of 'Rest'
When we arrived on Saturday night I was really tired and really looking forward to a rest day and the trip to the island nearby. It would be a day when we could leave our panniers behind, travel light and enjoy the local area...or so I thought!
The ride to catch the ferry was somewhat further than I had thought. I really struggled to start with in the morning and I had been shaken up a couple of times when the wind caught my bike and knocked me sideways. I'm still not used to the lightness of my new bike and without the panniers to weigh it down, it felt rather more skittish than I felt comfortable with. Once we'd crossed the bridge over the river, the riding seemed easier and flatter and I was pleased to make it to the boat and to leave my bike behind for a while. As we were locking up the bikes, Penny came to hurry us along as there was a boat just about to leave - so once more, it was a frantic rush to get sorted, lock the bikes up, find our money, get tickets and get on to the boat.
All on board, I started to relax and enjoyed the short ride. Arriving at the island, we all wandered into the main village and stopped for a coffee. Roy found a supermarket which provided fantastic picnic supplies, but unfortunately Geoff's heroic quest to find the Tourist Information Office went unrewarded when he found it was closed.
Undeterred, we set off to walk across the island and get to the Lighthouse on the far side. It was on this stroll that we stopped to take off some layers and Steph discovered her large bottle of iced peach tea was in fact iced tea concentrate! Bless! Reading the bottle confirmed that this should have been quite obvious...but never mind. We all enjoyed having iced tea in our water bottles for the rest of the trip with the additional sugar supply being much appreciated - thanks Steph!
The island was beautiful and provided wonderful views, cute cows and calves, gorgeous flowers and an atmospheric rocky coastline. We found a sheltered stop amongst some rocks on the far side of the island to have our picnics, before trekking back again to catch our ferry. On the way back, Steph and I went to use the facilities, but decided it against it when Steph was rather unnerved to find that I could see her through the 'window' which was just a hole in the wall! We stumbled across some other tourists on the way back who were enquiring about the distance to the lighthouse. They all seemed very unimpressed and not long after, it became apparent that they had turned back again. Back in the village, Steph and I made a beeline for the toilet block, only to find the situation wasn't much better there - this time there was no 'window' but there was also no light...
Getting everyone back on the ferry turned into a bit of a quest! The tide had gone out and we had to walk around to another quay. Unfortunately, some of the group were merrily sitting drinking tea completley unaware of this and then had a mad dash to make it to the boat! As the next one wasn't for an hour and all of our bikes were tied up together at the other end, I was very relieved when the last of our group stepped aboard!
It was on the ride back that I really hit my limit. We were cycling down a fairly gentle hill on a main road and I was really struggling to keep upright on my bike. It had been noted before that I have a tendency to lean right on this bike and this becomes a particular problem when I'm cycling down hill. My left arm gets locked in position and I really struggle to try and correct this and regain control of the bike. As we were going down the hill I was constantly fighting the bike and was terrified of drifting out into the traffic. Most people had already steamed far on ahead of me as I came to a stop to regather myself, but then burst into tears. Geoff, who had stayed back with me, gave me a big hug and reassured me that I was cycling in a straight line, but I just felt completley at the end of my tether. Joining up with Roy, we stopped on a wall to have a rest and then the rest of the group came to find me and offer their encouragment. This only resulted in me bursting into tears again, which was terribly embarrassing, but great for getting lots of attention and offers of treats! After this, we split into two groups, with one group going ahead and our group taking it easy as others were also feeling tired and there was no rush to get back for the evening.
Once I'd stopped, I felt ok again - although mostly embarrassed at having broken down in front of everyone. Everyone rallied around me and kept chatting to me and keep my spirits high - so thanks for that guys. Following everyone's advice, I'd drunk lots of water when we'd stopped, so a bit further on, I was desperate for the loo! Penny had spotted some back up a hill so I went back to use the facilities. It was another 'squat' loo, which usually I don't mind, but after several days on the bike and an increasingly sore knee, (I won't go into details!) this was almost more hassle than it was worth...
Finally we had a walk up a steep hill, which cut off a corner, and then pedalled on back to the accommodation. As the supermarket was shut, the only option for dinner was to cycle into town. No one thought I'd want to go, but I was determined not to sit in feeling sorry for myself all evening. The last thing I wanted was to be left out - and although I'd had a difficult day, it wasn't particularly because of tiredness or aches and pains that I'd struggled, but because I was struggling with my balance on the bike, particularly on long down hill sections. I felt silly for not being able to master such a basic aspect of cycling, but had to keep reminding myself that I'd only had my bike for four weeks and had only been back on the bike for a couple of months since my injury...so looking at the bigger picture, I was doing quite well. It just didn't feel like it at the time!
Once at the restuarant I was rewarded by a lovely little cat coming to spend the evening on my lap. I'm a huge fan of cats and having some cat cuddles was just what I needed to lift my spirits. The Italian restaurant served up a good dinner and I was glad I'd made the effort to make it there. Unfortunately it was still pouring with rain when we left and in the dark with the roads all wet, I was terrified of braking and slipping. Most of the ride was uphill, so that was ok, but I was particularly scared on the down hill stretch and just had to grit my teeth and get on with it. I avoid night riding if at all possible, but it was worth it for a good dinner in good company and the end of a tough day.
Day 5 - Monday 31st May
This was the turning point of our journey when we would start making our way back towards Roscoff. I was pleased to be heading back again as it meant the end of the trip was in sight. Much as I was enjoying it, I was getting progressively tired and wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this cycling malarky going!
We had a fast morning of riding on good roads and I guess it must have been mostly flat or downhill. I was starting to get sharp pains in my shoulder again though and it was with great relief that I pulled up at our first stop. We stopped for coffee in a lovely little town and sat outside in the square. I thought I was ahead of the usual pastry buying rush when I'd been to the supermarket and got back in time to order coffee...but then it turned out the plan was to buy lunch in the supermarket...so off I toddled again! Ant accidentally released a dog from the cafe when he was searching for the toilet door...oops! My hopes of doggie cuddles were soon dashed when the owner came out and shooed him back indoors again. Boo!
Kirby excelled in finding us a fantastic lunch stop. We pulled up outside a castle next to a lake, which was just glorious. The castle wasn't open, so we set out our picnics in front of the main door much to the bemusement of the few tourists who arrived hoping to visit the castle! Steph modelled our Brittany cheese for us, as we tucked into more bread and cheese some ghost shaped crisps, which were surprisingly moorish!
We had a long climb up from the Castle after lunch, but it wasn't too steep, so settling into low gears we plodded along slowly, stopping every now and then as views opened up of the castle down below. We made good progress to the next town where the group stopped by the church in the centre. Unfortunately as Ant came up to the kerb he hesitated, changed his mind a bit too late and came off his bike. Luckily it was a very low speed incident, but he had stopped himself with his hand and had grazed his legs. After a couple of minutes to recover, we got back on the bikes as we weren't far from our destination. Ant's bike was immediately unrideable, but fortunately we quickly realised that this was because the saddle had been knocked out of place, so this was easily solved. We took it easy down the hill, with Ant riding one handed for much of the time. The hill became very steep towards the bottom and I struggled to steer. I ended up leaning on the bike again and feeling very tense. Geoff had been watching me to try and work out how to help the situation, but sadly his advice went in one ear and out the other I was holding on to the bike for dear life and had little capacity for processing any other information! Fortunately, at the bottom of the hill, the others were gathered by our hotel for the night - we had made it! Jenny exclaimed 'wasn't it an amazing ride down that hill?...' Sadly I couldn't agree!
We stopped for a cuppa before checking in. My teapot was so hot I had to put my cycling gloves on to pour the tea! It was a gloriously hot afternoon and my remaining chocolate rapidly became mush...but that didn't stop Mike begging for some! As it was only early afternoon, the keen cyclists amongst us were planning an additional ride up to a viewing point. Er...yes, that's 'up'...which would obviously have to be followed by 'down'. Not for me I'm afraid (why am I a cyclist?!?) For once I didn't feel guilty for turning the opportunity down though. I needed a rest. I'd done loads more miles than ever before on this trip and we'd just arrived at a beach front hotel on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. This was meant to be a holiday after all...
I decided to join Steph for a swim in the sea. It was a long hike down to the water's edge and dipping our toes in, the water felt lovely and warm. Encouraged by this and Steph's cries of 'it's lovely Amanda' I stripped down to my costume and waded my way in. Once the water got past my knees it became freezing. Steph promised it would be better once I was in and besides, I had to make use of my swimming costume as it was one of the few items I'd brought with me and not used. It was cold...very cold...and no, it didn't get better once I was in! It was nice to be swimming in the sea, but after only a few minutes, I started to get a tingling in my left arm which worried me a bit. We were a long way out from the shore as the water was so shallow, so I decided I would head back in. A couple of minutes later I got a tingling in my right arm too and hastily waded back to the safety of my towel. As I dried off walking back to the hotel, Ant created a masterpiece in the sand. Of what? A bicycle of course!
After a nice warm shower (and flooding the shower room!) there was still time for a rest before dinner, so we sat and appreciated our sea view whilst snacking on iced gems - or 'Crack-Its' as they were called in France! Dinner was a bit of a confusing affair. We had a fantastic table with a sea view (which those who had a room without a sea view got to sit and appreicate) but the waiter couldn't seem to get our food order right. We all eventually ended up with some food and I enjoyed a nice glass of wine. For pudding I chose the melting chocolate pudding which was bizarrely stone cold, with cold custard (how do you make cold chocolate melt?!?) It didn't taste quite so good as it looked, but I was more than satisfied and feeling extremely sleepy I headed off for another well earned sleep. Back in our room, we discovered a merry band of keen cyclists who still hadn't had enough exercise for one day who were out having a stroll on the beach...this lot are far too energetic for me!
Day 6 - Tuesday 1st June
Twas the last day of Brittany…
Twas the last day of Brittany and all through the house,
a few cyclists were stirring, quiet as a mouse.
Early to breakfast was the order of the day,
There’s a ferry to catch and we mustn’t delay.
Filled up on fresh bread and croissants and coffee,
It was down to the bike shed, all getting ready.
We’ll set out in small groups, too much traffic for more,
Oh if only the cyclists could all count to four!
In a side road the twos, threes and fours reunited,
But oh no, another NO THROUGH ROAD is signposted.
There’s a route through on my map, Roy did declare,
So onwards we pedalled so blissfully unaware.
On around the corner and we came to a halt,
A steep path up ahead and it wasn’t asphalt.
Many of the cyclists very bravely rode on,
With the weaker amongst us pushing bikes along.
Once more together and with everyone mounted,
The journey continues, but we’re not astounded.
Heading on along the route, high winds they arose,
I‘m feeling tired now, with sore knee and numb toes.
After many long miles and too many lorries,
A familiar roundabout brings the promise of coffees.
It’s downhill then flat and alas here comes the rain,
But at least we have all made it back to Morlaix.
Huddling round hot drinks and lots of nice pastries,
Steph spots a friend and recommends the bakery.
As they share tales of Brittany, it soon becomes clear,
The sea we had bathed in is killer algae infested, oh dear!
After much laughter, more coffee and some shopping,
Kirby declares that we’d better stop stopping.
Out in the market square, it’s time for some grooves,
As Ant shows Sue and Mike his salsa dancing moves.
Onwards and upwards, as we leave Morlaix behind,
The rain is relentless, oh how cruel and unkind.
What a way to finish their adventurous trip,
A weary band of cyclists who just drip, drip, drip.
At last at St. Pol and a welcome stop for lunch,
On onion soup and croque monsieur we all munch.
The rain has now stopped as we near our journey’s end,
We can dry out cycling the three miles round the bend.
Watch out for the slippy train tracks we were advised,
So I stop, get off my bike, feeling very wise,
But everyone else they just cycled straight across,
Leaving me at the back, so much time I have lost.
The roads get busy as we head for the ferry,
But with spirits lifted, I’m feeling quite merry.
We have completed our longest cycle ride yet,
Who would have thought it, I would never have bet.
Down at the Port and Don spots some friendly faces,
They have journeyed by coach, it’s like Wacky Races!
Everyone’s waiting to sail back across the sea,
Some sad it’s over but not sleepy tired me!
Up in the ferry lounge and some have disappeared,
Can Steph gather the wanderers? Seems not it is feared.
One here, one there, the secret plan has been battered,
But I’m off for as sleep as I am just shattered.
Awakening again, it’s time for some food,
And a celebratory cider to lighten the mood.
By the end of the crossing, we’re gathered once more,
Now Steph can at last reveal what she has in store.
With all of us awake now, watered and well fed,
It’s time for our heart felt thank yous to be said.
Well done trusty leaders we have all made it back,
But wait, Roy doesn’t have his jacket in his sack.
What can be done, we all take a good look around,
An announcement is made, but the coat is not found.
Now we must go, as the car decks are ready,
Back to our bikes, we hope they’ve stayed steady.
Out with our passports through customs to the car park,
We say our goodbyes setting off home in the dark.
A stop off at Sainsburys for some bread and some milk,
I’m dreaming of a warm bed and sheets made of silk.
Back to reality as we arrive at Trews Weir,
There’s no sign of the garage key anywhere near.
Please no, I don’t want to drag my bike up the stairs,
But retracing our steps we find the keys elsewhere.
Thank you to all the cyclists, you made a great group,
A wonderful, lovely travelling troupe.
Two hundred miles over six varied days,
I may return next year, but now I’m off for a laze!
If you've not had enough yet...lots more photos are online here:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/109016090027779222527/Brittany2010#
Post Script!
So, back at home, what are my reflections on the trip? Overall it was a very positive experience. I learnt that I can get back on my bike 5 days in a row and survive! I learnt that some cycle shorts are better than others (and many thanks to Lel for suggesting I take Sudocrem with me - it worked a treat!). I learnt that it's very satisfying to take yourself off with your bike and all your luggage and travel 200 miles around Brittany!
On the downside I learnt that cycling for 5 days in a row is very tiring! Rather than filling me with confidence, the trip made me realise just how much further our London to Paris trip would be. It was quite a wake up call for both of us and we knew we'd need to do a lot more training in the next few weeks. I was also worried about the pain in my shoulder, my uncomfortable knee and my difficulties with balancing on my bike. Surely at this stage I should be able to manage the basics?!?
Back to the positives, our travelling companions were fantastic - they were supportive, encouraging and an inspirational group of people who stayed patient and happy despite being dragged through stinging nettles and taken off on wild goose chases in search of a coffee stop, or the next pretty little village! Thank you everyone! I also learnt I'm not the only one who manages to say thank you in three or four different languages before remembering which one is the French!
And finally...things I packed and didn't use:
1. My waterproof trousers (and in hindsight, I really should have worn them on the last day!)
2. My winter cycling leggings...but better safe than sorry.
Things that would have been useful:
1. Bungees! It never occurred to me that I might want to attach a baguette to the back of my bike...or that I might want to attach wet clothes to the top of my panniers so they could dry out during the day. Genius! I shall feel like a real pro next time.
For now...Gracias and Adios, hmmm - maybe not. Grazi and Arriverderci...non: Merci, Au Revoir!
Day One - Thursday 27th May
Having gone to bed at midnight after repacking my panniers just once more, the alarm went off at 4am for our 5am departure. Luckily Roy had loaded our bikes onto the car the night before, so that was one early morning struggle we avoided. As we drove down to Plymouth, I was excited but nervous about what lay ahead.
We arrived at the port in good time and despite being delayed by the impossible car parking machines, we were finally paid up and we cycled round to join the queue for the ferry. We dismounted to enter the car deck and our bikes were put against the wall and tied up with string! We left our panniers on them to provide some protection and headed upstairs where we tucked into coffee and croissants in the lounge.
As we left port we headed up on deck. It was a beautiful sunny morning and all around us were Navy boats out on exercise. Sitting out in the sunshine, finally feeling like I was going on holiday, the boat was joined by a helicopter which hovered alongside us on two occasions then bowed to the passengers and disappeared again.
At Roscoff we all cycled off the car deck, up the ramp and out into Roscoff. This was fantastic sight to see and I wished I'd got my camera to hand so I could have filmed us all cycling off the ferry and out into France. My initial feeling of elation and freedom was short lived and soon turned to worry as I contemplated sitting on my saddle for the next five days. Would I manage the distances, would I be able to keep up with the group, how painful would days three, four and five be? I was also rather baffled by cycling on the 'wrong' side of the road, particularly when it came to junctions and roundabouts!
The trip didn't get off to a great start, with three people falling off their bikes on the first afternoon! The first accident was caused by me, as I stopped in front of a kerb that those in front of me had merrily cycled up. This caused a bit of a pile up behind me and the first casualty of the day. Later in the day Don got caught out by a deep patch of sand as we left a boarded path across a beach front and Steph lost her balance coming to a quick stop at a roundabout. Everyone was getting used to the full weight of their panniers which aren't too bad when you're cycling, but when you come to a stop, or try and get going again, the bike is much heavier than you're used to. I was dreading being the next person to come a cropper, but fortunately managed to keep it together, no doubt aided by my low saddle position enabling me to put my feet down!
The final section of the ride was a nice descent into Morlaix and before I knew it we were all pulled up at the side of the road near our lodge for the night. Having said that, it wasn't a moment too soon for me as I was wearing my new fingerless gloves and had lost the feeling in my left thumb, which I now gratefully released and waggled about to try and revive it. We sent off a scout to locate the guest house, which didn't take long as it was just a few metres down the road. However, it was long enough for Steph to make the mistake of passing her Minstrels up the line...not to be seen again until quite some time later! We piled our bikes up outside the rather rundown looking building and went in to explore. Luckily at the top of the stairs, the view opened up to reveal a lovely courtyard area and a fantastic house which we had to ourselves for the night. A wonderful lounge area with sofas and a wooden floor, lots of good sized rooms (although not laid out as we expected, causing some last minute revisions to the room sharing plans which had carefully been drawn by lot before the trip...!) and even a swing in the garden!
There was some confusion about the plan for the evening. I'd been led to believe we were going cycle on into town for a coffee, where we would discuss arrangements for dinner. As it happened, several people had already changed and were ready for dinner when we left...meaning some of us ended up going for dinner in our cycling kit (not a good look!). As we got into town, people disappeared off all over the place, some heading to patisseries to get breakfast, others planning to go to the supermarket later. I was totally confused by what was going on...so much for discussing a plan over coffee! We did eventually manage to get some coffee when a lady finally emerged from a seemingly empty cafe - whilst half the group abandoned us in search of alcohol at the neigbouring pub!
Mike recommended a restaurant for those eating out and a jolly fine recommendation it was too! I had a delicious meal and felt very stuffed and contented as we headed back for a good night's rest. I didn't sleep too brilliantly as I was in a strange place, it was pretty cold (I was kicking myself for bringing my skimpy PJs to save on weight in my panniers and at 6am I got up and put my fleece on...should have done that earlier!) and I was worrying about the next day's cycling. We were due to do a 60 mile ride, the longest ride I would ever have done...
Day 2 - Friday 28th May
I had a delicious custard pastry for breakfast, but by the time we left, I had butterflies in my stomach and was feeling extremely nervous about the 60 miles that lay ahead. It was a beautiful morning and I was lulled into a false sense of security as the day began with a long flat stretch along the estuary. This was followed by a long but gentle climb up a hill and I was pleased that I'd made it to the top without too much of a struggle. The rest of the morning's route is a bit of a blur, but I do remember the coffee stop! We arrived at a fantastic bay and sat outside a cafe, with more delicious pastries from a patisserie Kirby had spotted around the corner. Despite the great food and coffee, this was to be the first of many stressful coffee stops! By the time I'd locked my bike up and found my purse, most people had already bought cakes, sat down at the cafe and ordered drinks! Then it all happened in reverse as I was slow to get back to my bike, put my bike lock and purse away and to put my helmet, glasses and gloves back on ready for departure. During the trip I became increasingly obsessed with trying to perfect the routine and not end up last all the time!
After coffee we had a climb up from the bay and a nice gentle descent down again. We stopped briefly to regroup and continued on our way. The next section contained some very steep hills. Not realising how many there were going to be, I think I pushed a bit too hard too soon and wore myself out. However, the first time I got off my bike to push was going down a steep rough path which I just didn't have the confidence to tackle. There was no sign of this section ending, so I eventually got back on the bike and found Roy waiting for us just round the corner. After this was a very steep climb and already flagging, I got off to walk up. I managed to keep on the bike after that, but when we rejoined the others who had stopped to wait for us, I was really feeling the heat and feeling completely exhausted. I got off and spent a few minutes in the shade sipping at my water. I hoped we were nearly at the lunch stop...but alas, it was still a long way off.
It seemed like a very long time until our next stop, which was at a bakery. Everyone scuttled into to get supplies and yet again, by the time I'd found somewhere to lean my bike against the wall and get my purse out, everyone else had bought food, had a munch and were getting back on their bikes again! I thought we were stopping here for lunch, but this was just a brief snack stop on the way to the supermarket to get lunch... So before I had chance to even have a nibble on my goodies, we were heading off again. The town was busy and as often seemed to happen, I got separated from the group at a junction. I'd assumed the supermarket was just around the corner, but it was around several corners and then up a great big hill on the main road...it seemed never ending and I have never been so pleased to see a Lidl store!
Another rush to lock up the bikes and purchase supplies. This time we weren't the last to finish, but back outside an argument was brewing in the camp. Some wanted to move on and find a nicer spot for lunch whilst others were hungry and wanted to stop and eat in the car park. I was definitely in the latter camp and much to my relief, some had already plonked themselves under a tree and started their picnic!
I felt much better after a good lunch, some time under a shady tree and the wonderful discovery that there was after all a customer toilet in the Lidl store! There was an option to take a short cut from here to our accommodation, but that cut out the coast and we were after all supposed to be training for our London to Paris bike ride. So, we put all our gear on again and followed our trusty leaders.
Despite the group voting to stay together and do the longer route, we ended up with an unexpected split! For once, being at the back of the group paid off as Roy was cycling with us and decided not to follow Kirby and his merry gang down a no through road! Shouts to try and alert them to turn round weren't heard, so we left a couple of people at the junction expecting them to come back and we headed on with Roy, out onto the main road and then back on to the path we wanted to join. From the path, we could see a very steep rough gravelly track coming up out of the valley. We sat down to wait for our lost companions, but there was still no sign of them. Eventually a few shouts were heard and Roy and Ant tried to call down and direct them to us. By this stage though, Kirby had found another route through, so they turned back and followed his lead... Eventually they all arrived back with us, covered in nettle stings and telling us their tales of adventure through the forest and findng a fantastic little church in the middle of nowhere. Whilst it did make a good story to tell, I was still quietly very pleased that I'd not gone down that route and had taken the easy ride! I think I would have been in tears if I'd had to drag my bike through nettles! Despite the second group finding us, we'd lost the people who had stayed at the junction and not caught up with either group. A couple of phonecalls later we established that they'd carried on into the next town and would meet us there for coffee.
We stopped at a fantastic beach side cafe with great views out across the sea and some fabulous stacks of boulers that looked like Dartmoor tors sitting in the sea. I was finally feeling like we might make it to our destination and looking forward to a rest at our hotel. Just as I thought we were nearly there, Kirby suggested a detour to look at the pink rocks on the coast. 'It's mostly downhill' he said...you can't pull the wool over my eyes...that means mostly uphill on the way back! It was worth the detour though, the rocks were very pretty and it would have been a shame to miss them (and to miss Steph's first paddle of the trip!)
The final leg of the day became a real struggle again for me. We'd made it to the town we were staying in, but our hotel was a couple of miles away on the other side of town. I was coping quite well until we came to a huge steep downhill run. For most cyclists, this would be a dream, but it really is my worst nightmare. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, my arms were hurting from pulling on the brakes and I was more out of breath than I normally am going up hill. Everyone else had disappeared across a roundabout and I felt thoroughly frustrated and fed up at being so far behind again. At last we came across our hotel next to a big roundabout and I was sure I couldn't have cycled another mile. In fact, when Steph realised she'd done 59miles according to her cycle computer, she decided to go out and cycle round a bit more to make it 60miles...and there was no way I was going to do that! I'd taken off my helmet and seen the bike shed...I was not going another centimetre further!
It was just after 8pm when we arrived and dinner had been booked for us in town at 9pm, so after a quick shower and change, it was time to head back out again. I was feeling sore, had some chafing that I was worried would only get worse during the rest of the trip and felt completely exhausted as I sat on the stairs waiting for the rest of the group to join us. However, after the nerves of the morning, I was feeling delighted that we had made it and over dinner, I even allowed myself to have a cider! I was still nervous about having to do another four days riding after this...but for now I was going to celebrate our achievement and our longest ride ever! The hotel was lovely and the cider, combined with a nice snug bed and heavy duvet combined to provide a very welcome wonderful night's sleep!
Day 3 - Saturday 29th May
It was raining on Saturday morning giving Geoff and Penny the opportunity to show off their fantastic waterproof ponchos as we gathered in the hotel car park. I was yet again worrying about the day's ride as I was still feeling sore from the day before and wasn't looking forward to another day in the saddle. However, our coffee stop seemed to come round quickly and we stopped in a lovely little town where market day was in full swing. The place was full of character and it was a joy to soak up the atmosphere in the busy cafe.
Moving on from there, we headed out to the coast again. We crossed a 'submersible route' across a beach and then joined a fantastic bit of coastline, free of traffic and with wonderful views. There was an impromptu snack stop whilst some went off to find the bushes and a little further on around the corner, we found a block of toilets! I was glad I had waited! We found a perfect little stop for lunch that was a small shop, bakery and cafe all under one roof. As it was still raining it provided a brilliant stopping place. The service was terribly slow and we graciously let locals pick up their one loaf of bread, as the 14 of us queued with bread and cheese, admiring the beautiful selection of cakes and wondering how on earth it could take so long to make one cup of coffee!
Don gathered up various bottles and cans to make adjustments to his bar bag. I thought he was being a bit optimistic to think he could fix it with such primitive means, but to my amazement after the failure of the first attempt with the water bottle, the fanta can worked...and even more amazingly, continued to hold up for the rest of the trip! Well done Don - very resourceful!
I began to tire again towards the end of the ride and as Penny valiantly checked out the local area for food supplies (we would be staying nearby for the next couple of days) my enthusiasm started to fade. We took a detour to the next point on the map, which proved to be little more than another beach and a roundabout we all cycled around at the bottom before heading back again! At least now I knew we were going straight to our accommodation, so it was worth making the effort to get there. We had a bit of a climb up to Lanmodez, but then we turned off the main road and found ourselves in the car park at our destination! Hoorah!
The accommodation was basic, but clean and adequate. Our group was taking over the whole of the top floor and there was a great big kitchen and dining area meaning we could stay in and cook dinner if we wanted to. By now I was completely exhausted and the only option for eating out was to cycle into town. I just couldn't face getting back on the bike again, so I took a shower and sent Ant off with the group to get supplies for dinner. It was good to take some time out and I sat and chatted with Don as we browsed through the leaflets on the local area and used the internet connection to post a quick update on the blog (which was kept very brief because the keyboard was all topsy turvy - made worse by the fact that it was very similar to our keyboards, but just a few key letters were in the wrong place...too much for my tired brain at this stage!)
Our night in was really enjoyable. We ate olives and sipped wine whilst Geoff and Penny oversaw the creation of a fantastic chilli. We chatted and got to know our fellow travellers more, Geoff told us about his involvement in the origins of Quorn, Ant provided music through his phone, amplifying it with a saucepan and Don, Jenny and I shared physio and yoga moves in the dining area! The evening was topped off by a beautiful sunset, another glass of wine and a very precise share of some creme brulee puddings!
Day 4 - Sunday, the day of 'Rest'
When we arrived on Saturday night I was really tired and really looking forward to a rest day and the trip to the island nearby. It would be a day when we could leave our panniers behind, travel light and enjoy the local area...or so I thought!
The ride to catch the ferry was somewhat further than I had thought. I really struggled to start with in the morning and I had been shaken up a couple of times when the wind caught my bike and knocked me sideways. I'm still not used to the lightness of my new bike and without the panniers to weigh it down, it felt rather more skittish than I felt comfortable with. Once we'd crossed the bridge over the river, the riding seemed easier and flatter and I was pleased to make it to the boat and to leave my bike behind for a while. As we were locking up the bikes, Penny came to hurry us along as there was a boat just about to leave - so once more, it was a frantic rush to get sorted, lock the bikes up, find our money, get tickets and get on to the boat.
All on board, I started to relax and enjoyed the short ride. Arriving at the island, we all wandered into the main village and stopped for a coffee. Roy found a supermarket which provided fantastic picnic supplies, but unfortunately Geoff's heroic quest to find the Tourist Information Office went unrewarded when he found it was closed.
Undeterred, we set off to walk across the island and get to the Lighthouse on the far side. It was on this stroll that we stopped to take off some layers and Steph discovered her large bottle of iced peach tea was in fact iced tea concentrate! Bless! Reading the bottle confirmed that this should have been quite obvious...but never mind. We all enjoyed having iced tea in our water bottles for the rest of the trip with the additional sugar supply being much appreciated - thanks Steph!
The island was beautiful and provided wonderful views, cute cows and calves, gorgeous flowers and an atmospheric rocky coastline. We found a sheltered stop amongst some rocks on the far side of the island to have our picnics, before trekking back again to catch our ferry. On the way back, Steph and I went to use the facilities, but decided it against it when Steph was rather unnerved to find that I could see her through the 'window' which was just a hole in the wall! We stumbled across some other tourists on the way back who were enquiring about the distance to the lighthouse. They all seemed very unimpressed and not long after, it became apparent that they had turned back again. Back in the village, Steph and I made a beeline for the toilet block, only to find the situation wasn't much better there - this time there was no 'window' but there was also no light...
Getting everyone back on the ferry turned into a bit of a quest! The tide had gone out and we had to walk around to another quay. Unfortunately, some of the group were merrily sitting drinking tea completley unaware of this and then had a mad dash to make it to the boat! As the next one wasn't for an hour and all of our bikes were tied up together at the other end, I was very relieved when the last of our group stepped aboard!
It was on the ride back that I really hit my limit. We were cycling down a fairly gentle hill on a main road and I was really struggling to keep upright on my bike. It had been noted before that I have a tendency to lean right on this bike and this becomes a particular problem when I'm cycling down hill. My left arm gets locked in position and I really struggle to try and correct this and regain control of the bike. As we were going down the hill I was constantly fighting the bike and was terrified of drifting out into the traffic. Most people had already steamed far on ahead of me as I came to a stop to regather myself, but then burst into tears. Geoff, who had stayed back with me, gave me a big hug and reassured me that I was cycling in a straight line, but I just felt completley at the end of my tether. Joining up with Roy, we stopped on a wall to have a rest and then the rest of the group came to find me and offer their encouragment. This only resulted in me bursting into tears again, which was terribly embarrassing, but great for getting lots of attention and offers of treats! After this, we split into two groups, with one group going ahead and our group taking it easy as others were also feeling tired and there was no rush to get back for the evening.
Once I'd stopped, I felt ok again - although mostly embarrassed at having broken down in front of everyone. Everyone rallied around me and kept chatting to me and keep my spirits high - so thanks for that guys. Following everyone's advice, I'd drunk lots of water when we'd stopped, so a bit further on, I was desperate for the loo! Penny had spotted some back up a hill so I went back to use the facilities. It was another 'squat' loo, which usually I don't mind, but after several days on the bike and an increasingly sore knee, (I won't go into details!) this was almost more hassle than it was worth...
Finally we had a walk up a steep hill, which cut off a corner, and then pedalled on back to the accommodation. As the supermarket was shut, the only option for dinner was to cycle into town. No one thought I'd want to go, but I was determined not to sit in feeling sorry for myself all evening. The last thing I wanted was to be left out - and although I'd had a difficult day, it wasn't particularly because of tiredness or aches and pains that I'd struggled, but because I was struggling with my balance on the bike, particularly on long down hill sections. I felt silly for not being able to master such a basic aspect of cycling, but had to keep reminding myself that I'd only had my bike for four weeks and had only been back on the bike for a couple of months since my injury...so looking at the bigger picture, I was doing quite well. It just didn't feel like it at the time!
Once at the restuarant I was rewarded by a lovely little cat coming to spend the evening on my lap. I'm a huge fan of cats and having some cat cuddles was just what I needed to lift my spirits. The Italian restaurant served up a good dinner and I was glad I'd made the effort to make it there. Unfortunately it was still pouring with rain when we left and in the dark with the roads all wet, I was terrified of braking and slipping. Most of the ride was uphill, so that was ok, but I was particularly scared on the down hill stretch and just had to grit my teeth and get on with it. I avoid night riding if at all possible, but it was worth it for a good dinner in good company and the end of a tough day.
Day 5 - Monday 31st May
This was the turning point of our journey when we would start making our way back towards Roscoff. I was pleased to be heading back again as it meant the end of the trip was in sight. Much as I was enjoying it, I was getting progressively tired and wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this cycling malarky going!
We had a fast morning of riding on good roads and I guess it must have been mostly flat or downhill. I was starting to get sharp pains in my shoulder again though and it was with great relief that I pulled up at our first stop. We stopped for coffee in a lovely little town and sat outside in the square. I thought I was ahead of the usual pastry buying rush when I'd been to the supermarket and got back in time to order coffee...but then it turned out the plan was to buy lunch in the supermarket...so off I toddled again! Ant accidentally released a dog from the cafe when he was searching for the toilet door...oops! My hopes of doggie cuddles were soon dashed when the owner came out and shooed him back indoors again. Boo!
Kirby excelled in finding us a fantastic lunch stop. We pulled up outside a castle next to a lake, which was just glorious. The castle wasn't open, so we set out our picnics in front of the main door much to the bemusement of the few tourists who arrived hoping to visit the castle! Steph modelled our Brittany cheese for us, as we tucked into more bread and cheese some ghost shaped crisps, which were surprisingly moorish!
We had a long climb up from the Castle after lunch, but it wasn't too steep, so settling into low gears we plodded along slowly, stopping every now and then as views opened up of the castle down below. We made good progress to the next town where the group stopped by the church in the centre. Unfortunately as Ant came up to the kerb he hesitated, changed his mind a bit too late and came off his bike. Luckily it was a very low speed incident, but he had stopped himself with his hand and had grazed his legs. After a couple of minutes to recover, we got back on the bikes as we weren't far from our destination. Ant's bike was immediately unrideable, but fortunately we quickly realised that this was because the saddle had been knocked out of place, so this was easily solved. We took it easy down the hill, with Ant riding one handed for much of the time. The hill became very steep towards the bottom and I struggled to steer. I ended up leaning on the bike again and feeling very tense. Geoff had been watching me to try and work out how to help the situation, but sadly his advice went in one ear and out the other I was holding on to the bike for dear life and had little capacity for processing any other information! Fortunately, at the bottom of the hill, the others were gathered by our hotel for the night - we had made it! Jenny exclaimed 'wasn't it an amazing ride down that hill?...' Sadly I couldn't agree!
We stopped for a cuppa before checking in. My teapot was so hot I had to put my cycling gloves on to pour the tea! It was a gloriously hot afternoon and my remaining chocolate rapidly became mush...but that didn't stop Mike begging for some! As it was only early afternoon, the keen cyclists amongst us were planning an additional ride up to a viewing point. Er...yes, that's 'up'...which would obviously have to be followed by 'down'. Not for me I'm afraid (why am I a cyclist?!?) For once I didn't feel guilty for turning the opportunity down though. I needed a rest. I'd done loads more miles than ever before on this trip and we'd just arrived at a beach front hotel on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. This was meant to be a holiday after all...
I decided to join Steph for a swim in the sea. It was a long hike down to the water's edge and dipping our toes in, the water felt lovely and warm. Encouraged by this and Steph's cries of 'it's lovely Amanda' I stripped down to my costume and waded my way in. Once the water got past my knees it became freezing. Steph promised it would be better once I was in and besides, I had to make use of my swimming costume as it was one of the few items I'd brought with me and not used. It was cold...very cold...and no, it didn't get better once I was in! It was nice to be swimming in the sea, but after only a few minutes, I started to get a tingling in my left arm which worried me a bit. We were a long way out from the shore as the water was so shallow, so I decided I would head back in. A couple of minutes later I got a tingling in my right arm too and hastily waded back to the safety of my towel. As I dried off walking back to the hotel, Ant created a masterpiece in the sand. Of what? A bicycle of course!
After a nice warm shower (and flooding the shower room!) there was still time for a rest before dinner, so we sat and appreciated our sea view whilst snacking on iced gems - or 'Crack-Its' as they were called in France! Dinner was a bit of a confusing affair. We had a fantastic table with a sea view (which those who had a room without a sea view got to sit and appreicate) but the waiter couldn't seem to get our food order right. We all eventually ended up with some food and I enjoyed a nice glass of wine. For pudding I chose the melting chocolate pudding which was bizarrely stone cold, with cold custard (how do you make cold chocolate melt?!?) It didn't taste quite so good as it looked, but I was more than satisfied and feeling extremely sleepy I headed off for another well earned sleep. Back in our room, we discovered a merry band of keen cyclists who still hadn't had enough exercise for one day who were out having a stroll on the beach...this lot are far too energetic for me!
Day 6 - Tuesday 1st June
We had an early start on Tuesday as we needed to make it back to the ferry and we wanted to allow extra time for any hold ups on the way back. I was extremely glad to be heading home. We had a lovely time with a wonderful group of people, who had provided much entertainment and merriment, not to mention, planned the whole trip and done all the map reading for us, which meant all we had to do was turn up, pedal and enjoy the fantastic scenery and food that Brittany had to offer.
However, I was really tiring by this stage and it was today that my injured knee really started to complain. Throughout the rest of the trip it had been mostly fine during the day whilst I was cycling and then becoming sore, feeling swolen and uncomfortable in the evenings. After an overnight rest. It had largely been ok again by the morning, thankfully allowing me to continue without much bother. Today though, it had had enough! It was really starting to hurt and as I fought to control the bike in the high winds heading back to Morlaix, I couldn't have got to the ferry port soon enough...and I'm sure it was only the thought of getting back on that ferry and going home that got me through!
Apart from that, the day went well and to finish this post, I am finsih on a positive note and share a poem with you. On the 6 day Brittany trip, there was 6 newcomers, so each person had been asked to write a report on one of the days of the trip. As banter flowed one evening, the idea was concocted that everyone should write their report in a different style. Many different styles were suggested throughout the trip, but I don't think anyone came up with this one. Here's my summary of the final day of the trip....in the style of Dr. Seuss!
Twas the last day of Brittany…
Twas the last day of Brittany and all through the house,
a few cyclists were stirring, quiet as a mouse.
Early to breakfast was the order of the day,
There’s a ferry to catch and we mustn’t delay.
Filled up on fresh bread and croissants and coffee,
It was down to the bike shed, all getting ready.
We’ll set out in small groups, too much traffic for more,
Oh if only the cyclists could all count to four!
In a side road the twos, threes and fours reunited,
But oh no, another NO THROUGH ROAD is signposted.
There’s a route through on my map, Roy did declare,
So onwards we pedalled so blissfully unaware.
On around the corner and we came to a halt,
A steep path up ahead and it wasn’t asphalt.
Many of the cyclists very bravely rode on,
With the weaker amongst us pushing bikes along.
Once more together and with everyone mounted,
The journey continues, but we’re not astounded.
Heading on along the route, high winds they arose,
I‘m feeling tired now, with sore knee and numb toes.
After many long miles and too many lorries,
A familiar roundabout brings the promise of coffees.
It’s downhill then flat and alas here comes the rain,
But at least we have all made it back to Morlaix.
Huddling round hot drinks and lots of nice pastries,
Steph spots a friend and recommends the bakery.
As they share tales of Brittany, it soon becomes clear,
The sea we had bathed in is killer algae infested, oh dear!
After much laughter, more coffee and some shopping,
Kirby declares that we’d better stop stopping.
Out in the market square, it’s time for some grooves,
As Ant shows Sue and Mike his salsa dancing moves.
Onwards and upwards, as we leave Morlaix behind,
The rain is relentless, oh how cruel and unkind.
What a way to finish their adventurous trip,
A weary band of cyclists who just drip, drip, drip.
At last at St. Pol and a welcome stop for lunch,
On onion soup and croque monsieur we all munch.
The rain has now stopped as we near our journey’s end,
We can dry out cycling the three miles round the bend.
Watch out for the slippy train tracks we were advised,
So I stop, get off my bike, feeling very wise,
But everyone else they just cycled straight across,
Leaving me at the back, so much time I have lost.
The roads get busy as we head for the ferry,
But with spirits lifted, I’m feeling quite merry.
We have completed our longest cycle ride yet,
Who would have thought it, I would never have bet.
Down at the Port and Don spots some friendly faces,
They have journeyed by coach, it’s like Wacky Races!
Everyone’s waiting to sail back across the sea,
Some sad it’s over but not sleepy tired me!
Up in the ferry lounge and some have disappeared,
Can Steph gather the wanderers? Seems not it is feared.
One here, one there, the secret plan has been battered,
But I’m off for as sleep as I am just shattered.
Awakening again, it’s time for some food,
And a celebratory cider to lighten the mood.
By the end of the crossing, we’re gathered once more,
Now Steph can at last reveal what she has in store.
With all of us awake now, watered and well fed,
It’s time for our heart felt thank yous to be said.
Well done trusty leaders we have all made it back,
But wait, Roy doesn’t have his jacket in his sack.
What can be done, we all take a good look around,
An announcement is made, but the coat is not found.
Now we must go, as the car decks are ready,
Back to our bikes, we hope they’ve stayed steady.
Out with our passports through customs to the car park,
We say our goodbyes setting off home in the dark.
A stop off at Sainsburys for some bread and some milk,
I’m dreaming of a warm bed and sheets made of silk.
Back to reality as we arrive at Trews Weir,
There’s no sign of the garage key anywhere near.
Please no, I don’t want to drag my bike up the stairs,
But retracing our steps we find the keys elsewhere.
Thank you to all the cyclists, you made a great group,
A wonderful, lovely travelling troupe.
Two hundred miles over six varied days,
I may return next year, but now I’m off for a laze!
If you've not had enough yet...lots more photos are online here:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/109016090027779222527/Brittany2010#
Post Script!
So, back at home, what are my reflections on the trip? Overall it was a very positive experience. I learnt that I can get back on my bike 5 days in a row and survive! I learnt that some cycle shorts are better than others (and many thanks to Lel for suggesting I take Sudocrem with me - it worked a treat!). I learnt that it's very satisfying to take yourself off with your bike and all your luggage and travel 200 miles around Brittany!
On the downside I learnt that cycling for 5 days in a row is very tiring! Rather than filling me with confidence, the trip made me realise just how much further our London to Paris trip would be. It was quite a wake up call for both of us and we knew we'd need to do a lot more training in the next few weeks. I was also worried about the pain in my shoulder, my uncomfortable knee and my difficulties with balancing on my bike. Surely at this stage I should be able to manage the basics?!?
Back to the positives, our travelling companions were fantastic - they were supportive, encouraging and an inspirational group of people who stayed patient and happy despite being dragged through stinging nettles and taken off on wild goose chases in search of a coffee stop, or the next pretty little village! Thank you everyone! I also learnt I'm not the only one who manages to say thank you in three or four different languages before remembering which one is the French!
And finally...things I packed and didn't use:
1. My waterproof trousers (and in hindsight, I really should have worn them on the last day!)
2. My winter cycling leggings...but better safe than sorry.
Things that would have been useful:
1. Bungees! It never occurred to me that I might want to attach a baguette to the back of my bike...or that I might want to attach wet clothes to the top of my panniers so they could dry out during the day. Genius! I shall feel like a real pro next time.
For now...Gracias and Adios, hmmm - maybe not. Grazi and Arriverderci...non: Merci, Au Revoir!
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