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!
Saturday, 17 July 2010
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.
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