Day 4 Moretonhampstead to Quantock Orchard Camp by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Exmoor was a stinker of a day - bad wind (not me!) and steep hills. Beat it in the end though.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Day 3 Liskeard to Moretonhampstead by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Day 3 Liskeard to Moretonhampstead by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
The tail wind of my dreams swept me over the rugged terrain of Dartmoor!
The tail wind of my dreams swept me over the rugged terrain of Dartmoor!
Day 2 part 2 Padstow to Liskeard by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Day 2 part 2 Padstow to Liskeard by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Second half of the second day. Bodmin Moor was a bit tricky towards the end...
Second half of the second day. Bodmin Moor was a bit tricky towards the end...
Day 2 part 1 Perranporth to Padstow by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Day 2 part 1 Perranporth to Padstow by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
This is the first half of the second day. I stopped in Padstow for about an hour while I waited for the tide to turn for the ferry nd to have some lunch. Even cycllists need to eat...
This is the first half of the second day. I stopped in Padstow for about an hour while I waited for the tide to turn for the ferry nd to have some lunch. Even cycllists need to eat...
Day 1 - Land's End to Perranporth by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Day 1 - Land's End to Perranporth by SteveMcM at Garmin Connect - Details
Now you've done it. Blame Giles Birch for this - he asked if there was anyway to see the route I was riding, so I've worked out how to link across to my GPS site. This should (I hope) give you not only the daily routes (as I upload them) but also lots of interesting stats, like hill profiles, speeds, cadences and such like. I have been suffering a few tchnical glitches with my satnav, by the way. It is behaving in as much as it is showing me the roads I plotted in with no problems (any errors or poor road choices therefore are down to me, unfortunately), but at random periods of the day, the speedometer function seems to crash, and it stops recording speed and distance travelled.
I can insert the correct distance (as per the planned route), but the graphs may show periods of 0 mph but ground covered. This NOT, and will NEVER be, because I have thrown the bike on the back of a lorry! It bugs the cr*p out of me though because, as was the case on Thursday, the distance led me to believe I still had a demoralising 9 miles to ride, despite feeling wiped out, when suddenly the campsite appeared! That was no bad thing in itself, but it is dispiriting to see the distance not advancing as far as I thought I had earned.
Never mind, I've spotted the problem now so it will surprise me less. I hope... I'll fire the first 6 day's riding up one after the other just now, and write a longer entry plus some photos tomorrow. Time to ice my knees....
Now you've done it. Blame Giles Birch for this - he asked if there was anyway to see the route I was riding, so I've worked out how to link across to my GPS site. This should (I hope) give you not only the daily routes (as I upload them) but also lots of interesting stats, like hill profiles, speeds, cadences and such like. I have been suffering a few tchnical glitches with my satnav, by the way. It is behaving in as much as it is showing me the roads I plotted in with no problems (any errors or poor road choices therefore are down to me, unfortunately), but at random periods of the day, the speedometer function seems to crash, and it stops recording speed and distance travelled.
I can insert the correct distance (as per the planned route), but the graphs may show periods of 0 mph but ground covered. This NOT, and will NEVER be, because I have thrown the bike on the back of a lorry! It bugs the cr*p out of me though because, as was the case on Thursday, the distance led me to believe I still had a demoralising 9 miles to ride, despite feeling wiped out, when suddenly the campsite appeared! That was no bad thing in itself, but it is dispiriting to see the distance not advancing as far as I thought I had earned.
Never mind, I've spotted the problem now so it will surprise me less. I hope... I'll fire the first 6 day's riding up one after the other just now, and write a longer entry plus some photos tomorrow. Time to ice my knees....
Friday, May 10, 2013
"Beware the Hairy Hands of Bodmin!"
It was with these words that Mike bid me farewell this morning...and I couldn't help wondering if the man-hug I received was a little tighter than one might have expected...almost as if the mysterious "hairy hands" would see the end of me.
Perhaps I should explain. There is a legend among the locals who live on the fringes of Bodmin Moor that tells of people who have been driving across the moor, and felt a strange, hairy grip on their hands on the steering wheel, just prior to them swerving across the road, often resulting in an accident of some kind. Could it be a lost soul trying to get home? Some prehistoric spirit objecting to noisy cars in his/her final resting place? Or perhaps its just a strong gust of wind or what drunk blokes tell their partners after they've driven home from a remote pub to explain away the dents in the bumpers.... (it brings to mind Lord Percy's tale of how his uncle disappeared mysteriously, along with his house and all his belongings...on the night of the Great Fire of London...)
Anyhoo, I have to say, with weather forecasts predicting 65mph winds and heavy rain by midday, and with 40 miles or so ahead of me, I was almost tempted to bludge another rest day at Mike's, but this would have been soft and delaying the inevitable first bad-weather ride, not to mention putting me behind schedule after just 2 days of riding, so I kitted up, got the bike loaded and hit the road at a very punctual 7.45 am.
Once again, the bike was running smoothly - but no thanks to me, it transpired. It had developed an intermittent click on Tuesday, and the back tyre had looked a bit soft after I'd had to change the tube at the start of Tuesday's ride (because I bust the valve trying to pump up it up). I dropped it in to the local bike shop in Liskeard, and the bloke couldn't find a reason for the click other than the end of a stray gear change cable hitting the pedal each circuit (doh!), but he did notice the break pads were poorly positioned - actually half on the rubber of the tyre. As he adjusted them, he asked if I'd had the wheel off for any reason, to which of course I could say yes, I'd had to change the tube. Turns out, I'd not put the wheel back on properly, and ridden the whole way from Perranporth to Liskeard with wheel half out of its mounting and the rear brake pads rubbing on the tyre! No wonder it had been a bit tricky braking in places, and quite frankly I'm amazed I didn't trash the tyre, the bike or me, but he put things right, advised me on how to do it better next time, and only charged me a fiver! Result!
So, Dartmoor beckoned, wheels were on straight and true, and thank whoever it is you thank for these things, the wind was in my back for the first time since I started. I'd been annoyed that whoever had suggested I go south to north on this ride to benefit from the prevailing SW winds had been proved totally wrong all the way up the coast, but today, with strong gusty winds in play, they were in the perfect direction to help me up the hills. I'd looked at the hill profile of my route and was fairly sure I'd be forced to push at some point, most likely either leaving Liskeard, or leaving Tavistock up on to Dartmoor.
The legs were working well though, and with the bonus of the wind, I pushed on through every hill, and was actually rather proud of myself for not caving in. Looks like I may be growing that pair (of strong legs) that Ed encouraged me to grow! Up on the top of Dartmoor, the road was fantastic, and I cruised along making excellent time, only occasionally getting a speed wobble as a stray gust of wind caught me on a fast downhill (today's top speed: 44.9 mph, for the stat-watchers!). Towards the end of the ride as I approached Moretonhampstead, a couple of switch backs and sheltered stretch made it abundantly clear just how much help the wind had been, and how unpleasant it would have been blowing the other way, so I thanked my lucky stars again, and touched down at 1215, far earlier than anticipated.
I toyed with making hay, maybe taking a bite out of tomorrow's 63 miles, while the rain held off, but lacking a signal for satnav plotting, I was unable to find out if any sleeping places were a sensible distance away. Instead, I accepted the good time, and chose to stay in the very nice camping barn and enjoy the well earned rest. It will most likely be raining all day tomorrow, and things will go far slower, so maybe resting up is the best plan after all!
Although I am by no means past the worst of the hills, today was the first day I both felt an improvement in my riding, and enjoyed the hills (no doubt thanks largely to the wind), but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel indicating that things will get better as my fitness goes up, and that was reassuring. It was beautiful riding across Dartmoor, with its windswept character, and I can only look forward to the time when I feel more able to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, en route. Its been a bit about just surviving the riding to date, but I sense that things are changing for the better :-)
Continued thanks to all who have donated, your generosity has got the numbers ticking over far faster than I'd expected, but I should point out that I have hit up everyone I know for cash, so either you all will have to find the rest yourselves to reach the target, or you're going to have to start encouraging more people to pick up the short fall! You have all been great so far. I know you can do it :-) Photos are coming, I promise, but until then, keep 'em crossed for tailwinds and no rain!
Over and out for now.
Perhaps I should explain. There is a legend among the locals who live on the fringes of Bodmin Moor that tells of people who have been driving across the moor, and felt a strange, hairy grip on their hands on the steering wheel, just prior to them swerving across the road, often resulting in an accident of some kind. Could it be a lost soul trying to get home? Some prehistoric spirit objecting to noisy cars in his/her final resting place? Or perhaps its just a strong gust of wind or what drunk blokes tell their partners after they've driven home from a remote pub to explain away the dents in the bumpers.... (it brings to mind Lord Percy's tale of how his uncle disappeared mysteriously, along with his house and all his belongings...on the night of the Great Fire of London...)
Anyhoo, I have to say, with weather forecasts predicting 65mph winds and heavy rain by midday, and with 40 miles or so ahead of me, I was almost tempted to bludge another rest day at Mike's, but this would have been soft and delaying the inevitable first bad-weather ride, not to mention putting me behind schedule after just 2 days of riding, so I kitted up, got the bike loaded and hit the road at a very punctual 7.45 am.
Once again, the bike was running smoothly - but no thanks to me, it transpired. It had developed an intermittent click on Tuesday, and the back tyre had looked a bit soft after I'd had to change the tube at the start of Tuesday's ride (because I bust the valve trying to pump up it up). I dropped it in to the local bike shop in Liskeard, and the bloke couldn't find a reason for the click other than the end of a stray gear change cable hitting the pedal each circuit (doh!), but he did notice the break pads were poorly positioned - actually half on the rubber of the tyre. As he adjusted them, he asked if I'd had the wheel off for any reason, to which of course I could say yes, I'd had to change the tube. Turns out, I'd not put the wheel back on properly, and ridden the whole way from Perranporth to Liskeard with wheel half out of its mounting and the rear brake pads rubbing on the tyre! No wonder it had been a bit tricky braking in places, and quite frankly I'm amazed I didn't trash the tyre, the bike or me, but he put things right, advised me on how to do it better next time, and only charged me a fiver! Result!
So, Dartmoor beckoned, wheels were on straight and true, and thank whoever it is you thank for these things, the wind was in my back for the first time since I started. I'd been annoyed that whoever had suggested I go south to north on this ride to benefit from the prevailing SW winds had been proved totally wrong all the way up the coast, but today, with strong gusty winds in play, they were in the perfect direction to help me up the hills. I'd looked at the hill profile of my route and was fairly sure I'd be forced to push at some point, most likely either leaving Liskeard, or leaving Tavistock up on to Dartmoor.
The legs were working well though, and with the bonus of the wind, I pushed on through every hill, and was actually rather proud of myself for not caving in. Looks like I may be growing that pair (of strong legs) that Ed encouraged me to grow! Up on the top of Dartmoor, the road was fantastic, and I cruised along making excellent time, only occasionally getting a speed wobble as a stray gust of wind caught me on a fast downhill (today's top speed: 44.9 mph, for the stat-watchers!). Towards the end of the ride as I approached Moretonhampstead, a couple of switch backs and sheltered stretch made it abundantly clear just how much help the wind had been, and how unpleasant it would have been blowing the other way, so I thanked my lucky stars again, and touched down at 1215, far earlier than anticipated.
I toyed with making hay, maybe taking a bite out of tomorrow's 63 miles, while the rain held off, but lacking a signal for satnav plotting, I was unable to find out if any sleeping places were a sensible distance away. Instead, I accepted the good time, and chose to stay in the very nice camping barn and enjoy the well earned rest. It will most likely be raining all day tomorrow, and things will go far slower, so maybe resting up is the best plan after all!
Although I am by no means past the worst of the hills, today was the first day I both felt an improvement in my riding, and enjoyed the hills (no doubt thanks largely to the wind), but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel indicating that things will get better as my fitness goes up, and that was reassuring. It was beautiful riding across Dartmoor, with its windswept character, and I can only look forward to the time when I feel more able to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, en route. Its been a bit about just surviving the riding to date, but I sense that things are changing for the better :-)
Continued thanks to all who have donated, your generosity has got the numbers ticking over far faster than I'd expected, but I should point out that I have hit up everyone I know for cash, so either you all will have to find the rest yourselves to reach the target, or you're going to have to start encouraging more people to pick up the short fall! You have all been great so far. I know you can do it :-) Photos are coming, I promise, but until then, keep 'em crossed for tailwinds and no rain!
Over and out for now.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Two Down,but Soooo Much Up!
Crikey. And 'Gulp!' So, this cycling lark then...bit tougher than I thought it would be...lots of hills that go up, it seems. I went at it with gusto on Sunday, as I pedaled out of Penzance and straight out up a ridiculously steep hill that (I'm not afraid to admit) had me pushing the bike for a few metres there. Say what you like, you weren't there doing it, so don't judge me :-)
My bike was in fine shape, thanks to Lewis at Woods Cycles in Headcorn. After a first trial pack the day before the off, I discovered I was far too heavily weighted in the back end (oh, please. Behave yourselves!). This resulted in an emergency Saturday morning operation at the shop, jumping the queues of other customers, to get Lewis to bodge a rear rack on to the front of my bike to share the load a bit. I actually found this makeshift addition very reassuring, and more in tune with my style of doing things. Now, with the load spread better over both wheels, there was less chance of me coming a cropper on the steep up hills.
I got the train to London, walked the bike across town and made the connecting train to Penzance by the skin of my teeth. Five hours later and I was changing clothes on the platform and making sure things were securely tied on (to the bike rack. Come on people, minds out of the gutter, please).
It was only 10 miles over to St Just, and a beautiful sunny afternoon, and even with the near-coronary-invoking hills, I was very excited to be underway. I got to St Just and my campsite for the night, in the garden of the YHA, in plenty of time to 'pop over' to Land's End that evening, if I felt like it. I decided I did feel like it, as this was often a strategy that people used - officially starting their ride in the evening, stopping the night and carrying on proper the next day. Of course, it was 3.5 miles out and the same back, so by the time that was done, it was a 17 mile day, with a biggie lined up in the morning.
Come morning, and my conscience got the better of me. I'd done the previous evening's Land's End visit without my luggage, which I felt might be seen as cheating, so I went back out fully loaded, adding an extra 3.5 miles to the official day's total, later on regretting the bravado of this decision, as the day's hills took their toll.
I was going to Perranporth on the first day, about 42 miles away (45 odd with the extra bit at the start), hugging the coastal B-roads as much as I could, and quickly learning that every down hill was paid for twice - the climb to get to it, and the climb out afterwards. This was a shame, as each downhill pretty much brought me into another gorgeous seaside village, each of which I increasingly resented, as to visit each one resulted in a ridiculous climb out afterwards! I quickly grew to dread the downs as much as the ups!
Soldiering on, my cycling strategy for the first day was off kilter a bit. I was riding as though (a) I wasn't carrying an extra 25-odd kg of kit, and (b) was out on a one-off training style ride, with nothing to do tomorrow. I wasn't drinking enough, having enough rest breaks or topping up my calories either, so by the end of the day I was pretty wiped out. Still, the view at Perranporth was amazing from the cliff-top YHA, and just about made up for it. It also gave me time to review my strategy, and adjust my food and water needs for the next leg.
Day 2 was a 50-miler to Liskeard via Padstow, so started the day continuing up the coast. I kept humming the 1980's tune by Musical Youth (be honest, you remember them) as I "passed the Duchy 'pon the left hand side". Now THAT is a good pun by anyone standards, especially in light of the physical activity I was submitting myself to! I made a point of stopping for a 10 minute rest every 10 miles or hour of riding, give or take a good place to stop, and this helped a lot with keeping energy levels up. Padstow marked the almost exact halfway mark and lunch, so by the time I was delivered across the bay by the wee ferry, I was suitably refreshed and ready to tackle the second 25 miles across Bodmin Moor to Liskeard.
Despite my breaks and efforts to keep up with fluids and food, I was seriously flagging as the afternoon wore on. Bodmin Moor is not flat, and after slogging up several long and almost never-ending slopes, or other short and viciously steep hills, I found I was forced off the bike more and more often. I eventually gave up feeling too bad about pushing the bike up some of the worst hill, as I knew the alternative was to not progress any further. I am interested to see how my fitness and strength improve over the coming days and weeks, and hopefully find I will be able beat more of the hills than beat me.
I've taken a rest day today (already! What am I like?!) mostly to catch up with an old college mate from Writtle who I've not seen in 11 years, but also to rest the legs a bit, as they are certainly not used to the kind of thrashing I've just given them. Tomorrow I have a 40 miler out to the eastern edge of Dartmoor, so lots more lovely climbs to come! I will endeavour to throw some photos into the blog by the end of the weekend, and see if I can work out a link to a map to show my route...not to mention add in some statistics, so check back soon, and in the meantime, thanks to everyone who has donated, and please, please tell more people! Every little helps and, trust me, I'm earning every penny!
That's it for now, more soon, thanks for tuning in :-)
My bike was in fine shape, thanks to Lewis at Woods Cycles in Headcorn. After a first trial pack the day before the off, I discovered I was far too heavily weighted in the back end (oh, please. Behave yourselves!). This resulted in an emergency Saturday morning operation at the shop, jumping the queues of other customers, to get Lewis to bodge a rear rack on to the front of my bike to share the load a bit. I actually found this makeshift addition very reassuring, and more in tune with my style of doing things. Now, with the load spread better over both wheels, there was less chance of me coming a cropper on the steep up hills.
I got the train to London, walked the bike across town and made the connecting train to Penzance by the skin of my teeth. Five hours later and I was changing clothes on the platform and making sure things were securely tied on (to the bike rack. Come on people, minds out of the gutter, please).
 |
| A sunny Cornish evening, and an already pooped cyclist! |
Come morning, and my conscience got the better of me. I'd done the previous evening's Land's End visit without my luggage, which I felt might be seen as cheating, so I went back out fully loaded, adding an extra 3.5 miles to the official day's total, later on regretting the bravado of this decision, as the day's hills took their toll.
 |
| 847 miles by the sign, 1603 miles by my route. Bring it on! |
Soldiering on, my cycling strategy for the first day was off kilter a bit. I was riding as though (a) I wasn't carrying an extra 25-odd kg of kit, and (b) was out on a one-off training style ride, with nothing to do tomorrow. I wasn't drinking enough, having enough rest breaks or topping up my calories either, so by the end of the day I was pretty wiped out. Still, the view at Perranporth was amazing from the cliff-top YHA, and just about made up for it. It also gave me time to review my strategy, and adjust my food and water needs for the next leg.
Day 2 was a 50-miler to Liskeard via Padstow, so started the day continuing up the coast. I kept humming the 1980's tune by Musical Youth (be honest, you remember them) as I "passed the Duchy 'pon the left hand side". Now THAT is a good pun by anyone standards, especially in light of the physical activity I was submitting myself to! I made a point of stopping for a 10 minute rest every 10 miles or hour of riding, give or take a good place to stop, and this helped a lot with keeping energy levels up. Padstow marked the almost exact halfway mark and lunch, so by the time I was delivered across the bay by the wee ferry, I was suitably refreshed and ready to tackle the second 25 miles across Bodmin Moor to Liskeard.
Despite my breaks and efforts to keep up with fluids and food, I was seriously flagging as the afternoon wore on. Bodmin Moor is not flat, and after slogging up several long and almost never-ending slopes, or other short and viciously steep hills, I found I was forced off the bike more and more often. I eventually gave up feeling too bad about pushing the bike up some of the worst hill, as I knew the alternative was to not progress any further. I am interested to see how my fitness and strength improve over the coming days and weeks, and hopefully find I will be able beat more of the hills than beat me.
I've taken a rest day today (already! What am I like?!) mostly to catch up with an old college mate from Writtle who I've not seen in 11 years, but also to rest the legs a bit, as they are certainly not used to the kind of thrashing I've just given them. Tomorrow I have a 40 miler out to the eastern edge of Dartmoor, so lots more lovely climbs to come! I will endeavour to throw some photos into the blog by the end of the weekend, and see if I can work out a link to a map to show my route...not to mention add in some statistics, so check back soon, and in the meantime, thanks to everyone who has donated, and please, please tell more people! Every little helps and, trust me, I'm earning every penny!
That's it for now, more soon, thanks for tuning in :-)
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