Right then, a bit of background first.
In 2012 I rode with a friend from where I used to live in Horley (Surrey) to Sherborne in Dorset for the Adventure Travel Film Festival. It was over 3 days and I suffered horribly, we bailed and took a train to finish it.
In 2013 I rode from the Forest of Dean having moved there by then to Sherborne for the ATFF again. That was over 2 days and I suffered horribly, I bailed and took a train to finish it.
From then in August 2013 I rode my bikes precisely once up to the point in March his year the same friend said 'I'm having a crack at the Pennine Bridleway in August, fancy joining me?' Like an idiot of course I said yes.
This, plus Mrs Tween nagging me about being a grumpy (and fattening) git plus Steve's inspiration got me back on my bike. Starting in mid March I managed to get out on the bike most weeks building nicely. Gravity in these parts, as a resource, is available a couple of orders of magnitude above that in Surrey. Still I knew I needed a Rule #5 excursion before August to find out if I can now ride two days straight and also to re-find the flaws in gear I've not touched in nearly 2 years.
So simply I planned to ride one weekend from home in the FoD to a mates house in Horley. Simples
Day 1 - Friday 26th June 2015 - FoD to DevizesThe ride started, um, brilliantly. I planned to be on the road at 07:50 and at 08:00 the cat jumping up 'n down on me woke me up. 75 minutes late I hit the road on this:
I started with a leg warmer up the East face of Bream hill, one of the gravitational resources I've taken advantage of in training. Barely minutes from home I got my first taste of very light rain. To my immense surprise I got up the hill fully loaded quite easily. This was down to YACF / St. Steve's lesson #1 - to play the long game keep it slow and keep the HR as low as possible
1.
It wasn't a bad day. I'd forgotten how good the views are around here. On the flat-ish between Bream and St Briavels
2After St Briavels the ride gets easier and so much more pleasant than the A48 I banged the start out on in 2013. The view down to the Severn and Berkeley in the distance.
After some plodding the awaited whiz down to the old Wye crossing arrived (closed to vehicles at the moment, use as much road as your inner child desires). Then up through Chepstow and onto the NCR 42 to Bulwark. Note to any cycle tourists passing through, use the cycle route not A48 out of Chepstow, it is vastly better. I saw a pair and a group of 3 slogging up that godawful hill on Fri 3rd. Breakfast #2 was taken at
Sultans Cafe in Bulwark with 13 miles and nearly 400 meters of climbing, half for the day, done. YACF lesson #2 came into focus here - faff ye not at checkpoints. I had planned in 45 mins and that was none too much.
Next, over the bridge and views I'm sure are familiar to many here:
Wow, is that junction after the bridge weird.
Through some nice villages then briefly on NCR 410 through Coalpit Heath which I left for my first Bridleway of the trip (see the route links below). This linked me to the Dram Road, something that seems quite significant but there is little about online. Only not really a railway on a technicality. You don't get too much of the petrochemical depot as you go by and after an unpleasant bridge under the M4 it gets interesting, these caused a WTF!? doubletake:
Taking these gave me a moment to pull on some waterproofs, it had started to rain with a sense of purpose about it but actually didn't amount to much. There's industrial buildings galore looming out of the trees and info boards along the route that give naff all clue what the buildings were.
Onwards, back on NCR 410 before picking up the Bristol to Bath pathway (railway number 2). Stop #2 at
Warmley Waiting Rooms. Only another 21 miles but YACF lesson #3 enforced - eat before you are hungry. Bidons and belly refreshed I continued, more views I'm sure many here have enjoyed:
One for Hummers upcoming Bristol & Bath trip:
Coming into Bath and it's raining again.
Through Bath following the NCR was challenging thanks to some utter nimrod covering all the blue signs with flyers for some shit called Break the Cycle. Something entirely worthy I'm sure but when I've stopped 8 times to move some moron's postings aside I well and truly lose interest.
After Bath comes the Kennet & Avon canal.. Apologies for the thumb, not used to the new phone:
Great towpath. Dundas Wharf:
Entry to, er, that.
Avonbridge Aqueduct:
I may have omitted some of the pleut encountered so far. I was pretty damp by here though not at all cold. The steed is starting to look a bit muddy and the maps are turning to mush:
This was the 2nd cool as you like heron I passed. Barely a flicker as I passed, stopped and took this:
On to Bradford-on-Avon and
The Lock Inn for tea and cake. 'Entertainment' was provided by boat after boat of pissed up bellenders exiting the lock towards Bath making life hard for the boats going the other way. Note to self: avoid Sally Narrowboats.
Just after sticking my thumb over the lens again:
The heavens really opened. Squelching along the towpath I was beginning to have a sense of humor failure. Fortunately it eased up a bit and I was able to resist the temptations of the B&B on the towpath and the signposts to hostelries just off. I needed that Rule #5 gear night;
None too soon I neared the foot of Cain Hill and exited the towpath for the adjacent Caravan and Camping club site. £7.50 - Bargain. Everything was wet through by this point, the new phone had had enough as much as me:
All that remained for Day 1 was a pedal to the pub next door for many calories and then a short (unrecorded) trip to Poulshot to pay homage to family sorely missed by visiting The Raven.
Route planned:
http://cycle.travel/map/journey/12603Route taken:
https://www.strava.com/activities/335484979Not much between them.
1 I'll have to be dead to have a HR like Steve's. Still ~115
wheeling the bike to the front gate is an improvement of about 20 on the start of the year.
2 Patron Saint of toasted sandwiches.
Parts 2 & 3 next weekend...