Sitting down after lunch with the family and am surprised that I am penning the first ride report. Well here goes -
Friday - left work in a rush and after arriving home had to cycle to the station. Train to Exeter was full and I had to push to get on. Then had a brief discussion with someone who claimed that when you have booked a seat if someone is there first it is bad luck. Had to point out that I had booked the seat and had the card to prove it. This concluded when he said but its very crowed standing up, and I said he could have my square foot of floor.
Got to the Exeter Travel Lodge at about 10:30 and met up with Richard Evans. We chatted for a while about rides we had done together.
Saturday - Alarm went off at 4:30 and we set off at first light. We got to the hall at about 5am. It was not open and a little panic set in and I phoned Ian Hennesy to check we were in the correct place. Needless to say we were and I was just been a tad neurotic.
The first stage to Bude was easy riding and there was a group of about six who shared the work and we were first to Bude. Toby was in the group and although I was not pushing on the hills it was clear he could have ridden much faster.
I needed the loo in Bude and so delayed my food order. When I came back there was a family there who ordered six full breakfasts. It looked like it would take some time and so popped into another cafe. Left on my own to tackle the hilly section to Looe. This section was hard and while there was not a hill that had me in problems there was a certain relentless nature that wore me down. I passed Ben (who I was to ride with a lot) and did not see another rider on this section.
Got to Looe and went to the sea front to get some grub. Had chips, ice cream and pasty. Ben, Richard and another (who's name I missed) stood on the pavement and munched.
Ben had left and I set off with Richard and the other rider. We got close to Polruan and Richard claimed it was one way and I had the track on gps and said it was another. We split to see who whould get to the ferry first. I intended to wait, but the ferry was leaving and Ben was sitting there waiting. So I got on in the knowledge that the gps was shorter. I was to find out later that Richard had reached the ferry port just as it was leaving.
Ben and I bounced off each other for a while. I was a little quicker on the hills and he was faster on descents and the flat. The climbing was getting to me a bit and I stopped in Porbus (I think) for a sandwich and was just finishing when Ben passed. I would pass him again on the run into Long Rock.
I have not mentioned the wind. This was against use all the way from Bude. There was protection in some of the hills, but when it was exposed the wind was quite strong.
A welcome break in Long Rock and Ray suggested that we form a group to go back to Bude. The group worked quite well and we stopped in Newquay, which is about half way, for a bit to eat. This section is 120km and I would have struggled without something to eat.
The wind blew us back to Bude and I was surprised to be there before midnight. We were the second riders back. Toby had bounced the control and was planning on stopping at Taunton Dean services.
Sunday -
Four hours sleep and Ray, Ben and I were off. We were still heading east so the wind was at our backs. It was soon obvious that Ray was faster than Ben and I and before long the elastic broke and Ray was off.
The section to Taunton is over 100km and we stopped in Tiverton for a bit to eat.
Ben was surprised when on a back lane I shouted left here and disappeared down an access road. He thought we still had 30km to ride to Taunton Dean services.
On the section to Yeovil the difference in pace between Ben and I was stretching the elastic. I was quicker up the hills and Ben was a better going down and on the flat. Soon after the Yeovil stop I tapped out a couple of hills and was on my own. The run to Seaton was easy but the final descent was brake block burning. 10% or steeper when you did not want to get any speed up.
Short stop at Seaton and then off on the final hilly section. Some of the climbs out of Seaton and Beer were steep and single track. I ended up getting off three times because there cars that were blocking each other. Restarting on a steep hill is not easy and I did walk one section (shame
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The run into Exeter on the A3052 had some descents that were steep and long. Some of the speeds were slightly scary and I would not have enjoyed these in the wet. The route took us on a back lane tour into Exeter and it avoided any city center riding.
I finished about 6:15pm. There was three of us who finished very close. Justin (first 600), myself and then Ben. I thought the elastic had broken with Ben just after Yeovil - only to find him just behind. Sitting here today I feel slightly guilty and wish I had finished the ride with Ben. We had cycled together since Long Rock and help helped each other getting back to Bude so quickly.
Overall I had a great time and would do this ride again. It has a different vibe to the BC and the BCM.
Many thanks to Ian, Feline and SimonP and all Ian's other helpers who made this such an enjoyable event.
Quite why this ride attracts such a small field I do not know. It is fantastic and has a different character to the other long rides I have done.
BB
