13/09/11 - 0800 - Day 1 - Arrived Lands End in anticipation and frustration thanks to a car park attendant!! joined the End to End club, took some pictures in bright sunshine then set off at 08:30. 08:32 stopped to put on wet weather gear as the heavens opened and we got soaked - is this the sign of things to come? Weather cleared during the morning the maps worked quite well only took a couple of wrong turns! Went over Seven Maidens just outside LE and fell off on heather - she was a bit prickly! Some very difficult sections quite boggy in places but easy into Truro along on mine trail - had puncture. Finished Sainsbury's car park. 49.5 miles.
14/09/11 - 0800 - Day 2 - back in Sainsbury's car park. 08:30 set off 08:31 stopped in trolly park under cover as heaven opened up again - hope this isn't gonna happen every day! 08:50 riding thru Truro, fell off bike embarrassing but no injuries. Followed National Cycle Route 3 (NCR 3) there are no flat roads in Cornwall it's either up or down. Lovely ride over Bodmin Moor no real tracks so easy to get lost & v boggy. Great ride in to Launceston then on to Lifton for the night. 64.42 miles (113 miles)
15/09/11 - 0800 - Day 3 - No rain blustery but sunny. Rode out thru soggy field with a guillotine at a bend in the river - not sure why it was there no Frenchmen around. Lovely off road start on Two Castles Trail to Oakhampton. John's brakes failed so replaced disc pads. Then out of O on Tarka Trail a disused railway line for c30 miles into Barnstable arriving 4pmish so decided to carry on. Mistake! Next 6 miles took 3 hours and was very tough with impossible climbs and navigation. Fell off again this time over handle bars and this time gashed leg - oops! Following a puncture to John's front tyre we eventually got to sanctuary of the motor home, Jane and Marion. waiting patiently in Bratton Flemming. Ran over spare wheel at campsite - lost water filler cap - good day! 67.9 miles (181)
16/09/11 - 0900 - Day 4 - later start as campsite at Coombe Martin and had to get back to BF. Started ride as day 3 ended tough unrideable climbs out of deep almost ravines. Got up on to Exmoor only to find peat bogs again virtually unrideable, arrived Simonsbath @ 1300 v tired having travelled only 10 miles. Caught up a bit on next section, John had another puncture, then up on to ridge running thru forest above Minehead. Took trail thru deer park at Dunster then on to Blue Anchor for the night and a well earned rest day. 34.31 miles (215)
17/09/11 - Day 5 - rest day and change over day. Marion & Jane off home today and Paul arrived with new water filler cap - all went in to Minehead for lunch then girls left taking back the second spare bike with bent wheel!
18/09/11 - Day 6(5th riding day) - Gales, rain cold oh well England are playing Georgia so good excuse to delay start then off to Bristol.
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