Just rolling

After 2 months of talking about it I’ve at long last started my bike ride and have come to report back on the outer regions of our country. It makes sense to start an ‘End to End’ bike ride at Land’s End but quite why anyone would visit it for any other reason is beyond me. Clearly people do, because someone’s built a theme park styled village at the site – although that may be because it couldn’t get planning permission anywhere else.

In the pouring rain we then cycled inland to St. Agnes, a trip which resulted in us cycling down the hard shoulder of the A30 in the dark. Dodging bits of rubber and road-kill while trying to stay clear of 70mph lorries is something I advise against. At 9.45pm we arrived at a B&B to find a humourless elderly lady who said to one of her staff, “Get them their food, it’ll probably be burnt but that’s not our fault.” “And I’ve gone to bed.” A jolly end to our first day.

Since then things have gone uphill so to speak, in both the topographical sense and morale. Taking on the hills along the northern Cornish coast was a trial but at least the weather held up and pasties make good rocket fuel. Devon has so far been spared the invasion of beach bums suffered by Cornwall but further inland Glastonbury was a hotspot for hippies waiting for the annual festival. Gloucester does not rate well (particularly as someone there suggested Dixons might sell bike tyres), but Bath and Marshfield are highly recommended.

Bike problems have come and not quite gone although so far I’ve been lucky. My panniers weigh 12 kgs (9kg of which belongs to me!) and seem to be getting heavier. We’re averaging just over 50 miles per day which leaves time to eat five meals, have a cream tea and repair bike faults on the road.

There’s not much other news, having cycled through Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and then up through the Malvern Hills I’m now ready for bed!