Monday 19th July Exeter

The morning was filled trepidation about the day ahead only 36 miles but across Dartmoor on the only major road the B3212 and then onto the B3357 at the Two Bridges to Tavistock and crossing from Devon into Cornwall at Gunnislake. This short trip 250m climbs and numerous 100m climbs in total a combined assent of all climbs approaching 2000m which for Tour de France riders may be a small hill but for 65 year old Murray and a overweight 52 year old on loaded touring bikes felt the equivalent of climbing a mountain even though the peaks of our Dartmoor route was only 450m.

We left for once on a sunny morning from YHA on the riverside cycle path into the centre of Exeter with the picturesque cathedral in background at a slow pace knowing what was installed for the day. As we left Exeter had purchased our daily energy provisions, a large packet of jelly babies as we envisaged many jelly baby stops for recuperation, the climbing started and were already into the granny gears.

The day consisted of numerous climbs many of which involved walking followed by downhill rides at which one point I reached 67 kmph (over 40mph),with gravity on my side on the downhills, some long ones over 2km, I flew past a lycra clad roadster on a carbon bike who was still pedalling whilst I just held onto the handlebars for grim death.

It was a long day with no big lunches as they would not have been conducive to the type of cycling on this day with the sun beating down most of the time. We arrived finally to where I thought was the end in Gunnislake only to be confronted with a 2km 1:10 climb so I got and pushed Murray struggled for a while because his granny gear is at least two below mine and whilst his legs seem to be pedalling frantically he was barely going much faster than my walking pace.

We arrived at 6:30pm at the Bridge House B&B, run by a friendly couple who where ex teachers, after our showers we had complimentary tea with home made scones, local clotted cream and jam. At 8:00pm we had a freshly cooked three course meal that would put many classy restaurants to shame, I had smoked salmon starter, trout caught that morning with new potatoes and beans and followed by raspberries in cream and creme fraiche with crunchy broken biscuits mixed in after which this blog and bed. Apparently the breakfast is award winning and we were told to allow at least 40 minutes to get through the courses.