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Final day
Sunday 2nd Aug
Fab weather was forecast; sunny, 28 degrees, no wind and zero chance of rain. Result!
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My day started at Braunton at 8am; and I headed Northwards along sections of the former North Devon Railway and single track roads to Ilfracoombe harbour. This was the most challenging section due to the steep gradients over the entire route with climbs of over 750 feet. A minor navigation error on the way back took my through Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton following the B3231. This was quite a dangerous road with heavy tourist traffic, steep sections and lots of bends. At the earliest chance I headed inland and taking quiet single track roads cross country this time with the aid of Google Maps.
Once back in Braunton i collected my rucksack and took off my high vis jacket since I’d now be travelling on traffic free sections of old railway line for the rest of the day.
The section from Braunton to Barnstaple follows the Taw estuary where the sounds of heavy traffic was replaced by the sights and sounds of waders feeding in the mudflats.
At Barnstaple the trail crosses the Taw over a medieval bridge and picks up the former LSW Railway on the opposite bank of the Taw. The trail passes Fremington, Yelland, Instow along the edge of the Torridge estuary to the now restored Bideford station in it's LSWR green paintwork.
From there my ride was at pace to reach the Puffing Billy cafe for lunch; the cafe occupies the former Torrington Station. A 45 minute break for a cooked meal, a small beer, a generous wedge of cake and a pot of tea. Time to reapply factor 50 before starting the final outward leg to Meeth Quarry on the former North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway. This was originally a narrow gauge mineral line built to carry ball clay and bricks; it closed in 1982. This last section climbs 620 feet continuously towards Meeth at the edge of Dartmoor. The one good think about a prolonged climb is the quick descent back.
Meeth was just a hamlet with the remains of a railway station and the Nature Reserve. Some nice butterfly species were seen today; Silver-washed Fritillary, Holly Blue and Clouded Yellow.
The Meeth to Torrington section back was mostly on cinder tracks through woodland that smelled strongly of pine and resin.
The Torrington to Bideford route is mostly a gentle descent through tunnels and over bridges that cross-cross the River Torridge.
Bideford to Barnstaple is through a very pretty section of meadows and salt marshes where you catch sight of Oyster catchers, Redshank, Dunelin, Black-headed Gulls, Little Egret and Herons.
At Instow seafront I made a short detour to the Quay Inn; this does one of the best Sunday lunches I know with an excellent selection of beer. This visit was for two cans of soft drink to keep myself hydrated, use the facilities and to re-apply factor 50 for the 4th time.
The final stage was dead quiet; most people had finished their walks and cycles and I was able to cycle at pace for the last few miles until I reached the Braunton Countryside Centre car park.
After 8 hours of cycling I managed I finished off my belated June cycle challenge with a total monthly mileage of 704.
Day 30
Thursday 30th Jul
Yesterday evening was glorious with not a cloud in sight; I went to bed having checked the forecast with it being reported as dry with a max of 20 degrees.
This morning I wake up to very wet paving and an expansive view of grey clouds and mist.
14 miles into my ride and predictably the furthest point from home the rain starts to fall and increases in intensity for the next hour until I get a good soaking from above and below.
The positive is that active wear dries quickly thanks to the combination of a moderate offshore breeze and riding at a brisk pace.
To be fair to the forecasters it must be very challenging to predict what will happen over the next 24 hours on the West Coast. A slight change in wind direction or speed makes the difference between a weather system passing along the South Coast, through Wales or more often than not over the Hartland Peninsula hence the profusion of lichens, liverworts and moss!
My final leg home was down Sand Hill at low speed despite the 20% gradient; the road surface is mostly gravel covered and there are limited passing places on this narrow road. Trying to stop at any speed above 15mph is quite scary....
Mileage today was 30.5; the point five makes all the difference.
Total distance covered to date is now 608.4.
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Day 29
Wednesday 29th Jul
It's so obvious this week that the school's have finished for the summer with the roads being even quieter.
The last section from the A39 to Welcombe Mouth descends 720 feet over a couple of miles and includes my "favourite" 20% hill. 34.6 miles today and 25.1 miles to go.
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Day 28
Tuesday 28th Jul
Cycling just like driving involves switching between "main beam" vision; scanning the road and countryside ahead and then looking for those hazards closer too such as the many cavernous craters. Travelling at a sedate speed on two wheels leaves much more thinking time when taking in the landscape.
My journey starts with a steep climb out a valley that follows the weakness created by one of the many NW-SE trending faults in the area. The coast road section to Sandhole Cross there are several more faults that cut the road right by the cliff edge and show clear signs of movement; one reason why I drive ultra slow on those stormy winter nights in case the road is no more.
The Rocks in this area are all Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian) comprising sandstones and mudstones deposited from the erosion of a landmass to the North. These rocks which form what's known as the "Crackington Formation" are approximately 320 million years old and were laid down by turbidity currents in a marine basin.
During the later Permo-Triassic mountain building period when Northern Europe and North America collided with Southern Europe, Africa and South America; these rocks were uplifted and folded.
Along the North Devon Coast this is dramatically displayed in some very tight folds that are part of a much larger regional syncline trending East - West.
Much of my route is across East - West trending valleys that were cut into relatively softer mudstones and are separated by more resistant sandstone ridges; this makes it very easy for me anyway to navigate without a map or GPS.
My journeys cross the A39 at two points where the road forms an interesting regional divide; a watershed with streams inland of the A39 flowing into the English Channel and those on the seaward side flowing a matter of miles before entering the Bristol Channel.
Mileage today was 34 miles in much cooler and foggy conditions.
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Day 27
Monday 27th Jul
As Bradworthy nears I catch the sight of my nemesis; a mile long hill climb that gets progressively steeper. It's a single track section with hedges both sides of the road that snakes off into the distance.
At Bradworthy I pitstop for a bag of nuts and chocolate before heading East towards the coast.
Then back across the A39 and down to Welcombe Mouth and then back home in a circuit of exactly 30 miles.
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Day 26
Sunday 26th Jul
Day 25
Saturday 25th Jul
What's been very noticeable this week is how many butterflies there have been basking at on the roadside as I "fly" passed; mostly Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Gatekeeper.
The return leg home was against a strong offshore head wind which more than halved the usual pace.
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Day 24
Friday 24th Jul
Today's route took in Bursdon Moor, Woolsery, Biteford, Meddon and Welcombe Mouth.
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Day 22
Wednesday 22nd Jul
I’m now planning to increase my target to 603 miles which Wikipedia says is the straight line distance between John O’Groats and Land’s End. For the curious the true distance by road is 874 miles and was completed recently by Michael Broadwith in a jaw dropping 43 hours 25 minutes.
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Day 20
Monday 20th Jul
This morning's ride was to the top of Bursdon moor, then back to Cranham and Tosberry multiple times to add another 15 miles to my usual 10 mile circuit.Â
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Day 19
Sunday 19th Jul
My ride started later than usual missing the usual sounds of dawn chorus. By the time I reached the top of Bursdon Moor there were numerous Skylark, Stonechat and a number of Grasshopper Warbler calling which is always nice to hear. Thanks to the tractor & milk driver for stopping to let me pass at tricky sections of road.
From the high point of Bursdon, it was a quick dash along the A39 before returning to single track roads through Hartland Forest, Woolsery, and Biteford. Then cutting cross country before picking up the road to Meddon.
I came across an adult hare on-route that ran ahead of me for some distance. They would have won any race with a top speed is 35mph compared to my 32mph; and that's with my weight advantage, going down a steep hill and wind assisted.Â
Finally across the A39 down through Welcombe with a nice view out towards the Atlantic heading down a 20% hill before heading home.
Day 18
Saturday 18th Jul
Day 17
Friday 17th Jul
Belated Prostate Cancer Research Cycle 300 miles in June challenge
Friday 10th Jul
Thank you for checking my fundraising page, I just happened to see this challenge advertised and decided to take part since I know of many people who have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
The sharp eyed will notice that it's not June! The combination of being away from home for a long weekend whilst my bike was being serviced and some unseasonal wet and windy June weather meant I decided to postpone until July.
I keep fit by cycling a 10 mile circuit every morning and hope that attempting 300 miles in a month will be achievable considering the unpredictable North Devon weather.
My cunning plan is to complete the challenge by doing daily rides before I start work for the day.
If you can support me during this challenge by making a small donation to Prostate Cancer Research through my fundraiser page it will make a big difference to finding a cure; more effective treatment; improved tests for the detection of the condition and to support families who have been affected by this disease.
Thank you for your support! 💙🧡
Good luck Fred.