Day 2

Bude to Cheddar

Distance: 106.77

Average: 14.6

Maximum: 47.0

Duration: 7:17:13

Cumulative: 204.10

Bude Backpackers Hostel

Up and off! My legs felt fine! No aching or anything! Should be a good day - and the sun was shining!

I left Bude on the A3072. After 5 or so miles I turned left towards Grimscott. Then first right after Grimscott and followed the signs for Bradworthy. After 5 or so miles I followed signs for Sutcombe and Milton Dameral. So far so good! Nice gentle, pleasant countryside! I then joined the A388 and followed that road to Stibb Cross, then took the B3227 to Great Torrington and continued on this road all the way to South Molton. Well this road can only be described as a big, no huge, dipper! There were some monstrous hills on it but the flipside was there were some great downhill stretches as well! I kept seeing signs – “14%”, etc, at the bottom of each hill. I hadn't a clue what they meant until this journey! Now I've got it sussed! They are the odds of getting to the top!

After day one’s somewhat fruitless attempt to find water, I went to a garage to see what type of refreshments they had on offer! After scrutinising the shelves for a minute or two I saw some milk! I’d read somewhere before I set off that milk would be beneficial on an escapade such as mine! It was cheaper than the lucozade I usually bought so I opted for 4 pints of semi-skimmed! I filled my bottles and drank the remaining half pint or so! Delicious!

I left South Molton and joined the A361, a busy uphill stretch, for a mile or so, thankfully leaving it for a return to the B3227 to Bampton. About 3 miles before Bampton I was pondering my route outside a garage when a nice old gent, presumably the owner of said garage, approached and advised me to go in the opposite direction to the one I had just decided upon! “No hills”, he said! "That'll do me!", I replied. Well I’d had my fair share of hills that day so I was most grateful for his advice. He told me there were a lot of “end to enders passing this way”! What a relief! At least I knew I was going in the right general direction! "Black Cat Garage", I think his garage was called!

The Somerset Border (I took pictures of my bike at every county border. Sad! For about 5 miles before the Somerset border I was gradually catching a fellow cyclist! If I ever come across a fellow cyclist in front of me I invariably have the quandary of either whizzing past with a cheery but I always feel superior "Hi", in which case I feel my progress thereafter has to be convincing and permanent, or dallying behind and potentially losing time! The appearance of this sign at just the right moment solved my quandary! I passed said cyclist a few miles further on mopping his brow at the top of a hill !)

I continued on to Wiveliscombe, turning left just after to go through Fitzhead, Halse, Ash Priors and Bishops Lydheard, where 4 more pints of milk were purchased! This was becoming the pattern of each day; initially filling my water bottles, with, well, water, and then topping them up on route with milk. This amounted to 10 pints of liquid just on the journey, let alone liquid consumption before I’d even mounted or dismounted!

Ideal rest stop near Fitzhead

Ash Common Nature Reserve

Anyway, the Quantocks were now in front of me! Well where would you expect them to be after a few hours in the saddle! More hills! Blimey! Hadn’t I seen enough of these today?Up through Cothelstone, Enmore and eventually in to Bridgewater. My first big town since setting off and boy was I pleased to get out of it! There seemed to be an abnormally large number of customised hot hatches whizzing about the place!

I continued up the A38 to Dunball, turned right on the A39 and then turned left on to B3141 passing Rich's Cider Farm, through Wedmore and finally Cheddar!

I was so impressed I bought the company!

Is there a low divorce rate here?

Cheddar Youth Hostel was very nice - once I found it! I met a young student from Bradford who'd come down to Bristol by train and was cycling around Somerset for a few days. It was his favourite part of the country and from what I'd seen of it I couldn't argue with him! I spent a nice relaxing evening chatting to a few fellow hostellers before gratefully retiring to my bunk.

So, day 2 over! I was really impressed with this part of the country and I was still feeling as fit as a fiddle! So far so good!