Lands End to Bude
Distance: 97.33
Average: 14.0
Maximum: 40.4
Duration: 6:56:33
After an interesting journey down from Leeds the previous day I was all set for Day 1. I hadn't been on a train for ages and I wasn't too sure what to expect. Anyway after fastening my bike up - they just hang there, I went to my reserved seat. Lo and behold as I went to sit down two girls, who were sitting on each others knee, told me some old guy was sitting in my reserved seat - he'd just disappeared for a moment! Anyway he turned up just then! He was about 70 and could hardly speak English! Was I going to insist on sitting where he was? No way! Not in front of a packed train! I went and stood by the luggage and enjoyed the views out of the windows! Anyway did I really want to sit down for 8 hours? I might get that DVT thingy they get on planes! Besides which wasn't I about to embark on the ride of my life? Was I not at the peak of fitness? Seats? Who needs them?
At the next stop my seat became available and I dived in there like a dog out of a trap and guarded it jealously like that same dog would guard a bone until Penzance. All sorts of people came on and off the train but I was there until the bitter end! It looked at this point that I was really going to have to do this thing! The question that kept going through my mind was, "What am I doing this for?" I couldn't find an answer. From Bristol to Penzance took a couple of hours. I was going to cycle back to Bristol over the next couple of days! 2 hours by train 2 days by bike! Crazy!
I arrived at Penzance at 9:10 and had to cycle to the Youth Hostel in the dark. Most people apparently get there a bit earlier to enable them to get the initial mileage from Lands End to their first nights accomodation out of the way. However, I was fairly late booking my train and the 1 o'clock train from Leeds was the earliest available so that was not possible. Besides which I didn't have to change trains at all! A definite plus!
After checking in to what was an extremely busy and vibrant Youth Hostel, I cooked a basic meal and went in to my 2 bedded room! I wasn't overly enthusiastic about this youth hostel, sharing rooms business and the old fellow below me who snored intermittently during the night did nothing to alleviate my concerns. Still I awoke fresh and raring to go!
Lands End! What a disappointment! I'd heard it had been commercialised and so it has! Not the isolated end of the country it once had been, I'm sure! After weaving my way through the various commercialised buildings I eventually found what looked like signposts! Strange though, there were no signs on it! How was I going to know which way to go?? I reckon they take the signs in at night to stop them getting nicked only to put them back in the morning to charge people the earth to have their photograph taken by it! The building of the Lands End to John o' Groats Club was also there. However, I was too early for any of this stuff so I reset my computer and set off! Lands End to Penzance on the A30.
Library Picture End to End signpost (with signs!)
Maximum: 40.4
Duration: 6:56:33
After an interesting journey down from Leeds the previous day I was all set for Day 1. I hadn't been on a train for ages and I wasn't too sure what to expect. Anyway after fastening my bike up - they just hang there, I went to my reserved seat. Lo and behold as I went to sit down two girls, who were sitting on each others knee, told me some old guy was sitting in my reserved seat - he'd just disappeared for a moment! Anyway he turned up just then! He was about 70 and could hardly speak English! Was I going to insist on sitting where he was? No way! Not in front of a packed train! I went and stood by the luggage and enjoyed the views out of the windows! Anyway did I really want to sit down for 8 hours? I might get that DVT thingy they get on planes! Besides which wasn't I about to embark on the ride of my life? Was I not at the peak of fitness? Seats? Who needs them?
At the next stop my seat became available and I dived in there like a dog out of a trap and guarded it jealously like that same dog would guard a bone until Penzance. All sorts of people came on and off the train but I was there until the bitter end! It looked at this point that I was really going to have to do this thing! The question that kept going through my mind was, "What am I doing this for?" I couldn't find an answer. From Bristol to Penzance took a couple of hours. I was going to cycle back to Bristol over the next couple of days! 2 hours by train 2 days by bike! Crazy!
I arrived at Penzance at 9:10 and had to cycle to the Youth Hostel in the dark. Most people apparently get there a bit earlier to enable them to get the initial mileage from Lands End to their first nights accomodation out of the way. However, I was fairly late booking my train and the 1 o'clock train from Leeds was the earliest available so that was not possible. Besides which I didn't have to change trains at all! A definite plus!
After checking in to what was an extremely busy and vibrant Youth Hostel, I cooked a basic meal and went in to my 2 bedded room! I wasn't overly enthusiastic about this youth hostel, sharing rooms business and the old fellow below me who snored intermittently during the night did nothing to alleviate my concerns. Still I awoke fresh and raring to go!
Lands End! What a disappointment! I'd heard it had been commercialised and so it has! Not the isolated end of the country it once had been, I'm sure! After weaving my way through the various commercialised buildings I eventually found what looked like signposts! Strange though, there were no signs on it! How was I going to know which way to go?? I reckon they take the signs in at night to stop them getting nicked only to put them back in the morning to charge people the earth to have their photograph taken by it! The building of the Lands End to John o' Groats Club was also there. However, I was too early for any of this stuff so I reset my computer and set off! Lands End to Penzance on the A30.
Library Picture End to End signpost (with signs!)
Well would you believe it! Within 5 miles of setting off a driver looked me in the eye and then pulled out of his driveway into my path (well road actually - I would never cycle on a path!!!!). As I whizzed passed him down the hill we exchanged pleasantries! We exchanged some more pleasantries as he came passed me about a mile later! What a great start! Here was I doing this charitable thing and I nearly get squashed! Charming! Anyway, after that there were no other (well hardly!) incidents on the journey!
From Penzance I continued on the A30 to Hayle. Well that was most certainly enough of the main roads so I opted for the B3301 to Gwitian, Portreath and minor roads to Porthtowan, St Agnes, Perranporth, Rose and joined the A3075 to Newquay. Through Newquay on B3276. Just after Treggarion I turn right and first left to St Mawgan. Lovely little place apart from it's at the bottom of a very steep hill which of course meant a severe climb out!
St Mawgan Church
I rejoined the A39 (not quite sure how I got there when retracing my route on the map!) through Wadebridge. I then turned left on minor road to Trelhill. Minor road to St Teath. B3276 to B3314 and on to Delabole. I turned left on to B3266 to Boscastle. The British Cycle Museum is at this junction. However, I didn't feel I had time to visit! Some other time perhaps!
British Cycling Museum
I then turned right on minor road to Davidstow and back on A39 to Bude. I decided that as it was a nice day I would keep on this road to Bude and not worry about the traffic. However I turned left at Coppathorne to get to Bude via the "scenic route" as advertised on a signpost - and it was!
Sea view from "Bude Scenic Route". Typical of much of the north Devon coast line
Arrived at Bude feeling pretty good! Bude Backpackers hostel was a very nice place - a grandish house in a very nice residential street. The owner was very friendly as well! It seemed like it was a bit of a surfers hostel. Well at least the snippets of conversation I overheard led me that conclusion! "Oh blimey", I thought! These fellows will be keeping me awake all night. Partying and the like. Not a bit of it however, they were mostly in bed before me and no snoring! I was a bit disappointed with them!
It had been a glorious day and I was feeling as fit as a fiddle! The route on the minor roads on the very north coast was extremely hilly. I suppose that's the pay off for avoiding the main roads. Still what's a bit more effort compared to playing with heavy traffic! Roll on day 2!
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