EXPLORE DEVON

There are few places in Devon that I have not been to with my bike. The guide books for Lejog will tell you that Devon and Cornwall are the toughest for hills. I have cycled Lejog and found my way through Cornwall avoiding many of the hills but not in Devon. Devon's hills are not long. It's just that there are lots of them and many are steep. They just go up and down. There are some lovely family friendly traffic free routes too and Devon Coast to Coast is a longer distance route where the hills are more modest. I try to avoid cycling main roads. The joy in Devon is to explore country lanes, devoid of traffic from coastline to coastline, Dartmoor, South Hams, Mid, West and North Devon. 

Mini-adventures with a mountain bike can be found on Dartmoor such as the Drover's Trail from Hexworthy and the Puffing Billy from Ivybridge as below

The coasts are busy in high season but quiet lanes and traffic free paths can be found. The view over Woolacombe Bay on Devon's Coast to Coast route is iconic.  The tiny coastal route from Ilfracombe to Minehead must be one of the most compelling and challenging. Below is Slapton Lea in the south

Inland Devon between Exmoor and Dartmoor is tranquil and cycling feels almost as if it is from a byegone era. There are beautiful villages, thatched roofs and rural pubs with proper food. Below is Iddesleigh, home to War Horse country

My leg is on the road to recovery. On my electric bike, I managed 55 miles with 1,300m ascent to Moretonhampstead and back last week. It needed less than a full charge of the battery but I took my charger just in case. Now that the worst of the pandemic is over, I hope to reacquaint myself with many parts of Devon that I have not seen for a while. Keep pedalling

FORWARD INTO 2022

 Have you ever hit the wall on any of your bike rides?  2021 was not a good year as I hit the wall twice.  I hope I have overcome them and am looking forward to a rejuvenated self in 2022.

I have a Corratec gravel e-bike with Fazua motor and Bosch battery.  It has now done about 200 miles and it suits me well.  Unfortunately, an injury last November is taking a long time to heal.  When I feel that I am making progress, it bights me in the back and I had a recurrence yesterday.  I sometimes think back to tours and have many pleasant memories.  Today, it is wet and very windy and not ideal for a bike ride.  When I woke up, I thought of four consecutive days on tour cycling in south west Ireland in 2018 when the weather was like today.  I was at Goleen on the Mizen peninsula and have been there before.  It’s a beautiful location with excellent cycling.  I stayed two nights and the first day I did a loop ride around the peninsula.  The second day, I cycled to Sheep's Head, then Beara peninsulas. Sheep's Head I did over one day but I had to take a short cut on Beara as the gale was ferocious.  On the fourth, I cycled to Kenmare.  It was wet and blowing a gale for the whole journey but it gave a sense of achievement.  On route, I stopped in various bars for refreshments and several times got involved in conversations.  People probably thought of me as a crazy Englishman. 

Here are two photos, the first  in better weather from a previous ride

Beara in better weather

The Road to Sheep's Head in a Gale

Here's to 2022 whatever it may hold

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOUTH DEVON

 The Tour of Britain came through South Devon on 6 September. I have never seen Ivybridge so energised. People came out visibly excited and a great roar went up as a cavalcade of outriders appeared. There was tooting of horns, cheering and waving. Then the lead group appeared and went through as quick as a flash. But the expectation increased and the news was that the pelaton was 6 minutes behind. We all knew that this would be thrilling and so it was.  Ivybridge has never seen more than 100 cyclists race up Fore Street at astonishing speeds. If there was a moment to savour, this was it.

I have never watched a bike race live before but now I was hooked. It was on ITV4 and I watched the highlights of every day. I recorded the Devon section live and watched every minute.  I have cycled many of these roads often and had encounters with sheep exactly as the race.

Congratulations should be given to Devon County Council for bringing the race to our county. Watching the scenery on the TV reminded me how wonderful our county is.  Congratulations should be given to Ivybridge Town Council too. They helped to make it a day to remember. They organized the day around children and started with a story teller in the library.  She told stories about cycling.  At 11am the roads were handed over to children and they made their special creations in chalk art on the tarmac.  Sustrans are helping our area considerably and today the volunteers manned a marquee giving out badges, stickers and flags to all the children together with information on walking and cycling in Plymouth and South Devon

Many of the shops and pubs put bikes in their windows and decorated them with a prize for the winner. Lastly there was a family bike ride organized by Sustrans which I led.  There were 24 cyclists and the average age of children was 6.  When we returned, the mayor was there to greet us and she presented medals to everyone who took part.

If this is what cycling does for a community, I am proud to have been there

2020 THE JOURNEYS THAT NEVER HAPPENED

 Given that we are still in lockdown, I thought that I would share how 2020 was supposed to have happened. I had planned one long tour, two short ones and had thoughts for a third. With my role at Sustrans I had arranged the first guided ride of the season in South Devon and this was fully booked with 30 people. 

My main tour was to be in May when I had arranged to meet my friend, Dagmar from Southern Germany with her partner to celebrate the tenth anniversary from when we met while cycling the North Sea Cycle Route. 

7 July 2010. At Harwich having just finished the NCSR while Dagmar is part way through hers

The first to be postponed was a mini tour of the Somerset Levels at the end of March with a group of Sustrans volunteers from Somerset who were to host our South Devon group. Another was my long planned tour to discover the Lakes and Dales Cycle Route in NW England. I had also imagined the possibility of a short tour in Northern Island 

Like everybody else, my plans fell into disarray because of Covid. Our groups were looking forward to the Somerset Levels. We had met for the first time in 2019 and cycled the Dartmoor Way.  We enjoyed it so much that we organized this ride and were considering another later in the year.

Dagmar with her partner had planned to cycle the Tour de Manche, a 750 mile journey that comes through Plymouth and invited me along.  It is a circular route that goes through Normandy, Brittany, Devon and Dorset.  We first met in Wilhelmshaven on our fully loaded touring bikes in 2010 and cycled together for a week. We have met several times since and our tours have always been adventures. We have toured the Alps, Pyrenees, a long distance tour in the British Isles and other shorter ones.

The Lakes and Dales Loop feels that it should be a spectacular 200 miles tour in Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales. It looks awesome and is drawing me in like a bee to nectar.  

Accident in Yorkshire 2012

Fellow Cyclist in Ireland 2015

Well, we are still in lockdown. Let's hope for better things to come

FORWARD INTO 2021

These are my vital bike statistics for 2020.  I did 141 journeys, travelled 2,429 miles and my elevational gain was 229,915ft (70,075 metres).  Because of Covid I never left Devon.  In normal years I cycle 3,500 miles or more because I go bike touring.

As 2021 sets off to a bumpy start, there is more social distancing, constant washing of hands and wearing face masks that makes us all look that we are about to rob banks.  Never have I been so clean!

However I live in hope for 2021. Vaccines are coming and there is a growing popular clamour to deal with climate change.  Bike holidays are more fun and sociable than sitting in a car. I look forward to my bike tours again.  My last plane journey was in 2010 and I do not miss them. The great outdoors is calling and this is where fun starts.

 

MY FIVE FAVOURITE PLACES WHERE I HAVE CYCLED

With forced lockdown from Covid, this year has been very different. My travelling has been on the little lanes around South Devon where I live. My bikes have been busy and the car little used as I have enjoyed the great outdoors in the saddle.  With fewer cars, I have been more conscious of nature.  I have seen baby weasels in the road, numerous birds and I have enjoyed the wild flowers in the hedgerows. I took up cycle touring as a late experience when I discovered that slow travel can be truly one of life's great experiences. 

ADVENTURE CYCLE TOURING: POST COVID-19

Have you ever thought to go on holiday with your bike?  If you like to soak up the sun on a beach or go on a cruise, it’s probably not for you.  But post COVID-19, whenever that comes, it may be one of the best ways to help put lockdown behind you.  If you want to visit open countryside, the coast or climb some mountains, why not consider packing all your stuff into two small bags and go off on a bike?  As you breath in the fresh air, you can get a suntan too.

If you think about the car, you will miss so much.  It’s also very expensive and think about all those exhaust emissions launching into the atmosphere.  A bike is easy.  You leave all the non-essentials at home and you travel light so packing is simple.   

Bike touring must be one of the best ways to engage with nature and people. 

 

The Wye Valley in Powys 2017

I usually go on my own as I can set my own speed and stop to visit places or make detours, but I do enjoy the company of friends so long as we have easy friendly days.  One of my friends never sets a distance so he is never late and I like that.   

What makes a tour?  A tour can be anything you want and we are spoilt for choice living in the South West.  It can be a two or three day tour such as on the Dartmoor Way, an adventure in itself.  It can also be a main holiday or, if time permits, a long distance expedition off the beaten track at some suitable stage in your life.  It is the ultimate fresh air experience and you will find many people interested in you and what you do.  It’s for families too and pre COVID-19 my older daughter with partner and child now age 4 set the example with holidays bike packing in France and Isle of Wight 

Preparations for any tour include getting fit, having the right bike and the right choice of clothes.  Don’t rely on the gym for getting fit and make sure you have a sturdy bike with puncture proof tyres.  It helps to have a positive mental attitude and not overdo any days by becoming too tired.  

So turn your bike into a travelling machine capable of taking you on a trip of a lifetime.