We woke up to the reassuring sound of rain!! This could be uncomfortable. We set off on what we’ve been told will be the hardest day. The first 40 miles were just constant up and down really steep hills. Oh yes they were right, it was really tough going. We stopped for coffee in Liskeard, and met up with the support crew who coincidently were also in town indulging in a touch of retail therapy. Shane lost his camera when it fell off his bike but luckily it still records but just has a broken lens.
We met up with the girls again for lunch after about 40miles (our first Cornish pasties of the ride). After our lunch break it did seem to flatten out slightly, but it all changed again after about 60 miles. We had to adjust Shane’s brake blocks as he had worn them out already. We also had our first repair when Graham J got a puncture.
At one stage in the morning we climbed Kit Hill which presented us with an amazing view over Dartmoor and surrounding areas. This is actually 1,133ft above sea level, and provided one of the days hardest challenges. The descent was also pretty scary – Shane reached a top speed of 45 miles an hour free wheeling!
The girls received an unexpected donation this afternoon, when they met a lady named Pearl at a motorway service station near Bridgewater. It began as a good deed when Denise lent her the use of her mobile phone as she was running late, but after chatting for a while and explaining our journey , Pearl kindly gave us a donation and told us that she had recently visited her nephew in Great Ormond Street.
We finished at around 8pm, some 12 hours after we first set out this morning. Graham and Shane were particularly pleased with Graham J’s hard work planning the route – it really paid off today.
The evening was spent with Graham R’s cousin, Tina, who kindly put us up at her house near Bridgewater. We had a fabulous meal, showers all round and even washing facilities for the gear. What more could anyone want.
Tomorrow should be easier with fewer hills but with 92 miles scheduled, it is the longest stage to date. All will be revealed in the next edition!
No comments:
Post a Comment