Take a hat

Salcombe - Estuary and beaches Near Bolt Head on the coastal path I like Salcombe!  It’s not great when you are driving a car because the roads are so narrow. It’s not even that great for cycling either because the roads are also pretty steep. What it is, during off-season anyway, is laid back, mild and relaxed. I can’t get over the trees! Salcombe is so sheltered that the trees extend from the top of the hills right down to the water’s edge or to the cusp of  the sandy beaches. Venture out of the estuary and onto the coastal path and the wind blows your hat off! Salcombe – narrow roads with passing places The approach roads are narrow, very narrow. The hedgerows are high and eyes need to be peeled for vehicles coming the other way. Will they stop and is there a passing place? One of us will need to reverse to the nearest wide area! Will they go back or will I have to? More often than not it’s the opposing vehicle that goes into reverse and we exchange hand si...

Riding a quiet corner of Devon - 50km Paignton to Salcombe Dartmouth - heading out on the estuary Aiming for Salcombe today. Started the day by having breakfast with an Aussie couple from Sydney who were touring the South of England. Not sure what exactly they have made of Paignton, but they thought the areas' description as the English Riviera was a bit humorous. Anyway they were having a good time driving around visiting Tolpuddle, Salisbury, Bath etc. and today were off to the gardens of Cornwall. Heading across country After a decent cooked breakfast at my bargain B & B I set sail for Dartmouth. The Main Road, A379, was busy but I was particularly keen to see Dartmouth and fighting the traffic seemed to be the easiest option. Reaching the Dart River I embarked on the High Ferry floating bridge, a bargain at only 50p for bike and rider. The more expensive Lower Ferry, further downstream, seemed to be a raft that was pushed by a tug! Dartmouth looked really...

Disobeying Holy Orders Beer for Breakfast, Tea on the ‘Riviera’ - 85km Beer to Paignton Had a good sleep in my bottom bunk and headed down for Breakfast in Beer. My companions were two German ladies, one was driving a little car around Southern England, and the other had based herself in Beer and was riding buses to various points in Dorset and Devon and then taking the footpaths home. Our walker had taken an Easy Jet flight from Berlin to Bristol and had made the mistake of over-nighting in Bristol before heading for the country. Not a pleasant experience! View from Peak Hill Anyway, back on the bike and NCN 2 for a very scenic but hilly ride through the hills from Beer, past Branscombe and then on to wrinkly Sidmouth. The hill out of Sidmouth is a corker and I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy a brief stroll. Having battled up Peak Hill last year and then seen professionals on light-weight bikes with no baggage struggle up it on the Tour of Britain I calc...

An afternoon ride across Dorset 70km Dorchester to Beer I passed this way a year ago and really enjoyed the Dorset countryside on NCN 2. It’s a nice quiet route albeit with a few hills particularly on the approach to Devon. Hardy Monument Typical Dorset Countryside Set off down the Weymouth Road in Dorchester for a short distance and then took a right turn to join NCN 2. The City and the traffic were soon left behind and I was into open country. Headwind today! A bit bumpy across a farm track before getting back on the road through Martinstown and heading up the big hill towards the Hardy Monument. Need to be hardy to get up there! This is not a memorial to Thomas Hardy, the local author, but to Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy (kiss me Hardy) a distant relation who captained HMS Victory at Trafalgar. It’s closed at the moment but, when open, it provides great views from its chimney top towards Portland. For every uphill there is fortunately a downhill and I cruised down an...

Another one bites the dust GDC made it to the ripe old age of sixty so have updated the list for him. Things you need to do at 60 ...... Claim your winter fuel allowance  Get your bus pass as soon as possible Use National Express – half price travel Sign up for ‘Aid – Call’ Get a free eye test Move to Scotland or Wales and get a free dental check-up Take advantage of  free chiropody Buy a senior railcard? £26 gets 33% off. Get free prescription drugs for all your ailments Claim English Heritage discount Claim National Trust discount Try cross-country skiing – but start with a small country! Get your B & Q Diamond Card – discounts on a Wednesday Get your Focus DIY privilege card and get 10% off every day Get 10% off Boots own brand goods with an Advantage Card Claim senior discount on your Olympics tickets, just a dream this one! Take more exercise - you will die healthier The Good News about reaching 60 is..... Kidnappers are not going to be v...

Highs and Hawthorns - 74 km   Do you remember the Spring of 2011? This will be the mantra over the coming years.  Just like we've been saying “do you remember the Summer of ’76?" Today was yet another bright cloudless day and a one to savour on the bike. After a coffee at the recently refurbished Burgers in Marlow we headed off into the Chilterns. Whichever way you leave Town you hit a hill and, in this case, it was the fairly benign ascent up Chalkpit lane, heading up towards Frieth. This served as a gentle warm up for the Chiltern Hills that we would undoubtedly encounter very soon. We passed through the village of Fingest and then up the very steep long hill behind Turville. A couple in the group are very fast climbers and have time to read a paper when they get to the top! On this occasion they were attacked at the top by black bugs, serves them right! I sit somewhere in the middle puffing and plodding my way up.  At the top we re-formed and carried on...