Having had a great time with the Greenland Family - and waving Nic and Emily off on hols, and Ben upstairs to work, and Charlotte away with her friends, I departed following google with every intention of getting to Spreyton. Google quickly led me astray by taking me up 'Trump Lane'! I was well and truly 'trumped' as it was more an overgrown footpath, with steep ruts of soft mud and nettles and brambles trying to trip me up. About half way along (so no point in going back) I was confronted with a ford - (and steep steps leading up to a narrow wooden bridge). Fortunately my sandals are waterproof, so I waded on through. I passed a walker who looked at me in bemused fashion as I pushed the bike with its trailer onwards and upwards to finally emerge onto a lane - with grass in the middle - but a lane nevertheless.
I finally got onto the old A30, which runs alongside the new A30 so the noise of traffic is all pervasive. I have cycled this route before (albeit the opposite direction) when I went up to Bath and Wells around 11yrs ago. As I did then, I skirted Exeter, past Killerton house and then up around Thorverton - where i stopped at a Farm Shop/cafe for lunch and a battery top up. The hills eat up battery power. Colebrook - now there's a pretty place - but what a climb out of it! I make Mabli run up the hills - she's now very disgusted when she's ousted from her carriage. Lady muck.
All day long my chain kept slipping off sprockets - especially the largest one - but sometimes the small one at the front end too. At one stage, not so far from Squibby's, the chain slipped off, and then got wedged between the plastic inner ring of the cassette and the large sprocket - and a passing motorcyclist helped me get it out as I was struggling a bit.
When I got to Squibby's I texted Chris (neighbour and bicycle maintenance master) for advice - and we called on Squibby's daughter Sam and her partner Jim (who were up on the moors walking dogs). Chris thought it might be a dodgy chain link - but difficult to tell. Jim and Sam pored over the chain and cassette/derailleur and then Jim adjusted the derailleur (after disengaging the cable). He couldn't see a dodgy link so we decided it was fixed. However I'd have to monitor the cable connection and potentially tighten it and I was instructed how to do it. Marvellous and thanks to all of my advisors and helpers.
Squibby treated me royally and fed me bangers (from the local butchers) and mustardy mash with a piquant onion gravy. nom nom. There was a pudding too - fortunately I have a pudding stomach, as well as a main meal stomach so I relished the rhubarb crumble and custard. Scoffed the lot and rolled off to bed and slept like the proverbial log.
I didn't get away particularly early - had too much to catch up on with Squibby. Mabli had to boss Squibby's new-ish rescue dog Marley the poodle about. Marley is usually a 'nob' with bigger dogs - but he didn't seem to mind too much being put in his place by Mabs (who told him off for getting too close to his Mum's bag).
Very close to home - but I decided it was too far out of the way to visit (even quickly). The end of this trip is within my grasp. Got to get to Land's End. Then I can go back to Lustliegh.
961.82 miles total.
I finally got onto the old A30, which runs alongside the new A30 so the noise of traffic is all pervasive. I have cycled this route before (albeit the opposite direction) when I went up to Bath and Wells around 11yrs ago. As I did then, I skirted Exeter, past Killerton house and then up around Thorverton - where i stopped at a Farm Shop/cafe for lunch and a battery top up. The hills eat up battery power. Colebrook - now there's a pretty place - but what a climb out of it! I make Mabli run up the hills - she's now very disgusted when she's ousted from her carriage. Lady muck.
All day long my chain kept slipping off sprockets - especially the largest one - but sometimes the small one at the front end too. At one stage, not so far from Squibby's, the chain slipped off, and then got wedged between the plastic inner ring of the cassette and the large sprocket - and a passing motorcyclist helped me get it out as I was struggling a bit.
When I got to Squibby's I texted Chris (neighbour and bicycle maintenance master) for advice - and we called on Squibby's daughter Sam and her partner Jim (who were up on the moors walking dogs). Chris thought it might be a dodgy chain link - but difficult to tell. Jim and Sam pored over the chain and cassette/derailleur and then Jim adjusted the derailleur (after disengaging the cable). He couldn't see a dodgy link so we decided it was fixed. However I'd have to monitor the cable connection and potentially tighten it and I was instructed how to do it. Marvellous and thanks to all of my advisors and helpers.
Squibby treated me royally and fed me bangers (from the local butchers) and mustardy mash with a piquant onion gravy. nom nom. There was a pudding too - fortunately I have a pudding stomach, as well as a main meal stomach so I relished the rhubarb crumble and custard. Scoffed the lot and rolled off to bed and slept like the proverbial log.
I didn't get away particularly early - had too much to catch up on with Squibby. Mabli had to boss Squibby's new-ish rescue dog Marley the poodle about. Marley is usually a 'nob' with bigger dogs - but he didn't seem to mind too much being put in his place by Mabs (who told him off for getting too close to his Mum's bag).
Very close to home - but I decided it was too far out of the way to visit (even quickly). The end of this trip is within my grasp. Got to get to Land's End. Then I can go back to Lustliegh.
961.82 miles total.
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