North Devon/Cornwall trip...

[Steve H]

Haven't written the Sunday episode yet...

Saturday 15th July

The anticipation that comes with a weekend of biking begins in earnest when you get the bike out of the garage and start cleaning it. Checking and rechecking that you’ve removed every last semblance of fly anatomy from your screen. Once you can eat your dinner off your top yoke then it’s time for the ever popular game of tie the tailpack where countless bungee cords are used in a vain attempt to get your luggage to sit straight and not wobble about at anything over 30mph.

I passed the cleaning test with consumate ease after taking my bike in for a service on Thursday and spending the evening with her and a bucket of soapy water making her cleaner than a Paul Daniels joke. Unfortunately I was found wanting when it came to the question of tail pack stability. I can never remember how to afix the thing properly so, on Friday evening after using more bungee cords than an Extreme Sports enthusiast and copping one in the face as it unhinged itself and barrelled past my number plate towards my nose I gave up and consoled myself with Stella Artois and ‘Hogan Know’s Best’ reruns.

Saturday morning saw me refreshed and ready to tackle the task once again - this time I passed admirably and at 7.30am I set off to meet Steve at Junction 11a of the M5.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/bikea.jpg

The plan was to meet My Brother in Law (and Steve’s brother) Paul at Riders of Bridgewater at 9.00am and after a quick stop for petrol we pootled down the motorway, tailpack firmly in place and arrived at Riders at 8.30, just a smidgen too early - we’d obviously had the benefit of a tailwind down the M5.

Paul arrived and we sat down for refreshments in the form of tea, various fried items and curiously (I thought) a flapjack for Steve - if he’d have had it in a bap covered with some brown sauce I wouldn’t have worried but to choose a healthy option this early in the weekend was something that made me inquisitive. I needn’t have worried the stodgy sweet cake was obviosuly part of a carefully planned eating routine to curdle his stomach which would in turn keep his toilet breaks to a minimum - it didn’t work, by the time the day was over he’d had more number one’s than Elvis bloody Presley.

For our first day we planned to follow the coast of North Devon trailing down towards Cornwall and ending up in Wadebridge for an early night and some coco - simple.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/sw_devoncornwall.gif

As we left Bridgewater we headed towards Minehead for our first stop and glimpse of the sea. The roads were already busy and it was a battle with cars, breaks in the traffic and double white lines to actually overtake and find a clear piece of tarmac. It was fun all the same and just exhilerating to be cracking on knowing that we had a day in the saddle to look forward to.

On reaching Minehead we parked up on the front and contrary to every soddin’ weather report the skies were battleship grey and the sea was choppier than a Bruce Lee film - at the time we thought that we might’ve chosen the wrong weekend weatherwise.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/Bikingb.jpg

We left Minehead after an obligatory toilet break for one of our party and carried on towards Porlock Hill, a 1 in 4 slope with switchback hairpins and (just our luck) two bloody great coaches ascending the incline at walking pace. Thankfully we didn’t have to sit behind the vehicles for too long and we accelerated past them and once the hill was scaled we began our journey over the moors towards Lynmouth passing a sprinkling of cars and bikes en route.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/porhillsign1.jpg

Turning left at Lynmouth we followed a small road that climbed out of the valley and carried us back onto a main ‘A’ road to Barnstaple where we enjoyed some superb riding, twisty roads, great tarmac and only a tiny amount of vehicles that didn’t really hinder progress too much.

As we rode into Barnstaple the traffic thickened, the sun came out and my engine fan came on at 105 degrees, whizzing and whirring away sending a heat filled breeze up through my leathers. It was about as refreshing as being hit across the head with a piece of battered cod but thankfully we soon decided to have a break for a drink and a chat about the riding so far.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/Bikingc.jpg

While we were sat on a grass verge comparing the lack of any chicken strips whatsoever on our bikes we heard a throaty growl followed by something entering the garage forecourt. As we looked up we saw the blackest, ugliest, most uncomfortable looking bike I’ve ever seen in my life - the common analogy for this type of machine is a ‘rat bike’ however I’d argue that this thing was far too ugly to be utilising that particular term. I’d adorn it with the phrase ‘bunion bike’ or alternatively ‘the ugly bird from Liberty-X bike’. Of course it could’ve been a transformer - that being the case I’d expect it’s other use would be that of a trellis fence or dish drainer.

The rest of the day was spent blatting down the A39 passing Bude, Widemouth, Crackington Haven, Clovelly and Polzeath - all places that my Mum and Dad used to take me when I was a kid - it was fantastic to reminicse about the old holidays I used to have with them as we rode along enjoying the fantastic roads and superb scenery.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/steveqpr/Bikingd.jpg

We arrived in Wadebridge at 2.30ish and thanks to a Andy’s (Paul’s friend) holdaying parents parked our bikes in a garage and settled into their vacant house, which was to be our accomodation for the evening.

We quickly calculated that the saving of hotel money put us each approximately 30 quid in profit so decided that we’d sample some traditional cornish fare. Ten minutes later our pasty’s were demolished and we were settling down to some liquid refreshment attempting to ascertain how many pints we were allowed before we could safely leave the next day. Many methods of calculation were mentioned but unfortunately our bodies natural alcholoic dispersal gave in to our lack of ABV 5% stamina and by 9pm we were drinking water and attempting to eat the hottest Chicken Madras known to man from Wadebridge’s only Indian Restaurant - you needed an Asbestos mouth (and arse as it soon became apparant the next day) to be able to consume it.

We retired to bed by 10pm, tired and looking forward to whatever the next day might bring.
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Mellow Yellow
The BCF Top TEN - 2010, 2009, 2008, The Original.

[jonnay]

I live in Padstow, about 5 minutes from Wadebridge, it's a nice area.

Sounds like a good trip from what I've read so far And that indian resturant does do some *very* hot food
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::'04 Yamaha Jog:: || ::'01 Honda NSR:: || ::'00 Suzuki Swift:: || ::'89 Swift GTi:: || ::'96 Swift Poverty Spec:: || ::'92 Swift GTi::

[Barney]

Great read, sounds like an awesome trip so far

I'm heading down to Croyde this weekend, which part of the A39 did you enjoy best? The part before Minehead or after?

Reason I ask is because I want to take a detour across exmoor at some point but I also want to give the A39 a go.

[JonB]

Do every little bit of the A39, trust me it is amazing.

Porlock hill is just amazing, I remember when I did it on my moped. Nearly went down backwards.

https://www.martynhicks.co.uk/personal/pics/exmoor/porhill5.jpg

Pretty damn steep. Pictures don't do it justice.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Steve H]