Cycling

Mike brought his handbike down with him, and went out for long bike rides - up over the moor, or over Haldon hill.  He got very fit - although ironically this year there would be no Roving Ringers to benefit from this peak fitness.

I bought a cheap bike from Amazon for £139 so that I could go out for bike rides with him. It took Mike nearly 3 hours to put it together, even though it was supposed to be quick and simple, and he had to play around with the spokes on both wheels, but particularly the front one, to stop it turning crookedly.  The instructions were headed "Young Adult Bike" and stated there was a weight limit of 8st 6 lb!  Hardly the men's professional commuter bike advertised.  But I decided it would do the job - it seemed sturdy enough.


It only has 6 gears - my lovely new one in London has 27 -so the hills were hard, but I was happy to walk up them and was still quicker than Mike on the steeper ones.  He was always much much faster than me on the downhills. We were lucky with the weather - lots of sun and blue skies, but not too unbearably hot.  These are the routes and stats from the cycle rides we went on together during lock down.



Saturday 4th April - Liverton Circuit

Route Card

My legs were like jelly at the end and I had to walk up the hill to Blackpool School, but I enjoyed it. Lovely weather.  I didn't track it properly as my phone was on power saving mode, so I had to plot it when I got back.  Approx 9 miles.
We did it again on 8 April and I managed to cycle all the hills!

Sunday 5th April - Lustleigh and return


7.2 miles.  1:10 hrs

I walked up the hills in Lustleigh, and waited at the top of the hill while Mike circumnavigated Lustleigh Church.   Lovely weather and we were relieved to find access to Parke was open.

Friday 10 April - Liverton > Teigngrace


12 miles.  1:25 hrs

We went to Liverton via New Park and the Plantation, and then on a long climb up to Teigngrace.  The views over the clay pits were stunning.  I walked up most of the hill but this works well as I was able to stay around the same speed as Mike.  We had a look at Ventiford basin where the Stover Canal starts, and checked out that Mike's handbike could get in and turn round - then we came back over the new bridge across the A38.

Wednesday 15th April - A long one!

We went up Bradley Road and did a route to Newton Abbot along the Stover Canal, then circumnavigated the racecourse and came back again.  We explored a couple of bits too and diverted off to look at the old locks along the canal.  I had never been on much of the route so it was a real eye opener - far too many cyclists to make it a nice place to walk the dog, but it was beautiful and thankfully relatively flat.  It was a 14.5 mile round trip and we were out for about 2 hours!  Once again the weather was beautiful.


Tuesday 21 April - Liverton Circuit back via Bradley Road


8.15 miles.  1 hr

Mike and I did Liverton Circuit and came back via Bradley Road. This was a much better way than coming back down St John's Road.  I was going quite well and beat Mike home!

We did this route again on 1 May.




Wednesday 13 May - Liverton via New Park and back through Stover


9.8 miles.  1:10 hrs

Mike and I did the Liverton Circuit again via New Park and came back through Stover for a change -which was nice.  


Friday 5 June - Edgmoor Hotel - Brimley circuit

(no route card made for this one)

4.7 miles.  0:45 hrs

We cycled up past Tracey House to the Edgmoor Hotel and then went left and down the bridleway.  It was tarmac to begin with but soon became a rough track.  We met two old boys who said they would help if we got stuck!  I walked the bridleway anyway.  It came out two thirds of the way up Brimley Hill - but I declined the option of carrying on up the hill and we plumeted down to Brimley post office and on to home.  There was a queue of cars waiting to turn right out of St Johns Road - and I wound up a white van man by weaving in front of him to get to the front of the queue.  The sound of the horn made me laugh - and I was way ahead of him all the way home so I had the last laugh too.

Saturday 13 June - Brimley Hill and Rora House


12.7 miles.  2:04 hrs

Mike suggested I go with him on a bike ride today so I agreed. We went up Brimley hill this time, me having wimped out before, and then on to Liverton.  We decided to go and have a look at Rora House - it was lovely (and pink!). Explored further up the road but it was a dead end at  the A38. Then we went back to pick up our normal route via Blackpool school. I managed to cycle up the hill but was fighting for breath at the top. Came back through Stover and then little Bradley Road. It was overcast and windy with sunny spells so quite nice for cycling.

2 August - Wray Valley Trail


15 miles.  2:42 hrs

With Mike - through Parke to Lustleigh and along Wray Valley trail to Moretonhampstead and back. Slightly uphill all the way there - on the way back had to pedal hard to keep up with Mike who was bowling along! I was absolutely whacked! Went to bed at 9 and straight to sleep and didn't wake up until 7.45 am





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lock Down - settling in to Life in Devon

Image
Mike arrived on Wednesday 18th March - and we have been living in Devon ever since.  I can hardly believe my luck!  I have loved every minute of it.  Every morning I wake up and pinch myself that I am actually living here (I have blanked out the thought that one day it will all end and I will have to go back to London).  I love walking to the High Street with my shopping trolley and buying a few bits and pieces. This blog does not contain a day by day account - rather a record of how we passed the time and survived lock down.  There are separate pages listed across the top for a more detailed account. Lorraine moved into our house the day before Mike left - and was able to help him load the car with the handbike etc.  Mike worked from home during the day.  He occupied himself otherwise with jigsaws, playing the organ, various jobs around the house and garden, and getting out and about on his handbike.  He built a ramp for the back door, painted the shed, and restored and painted the
Read more

Christmas 2020

Image
Mike went back to London for a week while the back of the house was painted - and had a nice shower at last.  Cantanti Camerati put on a Christmas Concert, with only one rehearsal, and luckily it was that week so Mike was able to participate.  (Video below is 52 mins long) He came back to Devon the next day - just before London went into Tier 4 and the new restrictions came into place.  Devon stayed in Tier 2 so luckily it didn't affect our plans too much.   Jayne decorated the house much more than I usually do - and it really did look very pretty.  We even got Mary and Jack's Christmas tree from the loft and decorated it. We went out for a Christmas meal with Peter at The Star Inn - mainly to support the pub!  We had a lovely evening although we were sad to see the pub so empty as it would normally be heaving at this time of year.  The boys got into the spirit of it all and wore their Christmas jumpers. The model maker (Jolly Roger!) up the road had his usual imp
Read more

Canal boat trip with a difference!

Image
  Our (ringing) friends, Colin and Louise, invited us to go for a few days on their recently acquired canal boat - which they have named "Blueline".  We jumped at the chance - and arranged to go for a 6-day trip starting on 7th October.  The boat is moored at Wigram's Turn Marina  near Napton on the Hill. Mike and I drove up separately as he was going on to London at the end of the trip to be there while we had the front of the house painted, while Suki and I were returning to Devon. The boat is beautiful - it is an ex-hire boat (the sort I look longingly at as they pass by when  I am on Intrepid!) 😂😂  I haven't been in one like it before.  We had a double bed, with drawers underneath for our things, plus a wardrobe, a large shelf above the bed and a couple of small ones, and a proper three pin socket.  I took a fleece throw with me to protect the bedding etc from dog hair and muddy coats etc - and it looked very homely.  Suki certainly loved it and settled happily
Read more