Anthony Wilkinson, MCC bass tackles the miles!!!

" Together with an other Marnhull couple we are hoping to complete a Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle.

We set off Sunday morning in drizzle from LE and as I write on Tuesday (8 Sept) evening we are in the shadow of the Severn Bridge. The first two days were hard with steep valleys to descend much too quickly and then a gruelling climb out the other side; all that we have read agrees that the ride out of Cornwall and Devon are the hardest and I am glad to get this behind us. The east part of Cornwall and the very west of Devon were particularly brutal, but there were villages of stunning beauty and location to temper this with. We reached Liskeard on the first day and Wellington on Monday. Once we had crossed the Tamar and some of the west Devon valleys we skirted round the edge of Dartmoor on The Granite Trail, here we could relax and look at the moorland of Dartmoor to our right and wonderful rural valleys to our left. 

Tuesday afternoon was wet and muddy and the rich red Devon soil covered our bikes in a film of mud. Spirits were low but lifted by the friendliness of a cafe in the Market Square at Crediton. The advantage of a bike is that you can peer over hedges and see what is going on farming and non farming wise! Today after navigating Taunton roadworks in the early morning rush hour we had lunch at Cheddar before tackling the gorge climb, conversation between us is very limited after such climbs.

As for the next few days? We look at the continuing Coronavirus news and wonder how to adapt to this. Whether to change the route or change the way we eat and recover. Pubs might be out of the question.

The aim is to do 80 miles a day and reach J O’G a week this Friday. Wish us luck.

ANTHONY - WE ALL WISH YOU LUCK & STAY SAFE!