Spreading the PNE flag

Down in the West-country..wet and miserable...the weather's not too good either

Took part in the Mid Devon CC club TT tonight, didn't know the course but an undulating one, x2 loops of a 5 mile out and back. 27:16 which was OK for the first run out.

One of the time-keepers talked about his previous encounters wth PNE riders, two of them (many years ago. A chap called Brown and another chap who beat him on a 200 mile race, but didn't over-take until mile number 199! So it tends to be embedded in his memory for life! Nice chap, friendly club with a handful of youngsters taking part.

Okehampton on thursday if the terrible weather down here lets-up, aparently you can easily reach 45 mph on their 10 mile course (but of course round here what goes down goes back up with a vengeance!






Absolute gales here tonight (Thursday) so will have to give the S40/10 a 'raincheck' - there IS a pun there! There's always next week

Only TT club this week is Mid Devon CC club 10 on Tuesday (if it doesn't rain - claypits make the road treacherous when wet) as the Okehampton on Thursday is an 'open' and I never got a CTT entry in on time.

Weather overcast and raining but thought I'd get out of the city and out to the moors - Dartmoor. Had my PNE 'Juliet' on so flying the flag, had forgotten how beautiful it is out here - even in the rain! Got a little carried away and ended going up past Sheepstor a 16% that goes on...and on...and on but the view was worth it. A lap around Burrator reservoir and back to base, a couple of hours well spent. The roads are quiet and you're cycling on single track roads next to streams and waterfalls....idyllic.

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/plymouth/554127956961239529

Next year mate we must drag the club to these out-posts. Its stunning up in skye as well. Cheap accommodation and well known scenic routes as well. cant ask for more.

I can get 5 people and bikes to Skye for £140. The accommodation is Very (VERY) comfortable (reasonably priced)and we can be back in time for tea a stickies on Sunday night if we wanted to spend just a long weekend doing it!

Just a thought.
Rich

I think organising a weekend away isn't beyond us - even if it may take 'negotiation' with the 'better halves'- obviously work patterns would also dictate. We shouldn't be put of at what can be achieved judging by latest exploits - even the New Forest just down the road from Portsmouth is an area of outstanding beauty PNECC needs to conquer 'en-mass'.

The liquid sunshine is out in the West-country so the Mid Devon TT is cancelled this evening , not to worry, tomorrow Dartmoor will get a further attack..."to Princetown and beyond!"

Crikey! It's stopped raining for a while! Managed to get out back over the moors. This time only the wind to contend with. There were some lovely hills today leading to 1400 feet ascent at the highest point. Terrific views, only the sheep and ponies to 'second guess' and keep your fingers crossed on the descents! 'Undulating' - understatement!

You can check it out if you so wish, it's in two legs as I had finger trouble at the 20 mile mark (checking the gps map)

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/plymouth/562127974299879071

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/yelverton/591127974338086737


must get out tomorrow............

The PNE are no strangers to the New Forest. We even had a club run down to Lyndhurst and back in the days when both Simon Hickman and Guy Watson were racing in pink and black. Must do it again - my challenge for the first Sunday after school hols still stands.

absolutely washed out today - torrential rain.....so I went for a ride....why not?

x6 laps of Burrator Reservoir (3.85 miles a lap) 39 ring for the first then 53 ring for 2-5 building as you go to put in the best effort on the 5th, then final lap in 39 to cool down (that's a joke..when you're soaked to the skin - hey ho...such is life) 23 miles of undulating beauty, thank you very much!

.....then as soon as I finished..... (how unusual)

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/yelverton/424127982481217027

Bike was filthy.....nice big showers where I'm staying......lovely clean bike now!

So far for me this year....

Mountbatten
Thorney island
Dunsfold
New Forest

Coming soon:

Hillingdon
Goodwood
Warwick Town centre races (as in Warwickshire)
Ringwood

You cant say I'm not getting around with my racing

If you're getting around........mine's a Guiness!

Another day of West-country liquid sunshine makes the road trip to Newton Abbot one of limited chance....wet - no time trial....and to be honest the stormy weather we're having today even makes a trip to the moors a pointless effort .....so it's maintenance and monotony.....

.....no time trial thursday either due to commitments....

you never know it might be a nice day for the moors tomorrow?????

decided to take a chance and packed the bike into the 'mid-life-crisis' (MX5)....even the wheels won't fit in the boot anyhow I managed...

.....got there and the Mid Devon CC Claypits 10ml TT was on! In fact I was that excited, drawing number 13 didn't phase me... ....I had an excellent run and recorded a PB of 25:38 it was cloudy (very low) very muggy but fortunately the rain stayed away!

Well done on your Personal Best mate

Lovely weather this afternoon, so decided to go out onto Dartmoor, pass through Tavistock and into Cornwall leaving Devon and takling the climbs around Gunnislake - 800ft plus climb with the latter part at 6%. (Check out the link below on mapmyride and tick to show the gradient).

This hits you just as you pass the 21 mile mark of the ride. There's plenty of undulation to keep you going all the way back to the Tamar bridge - another awesome crossing.

The route was on main roads but down here the motorists are quite happy to wait behind you until safe to pass and the surfaces are good for +40mph

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/plymouth/595128033947743805

37.5 miles 2 and a half hours - joy.

Sooner or later I've got to pay another overnight trip to Devonport. Perhaps this time I'll take my 'X'....

What a day ( a little windy but DRY). Nice route today, over the Tamar bridge into Cornwall, St, Germans, Crafthole,Whitsand Bay, Kingsand, Cawsand, Millbrook, Torpoint. Trip over the Tamar ferry and back to Devonport. Undulating is the descriptive term.......check out the link below and tick the elevation, you'll understand.

31.5 mls with some lovely cliff-edge views...2 hours....bliss!

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/plymouth/186128077297625682

Mid Devon CC Claypits 10, bit windy but confidence on course has really improved set a new PB 25:18 and I even had to wait on one turn for 2 cars!!! Came 6th and there were a few speed machines there this evening

Hopefully I might be able to make Okehampton 10 on Thursday - weather permitting

Blimey! Are you on a course or on bloody holiday? I'm in the wrong job....

Well done with the PB

chop chop busy busy work work bang bang....phew, these courses are hard don't you know!.........I've just been offered another 2 years as well!

gorgeous sunshine (windy but who cares) chance to just stretch the legs on an 'undulating' course around Yelverton and the Meavy [Steven Spielberg is out here filming War Horse at the moment - so there's quite a circus in a few of the fields..but nothing to spoil the view] 21 miles of some lovely hills, check out below:

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/yelverton/788128094839886850

......and a recovery bag of chips in the evening sunshine on completion!

4 of us managed 56.6mph down college way in Dartmouth last year...until one of the silly buggers had a blow out on came off... ouch!! 7 broken ribs, broken collar bone and lots of grazing! Made me realise that anything over 45 is ridiculous when you are only wearing lycra!

If I get to Okehampton tomorrow evening perhaps I'll report back on the speed attained (aparently 45 mph is easily achieved A30 dual carriageway - downside is the slog back up!)

Yeah, I try not to exceed 50mph...

Made it, found it, but didn't compete - spectated. It was their final one of the year and after driving the course understand why this one was advertised as challenging - there's always next year?

still have a couple of Mid Devon CC TTs in Sept to look forward to...........and of course any PNE ones left.

Unfortunately the last 2 Mid Devon TT races are cancelled. After changing the start time to 18:30 it was risk assessed that the road was just too busy with traffic.........c'est a la vie.

Many thanks to all the Mid Devon CC members who made me welcome! Not to worry....I can hear the moors calling!

Thought I'd hit some hills tonight

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/plymouth/731128345679835703

doesn't show how steep the hills were either side of the Walkham River, had to get off twice and walk! First one a car coming downhill with nowhere to pass - so I rode into the bank of nettles Second one a little later a tractor and trailer descending and I managed to get in by a gate. On both I couldn't get back on the bike due to how steep they were so had to try and walk it up the last bit of both That's the only problem down here with some of the moor lanes - only enough room for a car...period!

Lovely evening though and still managed almost 40 miles

PLEASE try not to emulate your avatar - again!