The Devon and Exmoor 300 was always going to be tough: Devon contains some of the hardest cycling country in the UK, with many short and steep hills, and some quite long and steep ones too. And Exmoor of course is the big hilly bit in the middle of Devon......
Ian Henessey, the organiser, posted a brief summary of the statisitics on the Audax UK emailing list a couple of days later:
but that didn't really do justice to a ride such as this. I thought I'd write down my impressions whilst they were fresh so I posted this account to the emailing list in reply.
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What a fine ride !
I knew Stuart had ridden on fixed last year and even though Stuart is
it did indicate to me that it was at least possible.
On the drive down from Newbury, Rick Cutler had been trying to psych me out with tales of the Valley of the Rocks. I wasn't too woried, but the reactions of the other riders at the start fell into 2 groups: either "you're mad" or "you obviously haven't ridden this before/looked at the route sheet" . And this from a lot of experienced Auks who know what-is-what.
Even Ian smiled a little smile. Now I was worried.
We fell into a good fast group soon after the start, heading Southwest from Exeter toward Lyme Regis. I managed to stay with the group over beautiful undulating (if slightly damp) country until a few miles from the first control, when I was defeated by a damn big climb followed by a winding, slipperey, gravelly descent. Not ideal fixed conditions. I caught up at the Uplyme control and we set off on more major roads.
The day was brightening now and we were warming up fast as we turned Northwest, away from Lyme Regis. Rick and I milled about in Honiton for a while, looking for the lane to Combe Raleigh, and when we found it, it turned out to be a superb climb up a very minor lane. Left at the top and down past the airfield at Dunkeswell, which had been the lunchtime control on the Lanes & Valleys 200 a few weeks before. A fast and gravelly descent down to a ford left me trying to hang onto Rick's wheel, but from there it wasn't far to the next control at a garage outside Uffculme. The leading group was together again here (briefly) as Mel Kirkland hadn't quite left when we arrived..... We formed a nice little group with Simon Gent, Richard Parrotte and John Barkman here - but Simon's knee was playing up and John and Richard stayed with him while Rick and I went on, shortly before Bampton: I was seriously worried about how much time I was going to loose later in the Valley of the Rocks.
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| Photo by Ian Henessey |
Outer clothing off, sunglasses on here as the temperature went up. So far so hilly, but not outrageously so. So far.... a very small number of lines on the route sheet hide a huge amount of climbing up and over Exmoor, starting with a stunning ascent up the river valley from Exebridge and continuing over the moor itself. All quite outrageously beautiful and all rideable. Rick and I passed the time on this climb making amusing hand gestures at drivers who passed with only inches to spare. Rick stopped at the top of the climb to catch his breath and I descended, safe in the knowledge that he would soon be flying past me. Down into Lynmouth and on the road out to Lynton. And UP!!!!! I walked that hill, but so did Rick so I didn't feel to bad. Actually I felt awful.... maximum walking pace was about 2 kph. It was that steep. Was this how the rest of the ride would be ? We were approaching the Valley of the Rocks....
Rick stopped at the top of the hill to adjust his bike and I carried on to the control at Mother Meldrums (only a km or so). Mel was still there - and looking relaxed. No sign of Rick.
I ate a bowl of soup and a bread roll. No Rick.
I drank a pint of squash and pint of tea. No Rick.
I ate a cheese and onion toastie - and still no Rick.
A very fine rock cake - no Rick.
I contemplated waiting longer but I would have had to have had my bike reinforced......... I guessed that he had sailed past the control and on, so I wobbled queasily off in the same direction. The famous V of the Rs. It went up. And up. And up some more. Then it hairpinned back on itself and went up again. But all quite rideable, and the views of the sun shining on blue-green sea coves and the other-worldly wind-sculpted stones made it all worthwhile. Out of the V of the Rs and that should be the worst of the climbing - yeah, right. The scenery carried on and so did the gradient. Up, up, up again. Then down an *astounding* hill to Hunters Inn. I stopped halfway down this because I was terrified, both of the descent and the possibility that I had taken a wrong turn and would have to climb back up this hill. Checked the map - looks OK. Thank God. Up and down, up and down - at last, onto the main road to Ilfacombe - and up and down, up and down.....
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| The Valley of the Rocks |
At the Palm's Cafe Rick was waiting. He had missed the control and had got a stamp for that section at the Hunters Inn. I wrang out my clothing and we set off again. This section was less steep but still very undulating, and I was knackered. I stayed with Rick until Barnstaple, then my legs forbade me from following him up the next hill at the same pace. I cruised along toward Holsworthy, and darkness began to fall. With the dark came a sudden sleepiness and before Holsworthey I dived into a pub for a large Coke. That didn't help (although it provided cabaret for the locals), but a 20 minute power nap on a bench did. Just as I was getting up to go, Richard and John came along. Apparently Simon had packed because of this knee. We procceded pretty much together until the Holsworthy control where we amused the late-evening garage customers for 15 minutes or so. We left togther, but I couldn't keep up with them on the descents anymore and soon I was on my own again.
Sleepiness soon hit again and another power nap was needed. This one did the trick, and I got back on the bike with a new lease of life. After a bad spell on the last stage I was really beginning to enjoy this ride again. I flew along toward Crediton with what felt suspiciously like a tailwind, and then up into the Sholbrooke Triangle. I passed the 305 km point of this 310 k ride, at a sign which read "Thorverton 5 miles". Funny, I thought, we go through Thorverton. Either the distance on the route sheet is wrong or the signpost is. That last 5 k was actually nearer 15, but I didn't care. The night was clear, the stars were out and I was climbing happily through quiet lanes and villages knowing that I was just about to finish a 3 AAA, 300 k Audax within the time limit. So thanks to Ian for a superb route, to the weather for being so kind and to my own ignorance. Without the last of those I would never have dared to ride fixed.... Rick and I also owe a debt of gratitude to Dave Stevens who took pity on us and let us stay at his house after the ride, along with Richard and John. Thanks Dave.