And this is the route he took me on... a few steep hills to Tiverton and then a winding tow-path for lots of it... before a rain soaked final section on the A38:
But far less hills to contend with than in the first three days... as the uppity-downity chart shows:
Here's a view of the canal towpath near Tiverton... it was just starting to drizzle at the time:
The weather ended up being pretty horrible but I'm just glad I avoided that weather yesterday on Dartmoor. Here we are at the finishing line - The Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton:
12 comments:
Just heard your interview on Radio 4. Sounds like a great undertaking! Good luck with the project.
I'm looking forward to following along with you on your blog. And don't worry, I shan't be offended if you don't go on holiday with me :-)
My 65 year old friend is ahead of you Dave. You are doing well but check out John Marjoriebanks Doing the same ride as you - on his own in 20 days - to raise money to eradicate polio. Fantastic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8230165.stm Get in touch with him Dave - He's a good guy and good fun.
Chris Maginn
Well done you!
What a brilliant thing to do - and for no other reason than for your own satisfaction.
I wish you well and hope you do not completely exhaust yourself in the process.
Hi Dave, Just got back from your Taunton show. Great fun, thanks very much.
Still very windy out so I hope it's going to be behind you on the way to Bristol.
All power to your thighs.
Hi Dave
Intrigued by your tour - well done - I used to cycle everywhere when I was 16...
If you haven't got anywhere for lunch in between Lowestoft and Kings Lynn I would recommend the Brisley Bell Inn
http://www.brisleybell-inn.co.uk/restaurant.html
I would imagine after cycling all morning you'll probably be hungry
Loving the travel-blog like story. This is great work and inspiring. Keep it up. Going to listen to the podcast later.
You used to cycle everywhere when you were 16, Digger? What's the excuse for not still cycling now. It's the perfect way of getting around town, quicker than the car in most cities, keeps you fit, and is generally a good thing. C'mon, get back in the saddle! :-)
@magmamagician: that's very impressive of John. I definitely wouldn't fancy doing it alone - the company I've had has helped enormously so far. I reckon I could shave 12 days off the ride - if I wasn't doing 2 hours on stage every evening as well - but the combination of shows and cycling is plenty exhausting enough as it is without increasing the mileage.
The article doesn't appear to have a link to any sponsorship page... if you know how I can sponsor him, do let me know...
Dave - I found the sponsorship page for John Marjoribanks (what a lovely name!)
http://www.rotary1020.org.uk/news_detail.asp?newsID=73
Looking forward to seeing you in Leicester next week. Good luck with the rest of the tour.
fantastic gig last night in taunton Dave, thank you so much. Wont spoil it for anyone but if you are going you will laugh A LOT!!!
Good luck with the rest of the tour
Dave- I was the guy that was at Lizard Point a few days before you, having just finished my E2E, and left a comment for you on Flickr.
Last year i rode from Cairo to Cape Town with 60 others, then New York to Los Angeles with Unchained America for company. 11000 miles in 7 months, and i still thought the ride from John O'Groats to Lands End was a tough one!
You have given yourself quite a challenge, with the shows at the end of each day, and there will be times when getting on that bike again will be the last thing you will want to do. Just hang on in there, you will only have to do this ride once, but the memories will last forever!
Good Luck and Stay Safe
OJ58
Dear Anonymous, I do still cycle at 45, but locally in Northants - it's the countrywide tours I used to do in my teens - and I was bigging up Dave for getting out there beating back the years and doing it properly!
maybe next year.....
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