It's a long way to go but you don't get offered dinner on a Bristol Pilot cutter very often so the plan was to take the 848 down to Dartmouth, dinner, stay the night at my folks then head into Devon and South Wales over the weekend. I left home about 2:30 on Friday in 28 degrees heat with a Kreiga 30 tail pack and a credit card. Bugger me, it was hot but it felt good scribing down the M27 Westwards, with every available lid vent open and jacket unzipped to half way. The extra weight of the stuffed tail pack made the rear shock more compliant so I busied myself thinking about what I would need to do to adjust it to make it better with no pack (reduce pre-load I think?!). I was so engrossed I missed my turning for the A36 to Salisbury. No matter. Theres no time pressure so I'll come off and head up through Bramshaw and pick up the A36 after the Forest. Through Salisbury and Wilton and the freedom of the back road to the A303 via Chilmark and Teffont, I know this road like the back of my hand with family on Devon and Somerset, then bursting onto the 303 at the top of the hill. The roads are quiet and what traffic there is seems to notice me and be easy to pass. I admire the views, basking in the freedom of no responsibilities for a weekend, the haze muddying the distant Yeovil airfield then out to dual carriageway again, speeds up to perfect 'wrist comfort' levels. Its not the fastest way to Devon but I come off at Podimore, taking the A372 towards Bridgwater...there's a road I've always wanted to ride but never had the chance, and grab it now! The left, right, left, right, left, right, left across the levels has me shifting out of the seat, but I'm wary of a stream of ancient tractors coming the other way. They may be smaller than today's beasts but I reckon they'd still be pretty firm if I got it wrong! I head South towards Taunton to pick up the M5, stopping for a splash and dash at Sainsburys. The M5 and A38 are despatched rapidly and I'm onto the 365 to Totnes. There's more traffic now with my detour putting me firmly into commuter time, then I'm free, onto the A381, in the groove now, overtaking cars quickly and safely as I head into Dartmouth. My parents are still out on the boat to I head down to Blackpool Sands to see it out to sea. The sea mist is coming in like a sheet, flat at the top and drifting into the shore. Its eerie but magical and I stop by the side of the road to take it in and chill out for a bit....no rush. I head to the house, shower and walk into town. The boats back in late so I head to The Castle for a drink and meet with a few of the other guest. About half an hour later, just enough time to finish a loosening Gin and Tonic, in it comes. The waters taxi's naffed off to Dittisham so we have to cadge a lift on a rib out to the boat, Champagne on arrival? If you insist! Im the youngest there buy some way but its a good crowd making do in cramped conditions. The wines flowing well now and its all getting a bit silly! We get home at midnight, thoroughly the worse for wear and needing a good rest.....tomorrow I'm off into the wilds of Devon!
I woke on Saturday with a fuzzy head but at the very pleasing hour of 8:30...with 2 children of 6 and 3 that's a 2 hour lie in! After lots of coffee and with breakfast digesting, I headed to the bike and low and behold it started raining. Big blobs fell heavily from the sky, steady and slow rather than a downpour but a bit disappointing never the less. Undeterred I set off, heading out of town to the BP garage at the top of the hill to top up before heading North. A chap on an R1 came over. "I'm looking to get one of those" he said, "whats it like?" We chatted for a couple of minutes, talking about Daytona's too before freeing up a pump for someone else. Outside the road was now dry, the heat in the tarmac still radiated up despite the cloud and the overnight gap between sunshine. I ran out the way I came in the day before, allowing myself a little smug grin as I hit the National limit and accelerated up to speed. With speed, the steamy conditions mattered not and I eased towards the M5, heading up to Exeter enjoying the numbness of a few motorway miles as my head cleared. I headed through Exeter to pick up the A377 towards Barnstaple. It was a nadgery, frustrating ride up to Crediton at which point the road opened out and it was a joy. Copplestone, Lapford, Chumleigh all came and went and I headed into Barnstaple for some lunch. I found a Pizza express and enjoyed a very leisurely solo lunch with a bottle of water and a coffee before heading out of town on the A361 towards Braunton the North towards Ilfracombe. I should have headed to the coast but turned off towards Lynmouth, staying high up and enjoying the views. I dropped into Lynmouth which brought back lots of memories. My fathers family had loved there for about 400 years, with the family home being sold in the late 80s. It was then turned into a B&B but I have vivid memories of my Great Aunt cooking roast potatoes in the deep fat fryer and chopping custard into chunks after it had set! Id not been there for about 20 years and it was strange how everything was essentially the same and how much of it I remembered. I buzzed up the hill out of Lynmouth, aiming for Bridgwater to stay with friends over night. The A39 took me high up over the North Devon coast with spectacular sea views prompting me once more to thank my lucky stars for a weekend of pure playtime. Past Minehead and Blue Anchor I was faced with the choice of the A39 to Bridgy or on to Taunton on the A358 then up. I made the wrong choice and took the 39, sitting behind a cue of traffic with solid white lines all the way into Bridgwater....my first mistake of the weekend! I enjoyed an evening of Crabbies and Sushi from YoJi in Weston-Super-Mare and crashed about 10:30. Sunday would be South Wales!
Great write up - would love to do something similar on a solo ride but never have the time to be honest not been on the panigale for any fun except work
On Sunday I stared with the M5 again, heading North to the Severn crossing. Traffic was light and I took the time to enjoy the view up and down the estuary as I cruised up and down the bridge. I queued for the toll even though you don't have to pay as a bike and enjoyed the cool breeze wafting into my jacked and under the front wheel as I came up to speed the other side. After following the M4 to North of Cardiff, I joined the A470, North to Merthyr Tydfil. Depite having looked at a map before leaving, the unfamiliar town names played with my mind and I had to check I was heading in the right direction. I wanted to head North, following the lakes through the beacons to Brecon and after a few wrong turns I found the B road I was looking for. It was tight, single-track with cyclists but very few cars to speak of and it climber high into the hills, through tree tunnels with glimpses of the lakes and forest everywhere. The sun dappled through, and for the hundredth time I thought how lucky I was. Had to resist stopping for more pictures as the landscape changed and the top of the hills came into view, still narrow but with enough view to make progress at a decent speed. The road wound its way down, with hills steeper than those even heading into Lynmouth and cyclists resorting to pushing their way up the hills, red faced and 'enjoying' themselves. I chuckled as I rolled past in 1st gear enjoying the popping and burbling of the over run and dabbing the back brake every now and then, mindful of the gravel washed into the middle of the road. The B road fun (and views) finished with I headed North, picking up the A470 again towards Bronllys. Time was marching on and I suppose I have to be heading home at some point so I headed South and East towards Crickhowell, criss crossing the Mon and Brec canal towards Abergavenny before going South to join the M4. After crossing the Severn again, I could take the M4 then head down the A34 to home but decided to go through Bath and enjoy the roads into Salisbury. The A46 frustrated with its 50 limits and solid white lines everywhere and the addition of a horse box doing 30 all the way didn't help my mood. As the road drops into Bath, it widened to a dual carriageway, releasing me down the hill and into the waiting view of a fixed speed camera! Bugger....I think it will be about 65mph.....which would be fine if it wasn't still a 50 limit! I guess we'll find out if the camera was live in a couple of weeks. The road into Salisbury passed quickly as I ruminated my speed related mistake. I couldn't wait to see the children and my wife but I'd had the most brilliant time, comfortable in my own company and able to make my own (sometimes poor) decisions about speed, direction and what to eat and where. I love riding with friends and am looking forward to some longer trips out but this was something special. Something I've not done before and something I may not get to do again for some time. If you've not done it before, do it. Just leave on a Friday and come back on a Sunday. Cover some ground at your pace and in your own direction and revel in the freedom of no chores, nowhere to be and no requirements. I can see why people want to go off on their own around the world. It's been very liberating and I wanted to get my thoughts down before I forgot what a brilliant experience it was. I hope its been an interesting read. Alistair
