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@miro_o
Devon Coast to Coast Rando Pop.
http://app.strava.com/activities/306148064
A fairly low-key affair with only about 35 riders I think. The weather cleared (and wind picked up) to be a beautiful day. There was a lot of Dura Ace and carbon fibre at the start but plastic cuppas stirred with a plastic knife are a great leveller.
The roads up to Exemoor were perhaps my favourite of the day. Then... Sea #1 and a control in the old station for bad coffee and great almond fingers.
After a bit of re-tracing our steps the route heads a little east. We were blown south on a sweet tailwind for an hour or so with great views of the Quantocks on our left. Proper lush it was.
Another control in another quaint old station at Byshops Lydeard (this time complete with steam train) then some more classic Devon lumps n lanes before pretty little Broadhembury just west of Dunkeswell/Blackdown Hills.
The next section I knew partially from riding the Exmouth Exodus, which was nice because the Garmin was only beeping to let me know I was off course. There was no trail displayed to follow. [turns out this is a known issue with a workaround: http://gps-addict.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/disappearing-breadcrumb-trails-on.html?m=1 ] So all nav was done with the route sheet in a jersey pocket (not ideal).
Then Sea #2. Sadly Buddleigh Salterton's only chippy closed at 2pm, just before I rolled into that control. I was inconsolable.
The next bit re-traced a large section of the route, which got me doubting my navigation for the split - this in turn slowed me down hugely as I had a mini crisis of confidence at every crossroad. Usually this stage of an audax is where I channel any grumpiness into hard tempo mile munching and cover some ground. This was tricky here as I wasn't exactly sure where the hell is was.
Finishing in a pub was a good idea.
Verdict on the event: a top concept, well organised, a nice distance and not really as hard as the elevation suggests. Needs more fish'n'chips.