2012-08-04 - Exmouth Exodus

I won't be doing it :(
Skint, underprepared and knackered

O'Shame :(
Another time!!

leaving now

Bristol is wet, but meant to be clearing up nowish. Overshoes probably advisable, I'm glad to have mine on right now.

Crap- no overshoes... Guess I'll just tie my waterproof jackets over the shoes then!

Good to have 3citybendix and 6pita back in town.

According to the local weather (the rest stop is 30 seconds from my front door!) is should be a dry one tonight!

So gutted I can't make it. Enjoy one and all!

Anyone heard from dropout? He does t seem to be on the train.

He's at the pub, I think he was on the 4pm.

You can use the Exmouth web cam to see everyone at the finish.
http://www.exmouthcam.co.uk/webcam/

Well that were great. Wait for breakfast ticket to be called is killing me though.

Oomph, that was tough but well worth it. Climbing into the first gorge in near total blackness alone with the wind starting to pick up was awesome. Cheers to Jim and iain for garmining at the front.

I was hoping to bump into some late EEers on the train back from Bristol (I got on at Chippenham), but no luck. Long shot, anyway, given that most people would have taken the direct train back from Exeter.

Sadly it turned into an Exeter Excursion for myself and my friend, our train back was optimistically early considering we cowered from the rain last night and didn't make the fastest of progress, so decided better not to go the last 10 miles to Exmouth, dip our toes in the sea and turn around to ride to Exeter. Instead headed to Exeter and had a banging breakfast.

Other than that, wonderful ride, beautiful scenery to ride through.

We had an awesome group of 9 that powered through the night. Supporting and encouraging eachother. True comradery.

Cheers to Jim for helping me get my termpermental garmin to work. Having 2 garmins in the group was a lifesaver. We could go at our own pace and many times we could guide others in the correct direction.

That was one tough ride. And my ass hurts. Starting off in a dump of rain should have been a sign. Most of the night was dry except the start and finish. The hill climbs were *brutal. *But Cheddar Gourge was absolutely spectacular.

The good news is, we didnt have one puncture or malfunction in our group but i did hear rumours of a pile-up because of a pothole (And i wish them well, hope noone was injured).

I agree with everything ^ except my ass doesn't hurt...

Our group was amazing, couldn't have asked for a nicer group of people. Thank you for making my night! Special big thanks to the garminators, Jim and Iain, and thanks to Iain for 1) not leaving me by the side of the road when I had a temper tantrum at Burrington and 2) being impressed by my totally sick skid on some mud near Woodbury.

Cheddar Gorge was even more phenomenal than I remembered. Definite highlight. Lowlight was the rain - when I finally took my shoes off there were puddles of water and my feet looked like I'd been living in a WW1 trench.

I went on to my grandparents, who looked confused and asked if I'd come down the M5. I then went out on the piss in Exeter with a friend and can't remember anything past 9pm. Good times!

See you next year, when I shall bear the following motto in mind: energy gels are not dinner...

Congrads on your first century! You did it in style.

And the skid was sick!

Had a great time on this ride - thanks everyone for your good company.
Remembered 'Pub Chugger' this morning, which made me grin.

A beautiful ride (mental note - must do this in daylight) and a great group of new and familiar faces for me. Chapeau to everyone for remaining so good-humoured, all night, in less than ideal conditions - particularly Hats, who would have been justified for punching me for leading her through a monsoon on a mini wild goose chase to the start!

Dropout, Hairnet and I got even more soaked on the way back to Exeter (impressive cycle route though). I had to jettison so many clothes on the train back I was mistaken for a fucking triathlete on the ride back from Waterloo!

Dropout, Hairnet and I got even more soaked on the way back to Exeter (impressive cycle route though). I had to jettison so many clothes on the train back I was mistaken for a fucking triathlete on the ride back from Waterloo!

Haha, I sat in Exeter waiting room/greenhouse drying off my feet with newly acquired towel and then put on some fresh socks for travelling back to london... bliss

London was beautiful

We were on a train with a guy who's wife was in a hotel waiting for him. I did not like him cause when we saw him, he was washed and shaved and he kept telling us how lovely the second bath was.

So now that you've ridden both. Which is better? DD or EE?

So now that you've ridden both. Which is better? DD or EE?

Good question. (though probably not directed at me!)

They feel quite different, cycling through the flat suffolk countryside with a few hundered riders in close proximity is quite distinct from ploughing upwards through some gorge with only some lofty cliftop above you for company!

I suppose I would say EE for the countryside, DD for the sense of cycling with a fuck off lot of other cyclists...

Hmmm....

For me the issue lies around whether or not the weather holds up.

I dont like riding long rides in the rain.

DD is piss easy. EE is not.
DD is busy. EE is not
DD has guiness. EE did not.

I will do both again, but only if its not pissing it down.

Cheddar Gorge was just breath takingly beautiful and as Rod_Munch said, I would love to do it again but in the light of day.

Did they not have Guiness at the pub at the start?

Lucky for me both times I've done this before it's been dry and fairly wind free.

We arrived very late as we had to shelter from a bitch of a downpour for about an hour. So we basically just left after signing in.

It was so wet, my mobile disco only worked for part of the evening and then only half at a time.