Start Time 07:45
Finish Time 20:15
Actual Mileage 105.4 miles
Average Speed (13.2 mph)
The day started as the previous day ended…cycling up and down really narrow country lanes trying to get to Tiverton then to Crediton then to the A30. What made the day that little bit more interesting was the following:
(please read slowly for a slow motion replay or read fast if you want real time events)
So Rhys was flying down a hill with the wind in his hair with a tractor behind him when unbeknown to him there was a reasonably tight corner to turn around (as tight as Joe Clarke in a supermarket). Rhys did not want to brake because he might upset the tractor so he went into the corner at pace and due to this reason he mounted the curb fell into the bushes and his bike went flying into the road. Rhys remained emotionless and emerged from the bushes to rescue his bike before it got run over by the tractor. His helmet was broken, both his wheels were buckled, he looked like the green giant from the sweetcorn adverts but he maintained a cool calm and collected composure only seen by a robot.
Our technicians had a look at the already questionable Mongoose bike and managed to patch it up so the wheels would turn at an odd angle and the handlebars would stay on as long as the exerted pressure was not too great. The bike had also lost its 5th and 7th gears leaving Rhys with only 5 to choose from but he was pleased that even though it was on the brink of destruction, it could still chug him along to Lands End.
The day continued to fill our boots with excitement and anticipation. As we went through Crediton Joe received a standing ovation from a little girl as he cycled along, as we stopped in Tesco’s Ollie managed to find a new variety of pasta he had not eaten and as we tried to get on the A30 we found ourselves on a 10 metre bridge arching over the A30 with no plausible way down. However in the face of adversity we scaled a fence with our bikes and gradually passed the bikes down a 60° slope with Robert acting as Spiderman crawling up and down the slope.
Finally we were on our way on the A30 with 85 miles still to do and the clocks fastly approaching midday. Then the rain came down for almost 4 hours and I want to say it was fun and enjoyable cycling in the rain alongside a very busy dual carriageway but it was not. Robert even managed to get his first puncture on the trip. At 4pm the clouds left us and we managed to complete the last 49 miles in just over four hours to arrive in to the seaside surfing town of Porthtowan.
Crash of the day (sponsored by Richard Hammond): Rhys taking a chunk out of the Devon countryside with his heavy Mongoose Bike
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