Sarah and I would like to thank Mark Taylor Jo Cole William T Sharon T and all our friends Family and all of you guys who have followed and supported us... To all the Landlords and Landladies of all the Wonderful B & B s pubs and Tea Shops, Laundrettes Tourist Information Centres, to Sustrans, Devon Coast to Coast ,Route 2 and Route 20 and all the many car drivers who safely passed us..... To everyone who stopped to share or to help... A big shout out to Bill and Andy from Bike Shed Exeter who looked after us and our bikes, sponsoring our repairs .... The guy in Sidmouth who stopped to take the time and lent us some pliers to bend the rear mech in place ... The cycling Guys in Dawlish who guided us to Exeter safely, good luck with opening your cycling shop... it was a pleasure meeting you all...adventure seems to bring the best out in humanity.... What a adventure.... So why did we do this??? Pics maps and bikes home sweet home bill and Andy Long distance touring is so enriching, the places and people you meet In these days of light-speed communications, multimedia entertainment, fast, powerful and prestigious automobiles, luxurious homes, exotic restaurants, and instant gratification, why would someone choose to pedal at slow speeds on a loaded bike. Yet long distance, loaded cycling is one of the most pleasurable activities We have ever experienced. We often were slower in the morning having less speed but also a greater desire to stop at pleasant spots, dawdle, and enjoy. Traveling by bike allowed us to stop anywhere, such as meadows, lakes, woods, and scenic spots, not just at the tourist traps and overlooks. My panniers may look heavy to the passing motorist but I barely notice their weight a few days in ; actually, in a strange way the bike feels better loaded than empty; its a lot more stable somehow . Somewhere near lunch We would find a small grocery store or cafe and buy some bread, sandwich and fruit . Find a shady spot to have lunch,In the afternoon, our speeds were higher, and we spent less time at stops. Our bodies , tanned, lean from cycling, feeling alive and healthy. Visiting strange or famous places and accomplishing goals were always exciting. We met and talked with so many interesting people along the way, sometimes other cyclists. Beautiful views, tiny villages , encountering wild animals , and traveling up and down hills excited about whats next. On the other hand, we may run into a slight problem with the bike, but the problems are infrequent and are easily dealt with; the pleasures remain with us for years. And for those wishing the freedom of two wheels in the UK, quiet country lanes with little traffic, and hundreds of miles of traffic-free cycle paths, theres no better way to discover the UK. National parks, forest tracks, hills, moorland and mountain scenery, an ocean, seas, rivers, woods, canal towpaths and cycle paths along former railway lines. There are many bicycle routes in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and few parts of the United Kingdom are untouched by the National Cycle Network (NCN). The website only touches upon a small part of the NCN, where the real goal lies in the linking up of the UK into safer cycleways for leisure, work, amenity and other purposes. The NCN with government support via Sustrans has been crucial in raising the profile of cycling generally in the UK and now 10,000 miles of cycleways have been established alongside the linking up with other countries for initiatives such as the North Sea Cycle Route. All the long distance routes in the UK have been mapped and signposted. And its inevitable that to keep cyclists away from cars there will be some short sections of more difficult terrain but you dont need a mountain bike to cope with the rough sections as they are very short and you can always walk for a few hundred metres. The touring or hybrid bikes are the best bicycles when undertaking the long distance routes but almost any bicycle can cope with the routes (if you use a mountain bike then the more slick tyres are a good idea - local cycle shops can advise and supply you with tyres for long distance routes). We are more than happy to offer any advice to any cyclists who are planning to undertake a similar trip . Maps and guides try to give a flavour of the routes, and hopefully support the perfect opportunity, with a cycle map, to explore the UK. Routes are still being developed and will change as proposed sections become permanent parts of the cycle network. Take care as you journey on the routes and respect the views and needs of local people you meet as the development of the National Cycle Network depends upon agreement with many organisations and individuals. But the most important thing is to take your time and enjoy the routes. And dont get too frustrated about losing your way through some of the urban areas as thats just the reality of a balance between local authorities signposting the routes and maybe local kids having fun with the signs. Most of all breathe in each and every moment, and when you reach your destination its a strange feeling mixed with celebration and a little sadness that the adventure is over....... Only until next time..
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:05:58 +0000
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