How to Lose 14lbs in a Fortnight Tim Wainwright Text first published in 'Travels on my Bike, Cycle journeys from around the world by members of the Croydon Cyclists's Touring Club'. Produced by Tim Wainwright in 1993. Reproduced by kind permission of Pauline Wainwright Tim in the Peak District in 1996/7. Photos provided by Anne Learmonth
The rain stopped after four hours; I was wet and cold and sitting outside a tea-caravan in a lay-by near Petersfield changing my wet socks for a dry pair. I had already gone off route as my map was in my saddlebag and I couldn't be bothered to get it out in the rain. "Where are you heading for?" asked a truck driver. "I want to be in Exeter tonight," I replied. He looked at me as if I'd just got out of a spaceship. ''You'll never make it," he said. He was right. On through Winchester to Salisbury where I joined the A30. By the time I reached Honiton I decided against cycling another 18 miles and trying to find the youth hostel in the dark. The Little Chef looked inviting so I stopped for an evening meal of tagliatelle. The waitress, spotting "Croydon CTC" on my jersey, told me she used to be in the Sydenham Wheelers in Kent and asked if I knew of them. ''Yes," I replied, "I ride their Reliability Trial every January." Within minutes of leaving the Little Chef I stopped at the first B&B sign I found and was plied with pots of tea and plates of biscuits before I climbed wearily into bed, after 182 miles in the saddle.
Day 2 A late start today, it's 9 am and sunny and mild. I thought I'd ride through Exeter city centre as I knew the ring road would add miles to the day's total; typically the road signs to the centre soon ran out and after riding through a housing estate and round some factories I found myself back on the dreaded ring road. The A30 was like a motorway, with constant coaches, lorries and cars towing caravans roaring past my elbow as I bumped over cats' eyes and drains inside the white line. The noise of the traffic was deafening and, stopping for a coffee at a roadside caravan, I had to shout my order. After putting in my earplugs which I thought I'd only be using in noisy YHAs I kept cycling for most of the day with them in. The A30 had changed since I was last on it, now bypassing all the towns and shops making it very boring. Long uphill drags in 42 6
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x 28 followed by a swift descent for 30 seconds before starting the next climb, mile after mile. I came off the A30 into Launceston to get my brevet card stamped and buy some lunch, but had difficulty finding somewhere with a stamp. My bike was feeling really sluggish (I'm not used to riding with a loaded saddlebag) and in a desperate attempt to make it feel better I replaced the heavy Specialized front tyre with my spare Michelin Hi-Lite but could feel no appreciable difference. As I approached Truro the traffic thinned out and I had a few miles of pleasant cycling. I had been looking forward to cycling in Cornwall; back in the 70s I had lived there for five years, but my enthusiasm was sorely dented. All in all, it was the worst day's cycling I've ever had. The only good thing about the day was reaching Feock on the River Fal and spending the night with friends. After a superb meal and a good chat I finally got to bed at midnight. Only 114 miles today, I'm already behind schedule as I'd planned to reach Land's End tonight.
Day 3 Jeez! I thought yesterday was bad! I got up at 5.30 am to go to Land's End, thinking the round trip back to Feock was about 50 miles; it was 85. There was thick Cornish mist all the way and I arrived at Penzance soaked. After buying some food and taking a photo in the mist of St Michael's Mount I reached Land's End at 9.55 where the visibility was 10 yards. I talked my way out of paying to enter Land's End and got my brevet card stamped in the hotel. Here I picked up a leaflet to get signed at John 0' Groats that would entitle me to a certificate. (At the end of the trip I duly sent it off and received back a letter asking for ÂŁ10 to become a member of their club to get the certificate. I never bothered.) Inside the hotel I met a group of 44 motorcyclists who were starting the End-to- End on vintage bikes, hoping to do about 200 miles per day. Back on the A30 through Hayle, Cambome, Redruth and Truro to my friends' bungalow at Feock where I took a shower, had my lunch and then changed my folding tyre back to
the Specialized Expedition. As I left the sun came out for ten minutes but it didn't last as thick fog was with me all the way to the Devonshire border. The A30 was closed for one section with a detour round the country but when cycling I usually ignore these. Consequently I had five miles of smooth new carriageway all to myself. Another Little Chef and another tagliatelle kept the carbo loading high and I found a friendly farmhouse bed and breakfast at Lewdon where I finished all the biscuits in my room plus three cups of tea. 150 miles today.
Day 4 A 7 am breakfast and on the road at 7.50, back into the fog and the dreaded A30 through Exeter where I finally reached normal roads at last. Passing through Stoke Canon and Cullompton, the sun came out and I changed into shorts and jersey. I took the A38 to Bridgwater and stopped to get my brevet card stamped at St John Street Cycles where Andy Blance works. (Andy organises the Audax Altitude Awards and runs the Quantock Killer Super Grimpeur.) After a quick chat he filled my bidons but I didn't get offered a coffee. I took a photo of the Wellington monument in the distance and made a mental note to look up its history when I arrive home. Had a fairly fast ride in warm sun and arrived in Bristol at 5 pm with sunburnt face and arms. There was a lot of activity here and I realised it's some City Centre Cycling complete with TV crews. As it didn't start until 7 pm I decided to press on to Slimbridge. The rush hour in Bristol was no trouble after cycling through London daily. Slimbridge is a pleasant, purposebuilt Youth Hostel where I was given my own room with a sink. Shame about the noisy school party though. The dining-room overlooks a large pond with ducks and swans from the local wildfowl trust. I made up my own meal here: vegetable soup, wholewheat bread, baked beans on toast, tinned fruit and rice pudding. Two female hostellers sitting at my table got quite www.aukweb.net
