Day tripping

[Dogknob1]

As the Evils of work had got in the way of my week off trip to France!
I ended up with basically a DAY to myself
So with this in mind the map was placed on the table and musing commenced!
one full day of motobicycling, I've currently got a thing about the moors (not in a murdering or ancient Turkish way) as drive past them regularly but never stop to look at them.
So i decided to leave home Bournemouth,nip down the coast to Dartmoor,bat to the other coast and back up Exmoor,roughly

Kit check

Load Bike

First stop was Lyme Regis as ride the roads before that quite regularly,
A35

From there it was a bimble along the A3052 to Rousdon,hooked a left on some single track stuff to Seaton & Beer (thats the place not the liquid as a tad earlyfor that)
Beer

From Beer i took more single track stuff to Sidmouth,where the cliffs told me I was officially in Devon

onto Budleigh Salterton & Exmouth, where i stopped to consult the SatNav

not having enough of a decent run up to jump the Exe i had to trundle up to Exeter to cross it. So jumped on the tail end of the M5 onto the A38 turning into the A380. As it was several hours since a caffein had been injected into my veins a cafe was required,unfortunately the A380 alowed a more enthusiastic use of the throttle i shot straight past a decent looking greasy spoon!!!! making me grab the next right,which took me to the village of Chudleigh.

Just outside the Village was a most excellent old garage where i filled up but couldnt find anyone to pay
except this chap

Refreshed i took the B3344 to BoveyTracey,swung a left towards Rippon Tor (sounds like it should be in Yorkshire) I walked! (yea it looked frowned upon to ride up) up it for a few snaps

Also took my fave pic of the trip

Next was Widecombe in the Moor, finding the B3387/b3357 towards Two Bridgess. a great road but the whole of the moors are a blanket 40MPH.

Also snapped a bovine comparison of the Gs range
800 Gs , 1200 Adventure , 1200 Gs

nowhere's ville

Last stop on Dartmoor before blasting up the A386 all the way to Bideford.
a fool

and now a short interlude while i wait for Photobucket to upload some more pics

 

[Dogknob1]

Bideford

stage two of the Day Tripping plan was to ride the North Coast of Exmoor via the A361 and most squirrely A39

Not exactly how id planned lunch but thats just how it rolls sometimes!

Ilfracombe

Lynton Cliff railway was oridginally built as the cars of the day couldnt make it up the hill!

was very cute there but not a beach destination

Leaving Lynton is one of the most impressive bits of road in the south and is a must to ride if you haven't yet? and in either direction. It carreers up the cliff side and roller coasters its way to the top of Porlock Hill (1 in 4)

right more interludes as cooking and fetching kids interrups

 

[roadrider]

Some nice photo's

 

[Dogknob1]

After blasting down Porlock hill (including a bit a back wheel waving in the air on exzuberant application of the brakes) you come to,Porlock obviously worth a visit

I seem to have taken less and less photo's as the day grew long!
So onto Minehead,home of a big sandy beach and that British institution of?

Minehead done & dusted,Watchet was the next port of call,where they have a few nice boats in the enclosed harbour
MTB? i stand to be corrected

The plan was now to carry on up to Weston Super Mare but i was thinking it was time to start heading homewards. After consulting the map it looked like:Bridgewater on to Glastonbury would let me pick up the start of the glorious B3081.

I dont have any photo's of bridgewater but thats probably a good thing
so here's a pic of my dog Ralph instead

Still riding the A39, quick fuel stop in Glastonbury and a fiddle with my ear plugs as they where becoming uncomfortable.
pit stop

There was no way in hell i was walking up to the Tor so here a mini version on the roundabout

Picked up the wonderfully wiggly B3081 alledgedly the twistyest (spelling) road in the UK and Blasted it all the way to Verwood. Verwood to Ringwood,Ringwood down the A338 to Bournemouth and home

quite fancy doing another one similar soon, any taggers along welcome

 

[1130cc]

Try and make it a weekend, and I will come next time.

Naming an MTB " Gay Archer" is just wrong.
Oh, and owning an MTB is on my bucket list.

 

[Mikati]

Nice pics Dogknob1