The participation ride 2006 - post-ride analysis and comment

Stage 1 - Track and Map - Land's End to St Wenn

This was a very enjoyable ride and easy first day. I did use all the gears but there were no really long, difficult hills. You will see from the map that I decided to go into Bodmin "for old time's sake" and then cycle back on myself to my B&B for the first night. This detour turned out to be a mistake (see the Stage 2 posting). Rule 1: Stick to your route.

Download log file (text format): S00D01a.log (Penzance to Land's End), S01D01p.log (Land's End to St Wenn)
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S00D01a.trk (Penzance to Land's End), S01D01p.trk (Land's End to St Wenn)

Only stage today
Distance (miles): 73.21
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 5:09:19
Average speed (mph): 14.20
Max speed (mph): 40.8
Cumulative distance (miles): 83.62 (includes Penzance to Land's End)

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

Stage 2 - Track and Map - St Wenn to Okehampton

This was the toughest stage of the whole trip for several reasons: 1) The length of the stage and the terrain 2) A lack of planning on my part 3) Inexperience with the GPS 4) Over ambition!

Yesterday I went further than I needed to and visited Bodmin. Today, after cycling 28 miles, I went past Bodmin again! Very soul destroying. Just look at the route I took. I just punched in the lunch destination into the GPS and I think it routed me the fastest way by car!

This was always going to be a tough day with a total of 120 miles to cover and two climbs to 1,000 feet in the first stage and I made it worse by not putting enough time into planning. Rule 2: Half a hour's planning can save you hours of cycling.

Download log file (text format): S02D02a.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S02D02a.trk

First of two stages today
Distance (miles): 67.44
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 4:48:18
Average speed (mph): 14.03
Max speed (mph): 38.2
Cumulative distance (miles): 151.06

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

Stage 3 - Track and Map - Okehampton to Taunton

I was very tired when I finally started this stage at 4pm from the Plymouth Inn, Okehampton. Again my over-reliance on the GPS let me down and a lot of the time I wasn't sure I was cycling in the right direction.

Although the vertcal profile shows a downhill trend, there were some nasty climbs in this stage. Saddle time was about 4.5 hours but I didn't get to my accommodation in Taunton until 10:10pm, 6hrs 10mins after leaving Taunton. This was due the fact that: 1) I had had it! 2) I kept having to stop to check the map and 3) I got my first puncture which I decided to repair in the side of the road (I needed the rest!).

I am not sure what I would have done without the GPS at the end of this stage. It took me straight to my accommodation. A farmhouse in the middle of a 'low-cost' housing estate. I would never have found this place in the dark especially given my physical and mental state. Brilliant! With a little more intelligence the GPS was going to be very useful.

As I left Okehampton, I knew I wasn't going to get an evening meal tonight. So I consumed Go-Bars. When I started this stage I liked Go-Bars. By the time I got to Taunton I hated them. This whole situation was worsened by the fact that I feel asleep without quite getting around to cleaning my teeth (yuk!) and the go-Bars were still with me in the morning. My consumption of Go-Bars plumetted during the rest of the trip.

Download log file (text format): S03D02p.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S03D02p.trk

Second of two stages today
Distance (miles): 54.51
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 4:19:45
Average speed (mph): 12.59
Max speed (mph): 36.3
Cumulative distance (miles): 205.57

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

30/5/06 - Day 2 / Stage 3 - Okehampton to Taunton

This stage: 53 miles
Cumulative: 171 miles
Distance to go: 758 miles

This stage will start somewhere in Okehampton after lunch.

It will end here:

Yallands Farmhouse
Staplegrove
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 6PZ
01823 278 979

To find out how to join this stage click here.

30/5/06 - Day 2 / Stage 2 - St Wenn to Okehampton

This stage: 59 miles
Cumulative: 118 miles
Distance to go: 811 miles

This stage will start from here:
   
Treliver Farm
St. Wenn
Bodmin
Cornwall
PL30 5PQ
01726 890 286

And will end somewhere in Okehampton at lunchtime.

 

To find out how to join this stage click here.

29/5/06 - Day 1 / Stage 1 - Land's End to St Wenn

This stage: 59 miles
Cumulative: 59 miles
Distance to go: 870 miles

The starting point for this stage is Land's End!

I will be staying here the previous night:

Torre-Vene
1 Lescudjack Terrace
Penzance
Cornwall
TR18 3AE
01736 364 103

Lunch: not yet fixed

To find out how to join this stage click here.