Exmouth Exodus

OK, so a little late but as I have previously said, I have just moved. What I haven't mentioned yet is Virgin Superfast Broadband. Now when I lived in the city, TV and Internet access cam via a fibre optic cable and indeed had done for 10 years or so. What I hadn't appreciated was that by moving approximately 5 miles out of Bristol, I would be moving into a medieval settlement with no cable! Hence the mention of Virgin Superfast Broadband (or VSB). Now this is a misnomer if ever there was one as it is neither broadband (more like baseband at best) nor super fast. Neither is it reliable. Now I live on the Internet, I plot routes for my Garmin (see, this rant is sort of relevant), upload completed rides to MapMyRide and download OSM maps as well as try to maintain a couple of blogs. Not so using VSB. Oh no, a 200 mb map takes over an hour to download if it will maintain the connection long enough and don't even think about trying to upload photo's to Picassa. Anyway, VSB issues have sort of been sorted now ( a bigger rant will appear over at ieduc8 if your interested) but it has meant I'm a little behind with posting.
Anyway, I missed the Exodus last year as it clashed with a wedding but this year, it was mid August which meant I could do it. It's free to enter (OK, a pound for a route sheet or a donation) and leaves Clifton (in Bristol if your not a Wes' Country resident) around 10pm and goes down, through the night to Exmouth. Sounds like a laugh.
But which bike to take?
A dilemma if ever there was one. I could take the KiC2, it's light, agile, has gears and is fast but cannot carry much luggage and will happily dump you in the scenery if you lose concentration momentarily. It also lacks mudguards (this was British summertime after all). I could take the Solo, solid, dependable, can carry my Carradice Barley, has guards and is manly as it is fixed. However, grunting up hills in the middle of the night on an unknown route didn't exactly appeal and I wasn't feeling 100% so this was out. The Day One looked good, comfortable, able to carry luggage, suitably low geared but doesn't have guards and 35mm knobby tyres might be overkill. This left the Thorn, the dependable, do it all, never let you down bike* (bear this last comment in mind for later). It has guards, gears (lots of them, some quite low), luggage, will go in a straight line even when you are asleep and is a comfy ride. The Thorn it was then, you may not be able to lift it off the ground but kitted out it fitted the bill well.
Preparation
Well, it's at night so lights would be needed. Now, I either over prepare for a ride or under prepare but this time, I really excelled. Overkill probably doesn't do it justice. I fitted my Magicshine 900 lumens light (£50 from From here) and purchased a spare battery from Torchy the Torch man on e-bay (superb service, cheap, arrived the next day, quality). Then I though, what if the light fails (it's bad I know but I still equate cheap Chinese goods with shoddy quality despite having had the light for a year and experienced no problems. This as well from someone who still remembers British Leyland!) so my Cateye front light was also fitted. Then, a head torch was procured (again from Dealexreme) and fixed to the helmet with a bit of universal bracket (Duck tape). I purchased and charged every rechargeable battery Boots had in stock, fixed a cheap ASDA red flashing LED to my arm and I was ready.
Oh, and I stuffed the Carradice full of energy bars, gels and clothing.
Oh, and at the last minute, I shoved in a handful of cable ties, you know, just in case.
The ride
It's ironic really. As I was cycling along the Portway to Bristol, I pondered on the fact that the ride passes less than 50 metres from my house on route to Clevedon. Anyway, 9.00pm I arrive at Channings hotel in Clifton to the site of around 150 cyclist milling around, drinking, chatting and doing last minute fettling of bikes. Time for a quick pint.

At 9.30 people started to leave and the ride began, a long line of red flashing lights stretched into the distance (and stretched the patience of one or two impatient Bristolian motorists to boot). We passed through Shirehampton, over the Avonmouth bridge (past my house in Pill) and onto the lanes towards Clevedon. The Magicshine was switched on and the road to Clevedon was lit up like daylight. So far so good.
A magical if uneventful ride to Cheddar ensued, I rode with a group of fixed gear riders and we wizzed along to the foot of Brockley Coombe (actually, we split at Wrington as I took my usual route which got me there fractionally quicker than the official route). Up the Coombe and over the top of the Mendips and soon we where descending the Cheddar Gorge, a brilliant experience in the dead of night. Lights ahead indicated the first tea stop and so it was. A fine spread being laid on by the organizers.

I left cheddar on my own and was now reliant on the ever so accurate Garmin for directions (a GPX file kindly prepared by the organizers and downloaded slowly over VSB doing the business). A few navigational errors later and I was joined by a large group who seemed to know where they where going so I tagged along for a nice, high speed run into North Curry. Up ahead, in the blackness, I could make out a building all lit up. The halfway point tea stop. So far, so good.

As I was leaving, a guy called out "he has a Garmin, ask if we could ride with him" and so I met Tim and Steve and at 2.30 pm we rolled out of North Curry at the mercy of my Garmin. We rolled out towards Blagdon hill, lights ablaze, too early to enjoy the last tea stop (a van that was still behind us) and climbed up Blagdon hill and onto the top of the Blackdown hills.
All is well in the early hours
All was going well, 3.58am and another 30 miles or so to Exmouth. 3.59am and cresting a slight rise I feel a slight wobble in my saddle so decide to stop and tighten up the bolt. 4.00am and I am holding the saddle (and fully laden Carradice bag which is attached to said saddle) in my hand and staring bleakly into the dark at a sheared bolt that used to hold the saddle to the seat pin.
* what was that comment again
Bugger! Still, not to panic, I have cable ties, I have tape and Tim and Steve have patience and more importantly, two large Velcro straps. A quick bodge later and we are rolling. A few more stops to fine tune and we are definitely under way. We ride along and descend towards the Otter valley as dawn rises. It gets light and at Otter St Mary, we begin the last ascent up towards Exmouth.

We enter Exmouth and begin the long descent to the sea front, 6.30 am and we are sitting in the Harbour Cafe awaiting breakfast. An absolutely brilliant ride (mechanical and navigational problems aside) and one that I would recommend you to have a go it if you are in the area.
Post ride thoughts
Lights worked fine, the first battery gave up about 3.00am (about 5 hours on half setting) and the second battery was deployed. The head torch was a real star, stayed lit all the way and really helped when I needed to fix the bike. I will say though, 200 grams on the front of your helmet doesn't do weak neck muscles any favours.
I didn't need any of the spare rechargeable batteries I took, gels still taste like shampoo and I'm really glad I grabbed a handful of cable ties and carried a small set of pliers with me.
Needles to say, all bikes have now been stripped, checked and bolts greased and a seat pin bolt placed in the Carradice!
A big up to SJS cycles who supplied a new seat post (old one mangled by slipping saddle bodge) by next day delivery.
I must say a big thanks to Tim and Steve for not only being patient and staying with me as I fixed the seat but also for having to stop many times as I adjusted the badly bodged saddle. Also, Steve kindly carried my overstuffed (and therefore heavy) Carradice the last 25 miles, that my friend, is chivalry at it's absolute best.
Big thanks also to Baggy and Chuffy and the rest of the crew for organizing a brilliant ride and providing refreshments.
Mrs Blokeonabike arrive with the taxi and we where back in Pill at 10.30am ready to eat the contents of the fridge and grab a well earned sleep.
Roll on next August.
Next ride will be Action 100 Bristol to London on Sunday 28th August.
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More in Northumberland

As I previously mentioned, I have just moved and just purchased another bike, both of which nicely coincided nicely with the start of the summer holidays so myself and Mrs Blokeonabike decided it might be nice to get away for a few days and headed to Northumberland. During a moment of lunacy, I decided it might be nice to take the Genesis and give it a test over the many trails and lanes that exist close to where we where staying, as it turned out, this was quite a good idea.
Ride 1- Hepple to Clennel Street
Looking on the map, it appeared that a bridleway ran about 100 metres behind the cottage we where staying in and joined up to several others that would eventually lead to Alwinton (the last place of civilization in the borders) and onto Clennel Street (an old Roman road that crosses the Cheviots to the Scottish borders). After much pontificating and looking at maps (map reading isn't my strong point) a route was worked out and so bright and early on Sunday morning, I set off. The bridleway did indeed run close to the cottage, it was also fairly evident that it didn't get a lot of use. It also ran uphill, not good on a single gear of 42/18! Much puffing, panting and uttering of profanities later and I was at the top of a small hill wishing that I had purchased a bike with gears, still, the decent was fun.

About an hour in and I was at Alwinton having ridden most of the 8 or so miles cross country on bridleways and farm tracks. I picked up Clennel Street and began to ascend. Now, I know this particular hill from the Alwinton show fell race and had vague memories of crawling up (albeit a different part) on all fours swearing and nearly passing out so it was no surprise when about 4 milliseconds later I was lugging 22lbs of single speed cyclocross bike up a rather large hill.
A quick turn around and a blast of a decent and I retraced my steps back to the cottage, in all about 2:30 of riding and about 20 miles covered. A nice test of the Genesis and a bit of a different experience.
Ride 2 - Simonside loop
A quick ride down the road and across the river to the other side of the Coquet valley and I picked up a bridleway that runs up to the top of Simonside (a large ridge of hills just south of Rothbury, very popular with walkers and Mountain bikers). This is ridable for about a mile and then it was off and pushing due to (a) the gradient and (b) the rock strewn path being to technical to ride in a large gear.

About half a mile of pushing and you can ride again, you basically cross grazing land whilst heading uphill on a steep sheep track until you reach a style.
Crossing the style puts you in the forestry commission land where a track (clearly visible and marked) runs you around and through the forest and up to Simonside.

The ride through the forest was fun and reminded me of riding early rigid mountain bikes. The gradient was shallow enough to be doable on the gear I had and the track well surfaced with gravel and limestone. Emerging from the forest, you end up just below the summit with fantastic views down to Rothbury in the valley and the Cheviots in the distance.
A rapid descent to the car park, a right turn onto the road and 100 metres or so and you pick up another bridleway that takes you down to Rothbury via Tossan Tower. Then through Rothbury and along the riverside path to Thropton and then back along the road to Hepple. Again, about 15-20 miles and a real blast.
So what do I think of the Day One Cross?
Well, i'm very impressed. It's a nice bike to ride and more than capable of light off-road riding. It would be better with gears but I bought it to commute on and didn't want to spend a lot of money. The bike is lively and sure footed and is really good fun to ride, it gives you a few more options than a single speed road bike, is very comfortable (probably due to the 35mm tyres) and the mini V brakes are powerful compared to the usual dual pivot brakes found on cheaper road bike. Overall then, a great purchase that I would heartily recommend as your next N+1.
Oh, and please, do visit Northumberland, it is one of the quietest, most picturesque parts of the UK and superb for cycling, especially the Coquet Valley.

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N+1 = Genesis Day One Cross

Apologies for the lack of posts during the last couple of months, I've been in the process of moving house and it's been a tad time consuming to say the least. However, it is now done and I officially live in something called The Country! Oh yes, after 11 years of living in the centre of Bristol and best part of 25 years living in large cities, I am now resident in a village in North Somerset. Of course, this country living has it's downsides, it's further into work (hang on a minute, that's a plus) and it is cycle path most of the way (ok, another plus point) which means a new bike had to be purchased (hey, it's not all bad, this countryside living).
Now, I've had my eye on a cyclocross bike for sometime now and the excuse of a slightly rough surfaced cycle track and the cycle to work scheme was too much to resist. After much research, debate and general pontification, a Genesis Day One Cross was procured (big up to Bike on the triangle, Bristol who once again gave superb service) and here it is...

(or it would be, if I hadn't deleted the photo from my iPad without syncing. doh!

I have only ridden it couple of times but so far, I am very impressed. The Reynolds 520 Steel frame is nice and lively (no surprise here, it's virtually the same frame as my Ridgeback Solo, slightly different geometry and a higher bottom bracket but otherwise familiar), the wheels (Alex rims on no-brand hubs with double butted spokes) solid and the finishing kit is dependable if not exactly lightweight. As usual, Genesis have put together a good package that is greater than the sum of parts and real value for money. I have a feeling this may become my favorite bike.
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