Hello from the Blackdown Hills, UK

[RichTS]

Hi!
My name is Richard, know to my friends as Richy or Rich. I live in the South West region of the UK in the ANOB of the Blackdown Hills. I'm sitting out the latest lockdown at home making the best of the time by riding as often as possible. This winter I'm mostly riding my gravel bike. The local mtb trails don't like the combination of winter wet and the increased foot-fall we've seen outside this year.

My wife and I should be touring North America atm, but we went into lockdown just as our camper was about to ship. We did get a quick tour of France before coming home when they locked down in November. Since then I've been training for a 12hour solo in July and planning longer rides here at home. Devon C2C in a couple of weeks will be my first imperial century, hopefully.

So, since I've got some time I thought of getting to know some like-minded people. Hopefully in the next year or so we _will_ get to North America and ride the trails, _real_ gravel, and maybe even meet some of you.

Cheers for now, stay safe.
Rich.

 

[Chris S]

 

[DCBassman]

Devon C2C

Which way are you doing it? The lower bits are my stamping ground.

 

[RichTS]

We're going South to North, putting a quick loop around the town center before we hit the route proper too make sure we get 161km in the bag
I've tweaked the Sustrans route to miss out the xc segments - one of us will be on a road bike, I'll be on my gravel.
Have you return the section in the Meeth nature reserve recently? I hear it can be wet....

 

[DCBassman]

@RichTS ,I've done South to north from Laira to Brentor, many times back and forth over the Lydford-Okehampton bit, and once Ilfracombe to Meeth. Meeth is a dead-end spur, really, and yes, it tends to be wet. From Okehampton northward, there are two choices: follow the A386 from Hatherleigh to Meeth and join at the old station, or follow the roads signposted until meeting NCN27 above Petrockstow. I've not ridden either bit, I got to Meeth and needed rescue! I'd screwed up near the beginning and made an erroneous detour to Woolacombe, which cost a lot of time and energy. I was also on 23mm tyres which was not a good thing...It's not a wonderful road bike route, generally. Gravel bike, or 28s on the road bike, much better.
I'd love another go at it sometime.

 

[DCBassman]

or follow the roads signposted until meeting NCN27 above Petrockstow

Having read your post again, I assume you'll be doing this to keep the distance up, so Meeth probably isn't on your route anyhow.

 

[DCBassman]

My ideal go at it would be to go North to south, then back out to Tavistock, where I live. Way beyond what I'm good for at the moment!

 

[Grant Fondo]

 

[RichTS]

DCBassman, Thanks for the inside info. One of us will be on road tries so I'll be sure to let him know
We'll be following the NCR as you say, and also making a detour to the nature reserve to meet a friend coming South from Northam. If it's too wet to get through we'll double back using paved route.
Thanks again