Lets talk hills....Specifically Cotswolds vs Dartmoor.

[ROB.J]

Right been getting the miles in on the bike getting ready to cycle to Cornwall from Bristol in June.
Thing is up until last week the miles were mainly flat

Well I've decided to go visit some freinds in Oxford ( I'm in Birmingham ) so did a rough run at the journey through the Cotswolds ( ended up in Chipping Norton ), I'll make the full journey in few weeks.

But the HILLS dear god the HILLS...Do they get easier ( Imagine not ) and I assume the Moors will be 10x harder. I had to dismount a few times to make the hill

So Brighton > Mortonhampstead > Fowey via Plymouth. In two days. Do-able?? And just how bad are the Moors compared to Cotswolds?
I think if the land between Bristol and Mortonhampstead isn't crazy hilly I could prob do the first 100miles in the day leaving around 60ish to Fowey.

Advice on a good breakfast to get going would be great along with snacks etc.

Cheers

Rob.

ps.

42yrs old.
15st.
Reasonablly fit.

 

[ROB.J]

Not sure why I can't edit the above post...
I should have written Bristol NOT Brighton...It was late.
So I'd be looking to stop over at Mortonhampstead then make the rest of the journey the next day.

 

[rollinstok]

Hills ? Them thar is just pimples.. tha can get o'er them wi knobbly tyres..some o them hills might get stuck in the knobbles though

 

[saoirse50]

For a 100 mile hilly day- start very early (daybreak if possible, although in June, you have a bit more leeway) so you can rest often. Lovely time of the day to be riding anyway. For me, it's porridge and fruit for breakfast. (Sometimes, chocolate melted in the porridge) Eggs, maybe- but don't overdo it- you might be sick if you have to do a tough climb too soon after (don't laugh, it has happened to me). Snack little bits but often as you go along. Flapjack type stuff. I often carry a big bag of dried fruit, nuts and a mix of seeds (sunflower, linseed, pumpkin) and snack on that throughout the day till the end of the ride when I tuck into a decent carbohydrate heavy meal. A friend of mine has a special cycling snack recipe he got off some cycling magazine. It\s a flapjack thing made with oats, fruit, nuts, peanut butter and honey. Tasty and firmer than your average flapjack so you can stuff it in a pocket.

 

[WilliamNB]

Rob,
Can I suggest you visit http://www.pewseys.co.uk/ and read up on what others who cycled LEJoG or JoGLE say about the hills in Devon and Cornwall. I suspect you'll find it uncomfortable reading!

Good luck!