Date: Tuesday 31st May 2011
Route: WP, mainly uphill, HQ.
Riders: Keith, Stephen, James, Gidon, Nick & Rob.
Depart: 19:40
Arrive HQ: 22:00 & 22:15
Distance: 15 miles
Weather: Perfectly warm

A View From A Hill

Cutting edge to retro; competing styles were on show as six gentlemen assembled in WP.

Techno Gidon arrived on his shiny bike with a fully charged headcam and multiple lights promising to get some action shots from the impending ride. The threat of anything of interest being posted on YouTube prompted the others to adjust their apparel ... does my arse / gut / thighs look big in this?

Rob finally rolled up, his bike seemingly being held together by mud, straw and horsehair. It must be a Cob bike ... so Rob owns the first truly sustainable bike in the village. He finished the retro look off with Italian style, a recycled, battered and half empty bottle San Pellegrino - but without the sparkle. Rob wasn’t taking things too seriously tonight.

There was Paddy, who didn’t have a bike, and Colin, who didn’t have an excuse, to wave us off.

Stephen set a ‘Tour of Wessex’ pace, Walkhampton was a blur, across Huckworthy Bridge and up the first of many ups of the evening. A quick right to cut off the corner meant we lost James and Rob until we caught up with them at the foot of Pew Tor.

Through Sampford Spiney four cycled into the setting sun towards the Alpaca farm when Stephen decided to empty both his nasal passages, the contents of which hung in the air for the rest of us to avoid. Clearly something Alpacas and Roadies have in common!

Reunited we set off on the long uphill climb west of Pew Tor to pick up the leat which was actually flowing up hill too. We eventually hit the road at the top of Pork Hill, a number of us squealing for breath and water ... perhaps we could take the road to the Merrivale Inn to recuperate? The Routemeister was having none of it as we enjoyed a short blast down the track past Vixen Tor before another long climb up. Rob took a swig of flat San Pellegrino and immediately joined Stephen to force the pace to Pew Tor and a welcome long downhill track.

At the end of every downhill there's normally an equivalent uphill, so this didn’t bode well as we felt like we were falling out of the sky, down and down and down to Ward Bridge. Then up and up and up and up forever to ... we didn’t really care .. we’d made it!

By the top we had lost Stephen. For a moment we thought we’d ‘out done him’ on the big climb, a famous scalp, we looked over our shoulder but he was nowhere to be seen. We wouldn’t see him until HQ.

After an extended breather, we went up Routrundle across the B3212 and up a pointy Tor then across to the summit of another Tor. We all gathered and peered over the edge toward Burrator, another glorious view from a hill, and then took off down a fantastic drop and into the woods at Burrator. Keith had a gentle off as he zig zagged to the bottom. Through the darkening woods, fast track to Trembath Quarry, avoiding decapitation by telegraph pole, back through Lake and HQ for 10pm. Stephen joined us some 15 mins later after his earlier solo diversion.

Not sure what Gidon managed to film tonight, but it was a great evening for a spin and new territory for some of us which is always good.

This was surely a route of significantly more uphill than downhill, to the extent that when we arrived at HQ it felt like we had arrived at the highest pub in England ... to drink ale crafted at the highest Brewery in England!!

Reporter: Nick

Below is Gidon's edited video of the ride.
And if you too want to own one of these great headcams, use this link to buy one The Technology Company