Saturday Exeter Loop

Okay, so we're just a week away from the Dartmoor Classic, that's a cycle ride of 67 miles and 6,300 ft of climbing across some of the most stunning and inhospitable scenery around. Andy and I covered 50 of these miles on our recce and hill climb training a couple of weeks ago and today we'd planned another long preparatory ride starting out from Seaton at 08:30, before the sun got too hot.

On the Cycle Way from Topsham to Exmouth with Andy, Jason and Kelly

We were pleased to be accompanied on our ride by Jason (my RideLondon buddy - [Note: the RideLondon is now less than 2 months away, so please support me if you can]) and Kelly a new member of AVP who, unable to join our Thursday evening rides, was looking to get some weekend miles in. Our circular route was to take us 60 miles via Exeter, Topsham and Exmouth, Kelly adding a further 10 miles having cycled all the way over from Axminster! Being one of our rides, we had 3 coffee stops, ending the ride, obviously at Glenn's Seaton "Broom Wagon Coffee" shop.

At the Broom Wagon Coffee Shop .. our final stop, with Andy and Jason

We did debate adding a further 7 miles to the route to avoid the climb out of Sidmouth up Salcombe Hill past the Norman Lockyer Observatory, but with 3 of us having not done it before, we thought, 'how bad can it be?' .. now we know!

This was a surprisingly quick ride, even taking 19 minutes off my 3hr:54m 50 mile record attained just a few weeks ago on that Dartmoor hill training circuit. Feeling good :)