Atlantic Mountain Biking

November is the month of my wedding anniversary and traditionally this has been a time when we head off for a relaxing break in a small cottage somewhere on the British Isles. For 2014, it was decided to be the turn of Cornwall and a converted barn, just outside of Padstow. This year I also had the wherewithal to bring along the Crosstrail, chosen in favour of the Roubaix due to the mile long dirt track leading from the barn to the closest piece of metalled road.

 

Much of the week was dedicated to some fine walking along the coastal paths and was not until five days into the holiday that I got the opportunity to lycra up and hit the lanes around Padstow. My afternoon's cycle was a one which took no set path, it was more a case of following roads until I hit the sea or a no cycling sign!

At one point I came across a herd of bullocks being driven down the road towards me. "I'd pull off the road and out the way", I was advised, "they don't like yellow" one of the farm hands commented ... with me there all decked out in AVP colours! 

At Trevone, I even made an attempt at cycling on sand but I soon saw why those bikes I've seen with the big tractor styled tyres are so designed; even the thick Crosstrail's tyres were brought to an abrupt halt in the looser stuff! 

It was great to be out on the Crosstrail after spending most of the spring and summer months on the Roubaix. It was a wonderful holiday feeling free to splash through the potholed puddles and slide through the muddy lanes, proving there is still a place for my hybrid in my ever growing collection of road bikes!