I suggested we’d go east this week as I was not long from my sick bed ( serious man flu) so meeting at the “Norway Inn” would give me an easy start to the day. Amanda was on “barista watch” in Somerset and Sylvia preferred slightly more mature company so there were just chaps this week. Charlie in his twenties, Ben in his thirties, Phil 4 in his forties ( now looking a bit “hipster” with some impressive facial growth ) and seriously bearded Ian in his sixties, having recently morphed from Ricki Tomlinson into full blown David Bellamy!
A gentle ride to the King Harry and the first real test as we ascended from the ferry. It wasn’t too bad, just a little cold on the lungs, though the legs felt good after several days rest. We decided we’d take a loop through Tregothnan via Ruan Lanihorne and bumped ( nearly literally ) into a large group of cyclists at the Treworga junction. I think they were mostly Truro CC but I recognised Chris Guest of St Austell Wheelers and also Roger Eaves who I last rode with on the LEL so we all stopped and chatted in the sun, out of the wind – for a very long time 🤪. It was all very pleasant cycling banter – great to be seeing people again. I hadn’t noticed a young bearded cyclist who’d snuck over and was chatting with Phil and Ian. It was only when we got going again I realised it was non other than the “sometime” member of the Falmouth Wheelers, Julian Winn! A little more than hipster but not quite Bellamy! (He owes two years membership – don’t worry Phil, I’ll see he pays.) Then off we all rode.
As always the hills are a test around here and oddly it was Ben we were waiting for on the very steep climb to the Tregony road. It then got a bit lively as we descended into Tregony following Charlie who now rides with tt bars, with a full on sprint to the brow of the small rise before the village then sweeping over the bridge and into the long, though not too steep, climb out. What fun! I felt surprisingly good but was no match for Phil who scurried to the top well ahead of me. We waited at the Texaco garage at the Veryan turn off and were soon joined by Ian and Charlie but there was no Ben. Apparently he’d lost sight of us in Tregony and said he’d make his way back to the ferry. We always thought that Ben liked a zippy ride!
Da Bara was shut so it was on to the pop up coffee stop at St Mawes castle where the coffee is always reliably good – and not £4 a shot which is what Amanda was being charged on her seaside ride in Somerset. And then a very leisurely ride back to the ferry and, as always on a Sunday, the Lockdown Inn. I’d planned a 70/80 mile ride to Fowey/Lostwithiel for this Sunday but then felt I might not cope in my current state so not many miles at all this week, mostly chatter. Some testing hills though so Amanda no doubt grateful to be on the Levels this week.