Double trouble

OGIL ride report 16th March 2022

Someone had suggested a new cafe (I’m not sure whether that meant it had just opened, or we had just discovered it) in Mullion, and we did not need much persuasion to agree to making it our destination for the day. So off we set for Gweek, pedalling along in auto-pilot and chatting. But we had not reckoned on Ian springing one of his routing surprises, and before we got to Brill we were directed left to Constantine. There we turned right just before the Spa shop eventually to re-emerge on the road we were on originally – was this just to by-pass Brill?

We also flouted convention by not stopping in Gweek, but thankfully we did stop at the roundabout at the top of Gweek Drive before continuing to Trelowarren. Most of the debris from storm Eunice had been cleared, so we had an uneventful traverse of the estate, admiring the views.

Inevitably, once we started our ride across Goonhilly Downs, someone started the mad dash which we all reluctantly had to join with varying degrees of commitment to avoid being left behind. When we got to the junction with the main Lizard/Helston road, your correspondent attempted to do the club-spirited thing of looking out for traffic to signal to the others to join the road. Nobody seemed to take any notice, and it subsequently emerged that my thumbs up to signal the road was clear was invisible because the thumb on my day-glo gloves was black! At least I tried.

Shortly after turning onto the road to Mullion we came up behind a tail back. There had been an accident, and a van was being recovered from a ditch. It is difficult to understand how this could have happened on such a clear stretch of pretty much straight road. I note that the Guardian style guide discourages the use of the word accident as it implies that nobody is at fault, and prefers the words collision or crash. As there didn’t seem to be any other vehicle (unless it had already been towed away, or perhaps didn’t stop), then best stick with accident to describe the scene. Anyway, a friendly Bobby waved us past on the grass verge, and we enjoyed a traffic-free ride into Mullion.  We were soon ensconced in the Milk Barn Cafe, and very good it was too once the sole person running the place had summoned reinforcements to deal with the horde that had descended on him.

Milk Barn Cafe, Mullion
Kath braves the chill to keep watch over the bikes while the others warm themselves inside.

The return trip was (again thankfully) via Poldhu rather than up the main road. No problems except for Amanda whose gears slipped at the critical steep section on the climb out of the cove. Full marks for remaining upright and a sense of composure. For the rest of us, we paused by the Mullion Golf Club and admired a terrific display of multi-headed daffodils along the wall of the garden of the house next to the Club’s entrance.  Indeed, the whole ride was spent observing the astonishing variety of daffs growing in gardens, fields and verges.  I’m no horticulturist, but I know a good daff when I see one. 

Once round Culdrose and Helston, we tackled Muddy Lane, which wasn’t at all.  We turned right by Wendron school, and took our usual route up to the main road.  Ian barked out orders of “Two groups of five” for the short stretch of A394. The first group more or less obeyed, but the second was a sorry muddle of singles and doubles. Still, we all survived to arrive at Retanna, and then the usual route home.

A good ride, and a nice new cafe which I am sure we will return to (perhaps ringing ahead?). Just over 75 km for me.


OGIL ride report 20th March 2022

I haven’t written last Wednesday’s report yet” was my plea when our Illustrious Chairperson suggested I could write a report for Sunday’s ride. Roll the two into one, he replied, for which I didn’t have an adequate response. I think this might be a punishment for being consistently late with my reports.

Anyway, Sunday turned out to be quite a promising day weatherwise, despite a brisk and chill wind from the east (or SSE to be precise), and nobody demurred when Porthtowan was suggested as the destination. So off we set up through No Man’s Land and then Lamanva, just as we (nearly) always do. It was Fred’s turn to spring the routing surprise today as he directed us to take the right up past Mabe church. Surprisingly there were few grumbles about having to tackle this remorseless gradient, although it could be that the noise of my pulse throbbing in my ears had rendered me partially deaf.

We eventually gained Longdowns where we turned right past the quarry and on to the Greek Church, then on to Burley Aquatics. At the right turn just as the road turns up to what must be a 15% gradient, a van graciously gave way in amusement as the bunch of cyclists desperately tried to find their bottom gears whilst still maintaining a semblance of momentum. All good fun, but the antics really began when we stopped just before reaching Burncoose. Having counted up our number (as we were ten this was relatively easy – nobody was wearing mitts), we discovered we were one short. The short one apparently was Dean the Elder. After waiting for him for a while, somebody helpfully pointed out that in fact he had been in front. Once this had been established, we continued, expecting to find DtE waiting for us at the next junction.

Having crossed the main road at Burncoose, we were puzzled to find that DtE was nowhere to be seen. Employing the latest technology, Phil3 telephoned him. The message back was that he had gone to Gwennap. Despite the obvious thing being to ask him to retrace his steps, as we were intending to go straight on to Frogpool, everybody turned and descended into Gwennap. Surprise, surprise, no DtE. We took a right just past the church, and rode along the delightful Sunny Cor high above the valley we normally ride along (Trehaddle), arriving at Cusgarne Hill. A quick right-left brought us onto Coombe Lane. We fully expected to find DtE waiting for us at Richards garage, but again he was conspicuous by his absence, so we took the left turn up the Carnon valley. Eventually we found the fugitive in Bon Appetit at Twelveheads. His claim that he had had a cup of tea and piece of cake while he was waiting was obviously false, but the upside was that we were delighted to see Richard753 (or is it 531 or some other Reynolds number?), although he declined our offer to join us for the rest of the ride.

From there it was a straightforward ride through to Chacewater, Blackwater then Mount Hawke and past Wheal Ellen into Porthtowan. The weather had brought the day trippers out and it was moderately busy for March, but we commandeered a couple of outside tables at the Blue Bar (other than the small contingent boycotting this particular establishment), and enjoyed our refreshments in the sun and wind.

Blue Bar, Porthtowan
Outside the Blue Bar, Porthtowan. Anyone for a paddle?

The route home was no surprise to anyone – straight up to Wheal Rose and Scorrier, then Treskerby and round the Redruth by-pass. Turning right at the top of Lanner Hill leads eventually to the delightful swoop down in to Penhalvean, where we stopped as usual in the lay-by to debate the merits of Stithians or the causeway as the optimal route to take home. At this point, a spanner was inserted into the machinery by the suggestion that we stop at the Stithians Water Sports Centre for a quick coffee. Half of us eagerly seized the opportunity, but inevitably the coffee turned into coffee and cake for all but the most abstemious amongst us. Suitable reinforced and re-energised, we tackled the headwind down to the causeway. The wind seemed to have freshened as well as dropped a few degrees, and we were glad to get into some shelter for the last bit home.

A splendid ride, and who knows we might migrate to a two-stop model for Sunday rides in the future. We just need the club to invest funds in a long piece of elastic for Dean. 72 km for me.

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