Ride Reports

Truro Chocolate Factory – 9th March 2008

What, they are giving away free chocolates in Mullion? That’s what’s stated on the Penzance Wheelers website so it must be true. I must check this out! I will lead an expedition into the wilds of the Lizard to discover the truth behind Trenance Chocolates situated at Mullion Meadows.

I was a little concerned about the weather for this expedition as it was taking place the day before the ‘great storm’ where the emergency services were getting prepared for the heavy rain and winds of almost 80mph. However the day turned out to be a little cold with a couple of showers, a little head wind and mainly the skies were blue. The calm before the storm!

Julian, Damien and myself left Truro Cathedral at just gone 9am and cycled through Penweathers, Bissoe, Pulla Cross and we reached Stithians by 10am. We headed into Rame and then cycled along the main Falmouth-Helston for around a mile before turning left for the nice three mile descent into Gweek. From there we cycled up Gweek Drive and headed towards Goonhilly Downs.

The roads were quite wet, and as I was at the back of the group I was getting a soaking from the wet spray from the mudguardless bikes in front, so I allowed the front cyclists to go on ahead of me, around a quarter of a mile, to keep dry. Anyway, I am always a great believer of leading from the back.

We turned right at Traboe Cross towards Kuggar and then further on this road we took

a right turn and tackled some country lanes to take us onto the Lizard-Helston main road where we then turned left into the village of Mullion. A hail storm greeted us as entered the village.

We cycled through the largest village in Cornwall (a useless piece of information I got from Damien!) and we headed to the Cove where the chocolate factory was situated. It was 11.30am and the café was open. After the hail storm the café was most welcomed, it was comfortable and warm and the hot soup was gratefully received.

After we took advantage of the café we looked around the impressive chocolate factory and tasted their free chocolates, it was quite a remarkable operation and I wanted to dive into their three machines where they were mixing the milk, plain and white chocolates separately!

By 12.30pm we were once again back on the bikes heading to Poldhu Cove. When we reached Cury Church we turned left hoping the road would take us to Gunwalloe, but we only ended up on the Lizard-Helston main road so we abandoned the idea of seeing Gunwalloe and headed into Helston, where I deserted Julian and Damien and headed home to Camborne.

It turned out to be a good day and the Chocolate factory does offer free samples of chocolate! I can foresee future chocolately visits to the Lizard.

Mileage 62 Miles. Average speed 12.4mph: - Writer of report: Jeremy Bond.

Bissoe Valley – 30th March 2008

The skies were blue and the wind was calm as approx. 15 cyclists met at the cathedral for the morning ride. Caroline was going to take the super-easy ride and Phil was going to take the intermediate ride, but where was Caroline? Did she forget to put her clocks forward an hour? After various discussions and a chance to allow Julian to fix his puncture, it was decided to head to a cafe set in the Bissoe Valley.

There were six ‘club run’ riders in the pack (Julian, Gareth, Alan, Barry, Hugo and Jeremy) so from the very beginning we separated from the group arranging to meet everyone at the final destination. The break-away group headed to Porthtowan. The pace was quick, but everyone managed to hold on to the leading riders (or was it they slowed down to allow everyone to catch up!).

On the return journey, on the outskirts of St Day, Julian’s gear cable snapped, fortunately Bissoe Café had a quality cycle hire company that offers bicycle servicing, so it was hoped Julian could get this fixed, however, it was also hoped that this would slow Julian down (in our dreams!)

We arrived at Bissoe, just before twelve expecting to see the intermediate riders relaxing in the sun, but there was no sign of them. Unfortunately the mechanic did not have the tools to fix the gears on Julian’s bike, but at least he was only a few miles from home. We ordered our refreshments and sat outside enjoying the sun. Around 20 minutes later the rest of the club appeared from their intermediate ride.

I think everyone had an excellent morning, the warm sun was a unexpected bonus which we all enjoyed.

16th March Club Run St Ewe

Things don’t always go to plan. A rear tyre burst curtailed the Runs Leader after five yards (just as an already nervous donkey was being led into the Cathedral for the Palm Sunday Service!). This shambles was rescued by Anita, who kindly transported the unfortunate ‘head man’ back to base at Probus for a rapid tyre and tube change. Not exactly Formula One speed but quick enough.

Anyway, the unforeseen parking of her car at Churchview Road in Probus persuaded the owner that the longer excursion (instead of the shorter one organised by Phil) was to be the preferred ‘trip of the day’ and so seven riders exited Probus via the Trewithen roundabout and pushed on, somewhat belatedly, to St Ewe, via Grampound Road, Coombe, Hewas Water, and Heligan. In actual fact, we were only half an hour late at the lunch-time venue.

Cheered on by the resident parrot and replete after lunch we sailed away up Polmassick Hill and home via Tregony. Hugo, Ian and Julian chose to cut across country to Brighton Cross to ‘practise’ a time trial back down to Truro and Chris turned left at the Probus bypass to return direct to town, leaving the Runs Leader to guide his erstwhile taxi-driver back to her transport. Even an ardent cyclist has to defer to the usefulness of a BMW motor car at some crucial moment….

Weather: OK.

Miles: 28 (About 36 for the ‘Ladock Valley Wheelers’)

Riders: Anita Perkins, Chris Fearnley, Alan, Ian, Julian Wynn, Hugo whitlock and the Runs Leader with the punctured pride (JK).

Club Run to Padstow – 24th. Feb. 2008

Up around Newquay and along the coast road – back via Camel Trail, Ruthern Valley and Indian Queens.

At our coffee stop, requests for pasta lunches from the menu were turned down because lunches not served until noon (well, it was only 11.10). So it was veggy breakfasts and cake and several coffees - somehow we managed to spend an hour and a quarter at all this so the pasta could have been had after all.

Light rain started half-way back, but otherwise mild and windless. I wanted to try the old A30, promised as a cycle route, but there’s still no access 8 months after opening the new road.

Riders: Julian, Barry, Alan (first Club Run), Steve, Damian, and Chris. 58 miles.

Club Run 4th May Fraddon

Surprisingly for such a beautiful Spring day, there were only a handful of takers for the intermediate ride over to Fraddon. I think the alternative attraction of local Randonees probably had something to do with this. Never mind. Delights they certainly missed!
Wending our way thro’ the traffic (Sunday seems more busy than other days now) our route, which usually follows an easterly course via Truck fork to Ladock was altered at Tresillian, where the Runs Leader decided to ‘treat’ his team by striking up the hill behind the Village Hall. This was an interesting option, giving everybody an up close and personal ‘encounter’ with a stream of gas guzzling old ‘classic’ motors out on some tour or other. I think I’d prefer to stick with the bike. Who would ever want to sit behind the wheel of one of these ‘heaps’ on such a lovely day is quite beyond me!!
Anyway, skylarks sang and chiff-chaffs twittered (well, according to Christine they did) and what was an intermediate ride swiftly moved down to a more ‘easy’ option. A circuitous route took us down to Ladock and then along the valley for lunch at the Blue Anchor at Fraddon. The chippery was in full swing! After a very pleasant sojourn at this cordon bleu venue, we opted for the valley return picking up Jude Lawrence and John Flowers at the Brighton Cross roundabout. I assume they had just gone up there to enjoy the spectacle of vehicles navigating the traffic system. Mmmm…
A lovely easy ride really. Chiff/chaff, chiff/chaff etc.
Weather - beautiful. Miles - 30.
Riders - Hugo, Amy, Christine, Mike (John and Jude on the way back) and the Tour Director J.K.