Following the Trail in We Meet Again Xenoblade
Julian challis finishes his mission to complete the entire length of the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland Trans euro trail on a stunning ride through south-west England
Information technology's not quite the triumphant end to the ride I'd planned. Arriving outside my house on a common cold Monday afternoon, drenched to the skin and alone was inappreciably a plumbing fixtures end to finally completing the whole U.k. Trans Euro Trail (TET). Withal I couldn't care less. I'm feeling on top of the globe.
Accompanied on every section by my mates Chris and Matt, a variable cast of other riders with suitable and patently unsuitable bikes, we've ridden the TET in sections over the past iv years. We've travelled from Dover to Chepstow, Chepstow to Crewe, Crewe to Kendal, Kendal to Newcastle, and Bristol to Land's Cease together. And now, finally, we've completed the final leg from the very tip of Cornwall back to our base in Bristol. And information technology's been bloody fantastic.
Our last button to complete the road would see us travelling along the Slap-up Western Trail, a diversion that takes you off the main TET road in Somerset and travels a meandering path through Wiltshire, Dorset, and Devon, to Land'southward Cease in Cornwall. It then loops back on itself to re-bring together the master TET in Somerset.
We had actually ridden the first half of the route to Land's Cease before, a journey you lot can read near in Issue 60 of ABR. However, faithful readers of our epic journey will remember that Matt'due south bicycle had died on the second day of the last trip, so to ensure he'd also completed the full route, we'd bravely agreed to some other ii days of glorious trail riding to repeat the Bridport to Land'southward End section.
The first of the terminate
Then, it's bright and early on a Thursday morn that we meet at the Washingpool Farm Shop and Café for breakfast. Steve and I have ridden down, me on ABR'due south Honda CRF300L long-term review bike, and he on a big-tanked Honda CRF250L. Matt, Chris, and Paul have arrived by van, bringing their SWM RS300 RR, Honda CRF250X, and KTM EXC250 with them. With the van stowed in the store's car park, equally they've helpfully agreed to, nosotros tuck into salary butties while Chris, always the bargain spotter, goes for the half-toll children's full breakfast.
Now, every bit I've covered this flake of the Great Western Trail before in ABR, I'll skip most of the ii days riding between Dorset and Cornwall save to note that, while it'due south more often than not the same, the TET linesman do constantly update the road so there are quite a few lanes that are new or different, and quite a few that I but just do non remember.
One stand-out piddling section takes us forth the foreshore at Topsham, a feat just possible at low tide and a pretty slippery detour at that. We savor a sumptuous lunch past the h2o at Shaldon and, although the latter part of the 24-hour interval is accompanied by an 60 minutes or so of soft drizzle, we reach Ivybridge in plenty of time for beers and a back-scratch. Day two sees usa tracking the southward coast through Devon and on into Cornwall, finishing upwards in Mousehole before travelling to our beginning bespeak for the trip proper in Hayle.
Land'due south Terminate to Wheal Tor
The morning is non the virtually promising for the start of our return leg, with thick fog enveloping the Cornish boondocks like an overprotective mother. Nosotros accept the A-route for the curt 17-mile schlep to Land's End, darting through the morning traffic on glace roads. The fuel shortages that started to have upshot the day before are now showing, with every petrol station we pass being clogged with broken-hearted drivers.
We press on to reach Land's Stop just before 9 am, and thankfully the fog has lifted for the obligatory photos at our start point. Images in the can, we saddle upwards away and blast from the tourist site to follow the trail north.
But a few miles later, nosotros hang a left through St Just and ride downwards to the coast over again where nosotros are rewarded with views far more than atmospheric than at Land'south Stop. The trail takes us to the superlative of craggy cliffs towering above crashing waves, the mural interrupted with the tall towers of the can mines looking similar vast stone darts thrown from the clouds.
Nosotros continue to follow the Great Western Trail n along the coast through the tiny villages of Botallack, Trewellard, Bojewyan and Morvah, but what should be a truly spectacular road with stunning views of the distant Atlantic Ocean is totally obscured past the returning fog that surrounds us once more.
An hour or and then subsequently, we reach St Ives, but thanks to new traffic restrictions, we are directed loftier over the town with simply a fleeting view of the iconic harbour that has inspired so many artists over the centuries. We press on by Hayle once more than, heading inland for a while before reaching Lanner for an early lunch of coffee and Cornish pasties.
At this point, our political party goes from five to four equally Paul, cheers to a consummate disaster of both diary and family planning has to return to Bristol for childcare duties. The trip has been on the calendar for ix months and at present he's riding the 180 miles back home in i hit on a 250cc enduro bike on knobblies. I'm so pleased my daughters are all grown up.
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The Trans Euro Trail stretches virtually 32,000 miles across most of Europe from the pinnacle of Scandinavia right downwards almost to the peak of Africa.
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Put together by a group of motorcyclists with aught more than than a love of riding rather than whatever commercial motivation, it's a truly outstanding achievement and an incredible gift to bikers beyond the world.
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Simply by going to the website www.transeurotrail.org, you can choice the country you want to ride in and, with the click of a mouse, download a GPX trail of the route.
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You can do as much or as little as y'all want, safe in the knowledge that the routes volition exist legal, enjoyable and thoroughly rewarding.
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In a somewhat biting irony for Paul, the paucity of trails in the forenoon is replaced by far more off-road action equally we press on dorsum towards the coast, and with the weather condition improving all the time, we can really appreciate the stunning landscape every bit we rails on northward, dropping right to the cliff's edge at Porthtowan Beach to watch the surfers below.
Pressing on, we meander upwardly the coastline to queue for fuel in the bustling tourist resort of Perranporth, then ride up to the outskirts of the even busier Newquay, before the trail arcs correct inland. The dark-green lanes are coming far more regularly now with a mix of sandy tracks, woodland trails, and moorland tracks, but with the iv of us riding a swift and spirited pace, we're making good time.
The bikes are all pretty well matched with two 250s and two 300s, and all on proper rubber so none of the lanes are providing whatever issues.
We reach Bodmin by around iv pm and stop for a livener, where the barman insists nosotros utilise an app rather than actually just tell him what nosotros want. The subsequent drinks then take 15 minutes to arrive rather than him just giving them to us at the bar. But it'south a good job nosotros're feeling fortified considering outside the town there are some complete snotter lanes including one slab filled descent that on a big risk cycle would exist a complete nightmare. I nurse the CRF300L down to the bottom, relieved that the Dunlop Geomax tyres are finding grip where my feet tin can't.
With the team all safety, we press on for another hr or so to our overnight stay only outside the village of Minions at the Wheal Tor Hotel. We've got woodland cabins to stay in but, faced with an exterior shower block and no towels packed, three of united states of america carelessness the end of solar day ablutions in favour of Doom Bar. Matt joins u.s.a. once he'due south streaked through the copse in his travel towel. The steaks are both delicious and welcome.
Wheal Tor to Kilmington
The morning brings more fog and the realisation that I'd dropped my safety glasses in the car park, and while they are nevertheless there, beingness run over hasn't improved them. We cantankerous the River Tamar at Bradstone to re-enter Devon and gradually head n through increasingly wonderful lanes to achieve Oakhampton for a much-needed coffee, and an unfeasibly large cookie dough and white chocolate cake.
We have to queue briefly for fuel only outside the town, but with the four bikes needing less than £20 between all of them, we're comfortably below the £30 per person limit. Nosotros cross the A386 and caput south over again towards Chagford, and we are rewarded with some of the best trails and so far. Ancient roads and deep lanes cutting into the landscapes, walled tracks dropping into and out of picture-postcard villages and open trails through the rolling Devon hills. It'south a stunning office of the journey and nosotros're all loving it.
An hour or so later, we loop back up over the pinnacle of Exeter, deciding confronting a full lunch and opt for a beverage and dash in a lovely little pub in Thorverton, where there'due south lots of banter and chat with a grouping of locals who are interested in our trip.
Wishing we could stay for an afternoon of beers in the sunshine, we reluctantly leave and head south towards Ottery St Mary, the route coming within only a few miles of the outgoing road to State's End.
Y'all might think that the Great Western Trail would rail the south coast on the fashion down and the north coast on the return, but information technology stays well clear of the North Devon and North Somerset coastline. There are enough of lanes to the northward, you'll merely have to find them yourself.
One reward of the close proximity of both legs of the Great Western Trail is that you lot can easily make up one day, 2 twenty-four hours, or 3-day loops if you don't desire to tackle everything in one go, and many riders are using the trail in this way. It means that you tin can park upwards vehicles, ride for as long as you similar, and so loop back on the trail, perfect.
The Trans Euro Trail is aimed at pocket-size and medium capacity trail bikes. While larger bikes tin can tackle it, riders demand to exist more experienced and competent.
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For our part, we've ridden the UK leg of the TET on a range of bikes from a Yamaha Ténéré 660, to a KTM 250 EXC, and a KTM 690 Enduro R.
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Other riders who have joined u.s.a. along the way have been on everything from a Honda CRF250X, a KTM 450 EXC and a BMW Thou 650 GS, to even a Honda CB500X.
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Although the Ténéré and the BMW did the job, they were far harder piece of work in some sections than the lighter bikes, and the CB500X was largely unsuitable for much of the route save the tarmac.
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In the terminate, it doesn't matter what yous ride as long every bit you stay within your limits and savour the experience.
And this is exactly what is evident an hour or and so later on every bit, on a especially tricky trail through a riverbed, we run into another group of riders coming in the reverse direction, many of them on CRF250Ls, and nigh of them struggling on the bike'southward stock IRC tyres.
We stop to conversation before leaving them behind for a couple more than hours of fast trails and fun up towards Tipton St John and a series of really gnarly and technical rocky trails.
Once nosotros attain the main road again, it'south clear that the terrain has got the better of Matt's rear Motoz Extreme Hybrid tyre which, despite looking fine, has naught pressure inside. Steve breaks out the Tyre Weld and pump which is good enough to let Matt to limp onto our overnight accommodation at the somewhat unprepossessing A35 Pitstop.
I don't think I've ever stayed in a cabin earlier, but every bit the place has a petrol station, an off-licence, and a tranquility backyard for u.s.a. to sort Matt'south wheel, it's pretty much perfect. Between the iv of united states of america and eight bottles of beer, we wrestle the SWM's beam reluctantly out of the swingarm, besides equally the knackered tube out of the rock-hard Motoz tyre.
We then refit one of my spare tubes, before replacing everything with a regular supply of swearing and bleeding knuckles. My function is largely managerial in the process, providing tools, spares and advice rather than volunteering to break my fingers fighting with Australian rubber.
With the job finished and riders showered, it'southward off to the Quondam Inn next door, but equally they don't serve food on Sun, we dine on service station sandwiches, crisps, spicy meatballs, and kabanos washed downwards with local ale. It's a hugely enjoyable nighttime filled with laughs and smiles and a fitting last supper for our trip.
Kilmington to Bristol
The terminal solar day dawns and, after a full English in a café, information technology's back on the bikes. The sun is out but as it hammered down last night the roads and trails are covered with lots of standing h2o and soaked vegetation. We have to retrace our steps back to Honiton to re-join the Great Western Trail, but Matt has found a keen trail that runs parallel to the road and nosotros bounce and splash through information technology at a cracking pace for and then early in the 24-hour interval.
And the peachy lanes continue, with tight single tracks where nosotros are fighting through the brambles, to muddy lanes through farmland. In that location are sunken tracks below the arches of aboriginal copse and rocky descents, to river and bloated ford crossings where the water is churning from the overnight rain. In just ane hour of riding, nosotros tackle more than lanes than in a whole day in South Cornwall, and the four of us are grinning from ear to ear every time we stop.
We cantankerous from Devon into Somerset as we travel due north up to Chard. At the moderately busy petrol station, I'm delighted to find a pair of safety glasses by the airline. A suitable if slightly improve replacement for the pair cruelly squashed at Wheal Tor.
Pressing on, we drop down toward Fishpond Lesser in Dorset, again within miles of the southern leg of the Slap-up Western Trail, before meandering support northward to re-enter Somerset at Crewkerne. Unable to resist either the wonderful pun or the neighbouring antique marketplace, we cease at Planet of the Crepes for suitable refreshments and, for me, a browse round the dusty treasures side by side door.
Every bit the twenty-four hour period continues, we are treated to some of the wonderful sunken lanes around Beaminster, our route being temporarily diverted by fallen power lines and tree cutting action, before eventually reconnecting and heading up towards Yeovil for more than of the same around Sherbourne and Bradford Abbas. Nosotros're well into Southward Somerset at present and inside a normal day'southward ride from home. The lanes are condign familiar and welcome.
Less welcome is the deserted petrol station in Bruton, in fact, the whole town is like a ghost boondocks thanks to the lack of fuel. We downwards pasties and coffee as Matt breaks out the emergency litre for his slightly thirsty and minor tanked SWM, which is plenty to get us up to Shepton Mallet and the E10 oasis that is Tesco.
We have to queue for 15 minutes but this concluding acme-up will exist enough to see us to Journey'due south end, which is peradventure more than can exist said for the group of six or 7 lads from Newcastle we meet who are on a motley pick on CRF250Ls, Honda Groms, and Cubs who were on their way southward on the TET. And so, the final push to stop the trip. Steve peels off dwelling house at Midsomer Norton, and for Matt, Chris and me, the 3 Musketeers of the TET take chances, it'south a gentle last leg to reach the outskirts of Bristol.
Even having to terminate to hastily to put on waterproofs every bit the heavens open up does not dampen our spirits. The TET has taken us all over England and Wales, with mile later mile of stunning roads, wonderful lanes and ballsy landscapes.
From crossing rivers in Powys and estuaries in Cornwall to blasting along dirt roads on Salisbury Plain and green roads across the Lancashire moors, it'due south been an incredible experience that I wouldn't accept missed for the globe. To anybody involved, but most importantly to the linesman who created information technology, thank you. The UK TET is done, now it'southward time for French republic.
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Source: https://www.adventurebikerider.com/article/uk-route-the-great-western-trail/
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