I awoke bright and early on Sunday, looked out if the window and it wasn’t raining! “Bugger” I thought “no excuse not to go out” so I set o off at exactly 7.33am to meet the others at crane garage. Unfortunately for me I have barely ridden a bike in the 5 months since Dave’s Pathfinder to Dutchy Nursery so 27 minutes proved too little time to rendezvous with thee others. So a quick pause just before Halvasso turn to let Ian know I’d be between 10-15 late and I pressed on. Got to crane garage at 8.13 and there was nobody there. “See you down there” was te message stating at me… “I could just go home” I thought but I was out and wet already so pushed on… following hot on the others heels through Porkellis, Nancegollan, Goldsithney and Marazion, where im sure I glimpsed some wheelers just ahead, the wind just wouldn’t let me catch them.
Over a coffee in McDonalds I learnt that Ian had driven down the big jess.
Anyway enough waffle into the pathfinder. 21 people on 20 bikes I think it was set off to discover new hills and new roads. From Longrock it was towards Penzance then riding “in groups of 5, 50 yards apart” or something that fell apart anyway, we rode past the station, where a train almost lured me into cutting the ride short, along the prom to Newlyn, Mousehole, up to Paul and then Sheffield. And there I was thinking i was in Cornwall. Then a nice stop at Lamorna Pottery for a coffee, cake and group photo, without me as I was in the temporary toilet at the top of the stairs…
☆edit☆ I just remembered at the pottery there was a sign that winter was retreating as Robin spotted an early spring bulb.
From there it was back to the intermittent showers and on through St Buryan then up some more hills to our lunch stop at The Cook Book in St Just, which inexplicably nobody took a photo of so I’ve nabbed a screenshot off Google Maps
Strangely, eventhough we were in St Just, there was no baby on the menu, they must be hoarding them or only eat their own. The food on offer was amazing. There is a link to their website and menu here
Whilst here I swallowed my pride and arranged with Fred a lift home! Result.
Back to the start then. Out of St Just the route was though the mining landscape of Botallack, towards the house from Straw Dogs, more hills but atleast the wind was finally at our backs huzzar!!
A brief stop to look at some stones at Lanyon Quoit, interesting fact our very own Richard 70odd was the architect, then finally downhill back to Longrock via Madron and Fred’s car.
We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Passing Raymondo looking confused at Marazion cafe and Trevor, who left after ray, at the top of the hill. Home and a shower for me, but it appears to have been a Star at Porkellis day for the brave souls who rode there and back.
54.4 miles for me, but we’ll done to PhilS for his first 80 miler.
Chris
Hopefully I’ve waffled on and bored you all enough to not have to write another report for a while.