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David says:
The day started cloudy with a strong breeze from the North. The route crossed and recrossed the M5. Much of the way was on small, quiet roads or single track lanes which had high hedges, providing protection from the wind. As the day wore on it brightened up and we had to apply suntan lotion.
On a disused rail line, the Strawberry line, we met a couple on an articulated, tandem reclining bicycle (ie they are lying down on their backs with the pedals in front of them). God knows how they got it through the regular squeeze gates that stop motor bike scramblers accessing the cycleway.
The excitement for me was being passed by the Google Street View car at Congresbury just before we crossed the river Yeo on the A370. It looked like it was operating so maybe in 18 months time I will be on Street View. Drew has already been on Street View, near Amersham, when he was recuperating from his broken leg - if you choose to look then he is the old bloke with two sticks.
There were at least two challenging hills one of which was through Failand, at least there was a fast run down to the river Avon.
Unfortunately we chose the east side of the river Avon gorge and had to cycle alongside a very noisy and fast road. If we had stayed on the west side we'd have had a quiet run on the NCN 41 route. Drew wanted to go on west side and I insisted on the East - bitterly regretted.
We wound our way through a huge industrial estate on official NCN routes 41 and 4 to the Severn road bridge. We were both tired so have stopped in Chepstow and are staying in the Castle view hotel.
Major problem- I have run out of Fig Rolls and none of the shops we've been into have them.
Distance 98.5km, max speed 48km/h, moving time 5 hrs 49 mins, moving avg 16.9pm/h, ascent 315m,
- comments
Sue & Richard Drew you both sound as if you are doing really well & making good & speedy progress. Have you an ETA for being somewhere (west or east) near Shrewsbury / Telford environs even if it's only for us to do a emergency snack & water reprovision, or in fact sunscreen. Weather through this week is for lots of sun & higher temps.
Peter & Anthea Drew & David - Your blog brings back happy (and some painful) memories of LeJoG 2010. Very impressed that you are doing it unsupported with all those panniers. The weather seems to be turning in your favour, if not the winds. The day I did the Severn Road Bridge I ended up in a youth hostel in Welsh Bicknor. Your overnighter in a Chepstow hotel is much more 'me'. Presumably you are making for Chester, the North Yorkshire Dales and Carlisle? Well done and keep up the good work.