part 1 Friday
Me, Ian H, Bry L, Steve F, Guff & Dave V. set off early in the morning (DWF club) to meet at the Route303 American diner on, strangely the A303) for 745am. Half got there 45m early and left, the other haft got there 30m late. The American breakfast is remarkably the same as the English one!
- American Diner Route303
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- Doesnt look too steep does it!
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- steep lane
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- steep lane
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We got back to the pub at 530pm just as it was getting dark, only just though!
- arriving back at dusk
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The pub is a proper one and not as the landlady said "a restaurant with a bar attached". The rooms were basic and is probably not the place to bring a first date. A last one perhaps. Shared bathroom/toilet had some timing games but the rooms each had a sink...
They served good food and fine ale (Betty Stoggs for those in the know). We all had some, except the boy; who had somthing foreign pale and fizzy.
Bry managed an impressivly sized pancake starter followed by possibly the largest potion of ribs I've seen not on a whale. He bucked the full english breakfast the next day !
Part 2 - Saturday 930am start. This time my shortened version of Bry's Sidmouth to the Beach route. Originally 130m and 10.5 hours I cut it down to 125 miles
This loop being counterclockwise heading via Axminster, Broadminster and down to the beach near Abbotsbury. Dave A impressed some pheasant shooter party being falling off at walking pace even before we got to a nice country pub at Powerstock. Here for just a short luncheon of roasted figs and only one beer
There is a lane at West Milton which at the north end has about 200m of washed out gully 4' deep by 2' wide. Good job wer were going down it! At the lower end is the fantastical red sandstone gully. I've seen TV's Julia Bradbury doing some walking & explaining at this point.
We got to the beach about 3pm and rode the 1m of pebbles to West Bexington with no drama. Requiring riding at 2/3 gear full'ish throttle and sitting back on the bike to allow the front to surf over the pebbles. Backing off results in the front end sinking in & loss of all composure.
The cafe here has reopened now after being closed for a year of more.
Nearly out of daylight and still 60m to go I cut off a few corners, fuelling at Burton Bradstock and linking lanes around Lyme Regis. Another refuel at Sidmouth and back to the pub by 530pm again!
Again food and beer followed by a little port..
Part 3- Sunday
Bry L had to go home for some reason to do with domestics, i wasnt listening.
Today started very wet and got steadily worse. The route was again a Chris Cole GPX cut short at 70m and went counterclockwise east past Lyme Regis on lanes I had missed on saturday, then north towards Axminster and back. After the late morning fuel stop the rain was more like fire hoses. So of course the next lane was the FORD.
My leading bike was up to the front wheel rim and so on looking back i thought there appeared to be a ledge/stepping stone option. Trouble is that it was slippery with the aforementioned 3' deep water on either side. Most decided to push their bikes along it. And the lesson is; push your own bike as when two have a go there is a tendency to overballance... Steve's KTM was pulled under by Rich falling backwards into the river and Steve letting go the clutch and blipping the throttle and then falling forward into the river.
The good thing about 2 strokes is the ease of draining water out of the spark pug hole & upending the bike. It amazes me how our bikes cope with the abuse they get! So after a short spot of lifting & draining the bike we were off again losing daylight. A series of really good lanes followed looping back to Axminster and thence back to Sidmouth petrol station for a jetwash. There was only one more lane to do...
The B'Stard.
There is an upkick of 4ft at an angle and no run up. Requiring a jiggling of the bike back as far as it'll go then leaning forward and gunning it up the embankment, dropping the wheel and turning sharp right back into the gully. Unless your name is Guff and you ride a manly XR400 and have no style then its just fucking go for it technique also works. Dave V managed to reaffirm his new name as Bruce by inverting his CRF again this time landing on top of him. Looked worse than it was though. Good for you mate.
So from being quite cold we were all steaming along the last few miles of road to the pub.
The pub had very generously allowed us to keep the rooms for changing and showering in after the ride saying they werent going to bother cleaning them til the following day. So nicely cleaned and packed we variously had beer and icecream, sometimes both before departing for home at around 630pm.
A fantastic trip and ideal location for a bunch of dirty bikers. I'd recommend the trip and am happy to do again when there is more daylight.
Chris B