Exmouth Exodus

[Davidc]

I've said I'll do it this year, and Muddyfox of this forum says he'll probably do it too -hope so, it'll make transport easier!

Baggy's seen my amazing speed going uphill, so hope she'll be keeping the tea van in place a bit longer than usual.....

 

[Baggy]

I've said I'll do it this year, and Muddyfox of this forum says he'll probably do it too -hope so, it'll make transport easier!

<rubs hands> Excellent, excellent! We'll work on Muddyfox closer to the date...

Baggy's seen my amazing speed going uphill, so hope she'll be keeping the tea van in place a bit longer than usual.....

But you get up 'em, htat's the main thing! Am sure you'll be round in ample time for tea

 

[Davidc]

Am sure you'll be round in ample time for tea

May have to leave Bristol at about 8 pm then!

If the weather's decent I may ride up to Burrington Combe this weekend and give the mendip and levels section a try. Then I'll at least have ridden all the climbs on the route. Last time I rode down Cheddar Gorge was the day after my last university exam in 1973 and it scared me witless then.

 

[Davidc]

Be warned - I phoned today (7/7/11) and I've discovered that neither FGW nor XC trains can offer any bike transport between Exmouth/ Exeter/ Taunton and Bristol on Saturday 13th August, or Exmouth/ Exeter and Taunton/ Bristol on 14th so if you wee hoping to use that bit of railway then unless you're already booked you'll need to think about alternatives.

 

[spybot]

Really wanted to do this ride this year. But it's my mother's birthday the day after and I don't think the long train journey home will allow me the necessary time to spend with her for me to not get in trouble...

Hopefully it falls on a different day next year.

 

[david1701]

Really wanted to do this ride this year. But it's my mother's birthday the day after and I don't think the long train journey home will allow me the necessary time to spend with her for me to not get in trouble...

Hopefully it falls on a different day next year.

epic phrasing.

Slightly iffy that train thing I was hoping to get the exeter to brizzle train the day before then get picked up in exmouth :s

 

[spybot]

Ha! I mean the exodus, obviously, not my mother's birthday.

I admit the sentence was a little tortured though...

 

[Baggy]

It will be on a different weekend next year, possibly even a different month - it depends when the full moons fall!

Ah, the joys of bikes on trains. The train from Exmouth back to Exeter is of the two carriage variety so I don't think you can ever reserve spaces or seats and there's usually lots of room.

From Exeter, just about every time I've tried to book a bike space I've been told there aren't any bike spaces, but have turned up anyway and 9/10 times staff have found room (or more usually, there haven't been any bikes on the train). It's stressful though, and a couple of times have had to wait for a later train.

 

[Baggy]

Oh, and being pessimistic, even if you have a booking there's no guarantee you'll be able to get on if other passengers have already nicked spaces for bikes or their luggage.

Train operators, they're great...

The ride is worth it though!

 

[Davidc]

Just going to have to be creative with use of the car - and the credit card for the fuel for it. Will have to start negotiations over bike parking in Exmouth.

Where's the best place in Clifton to leave a car overnight and still expect it to be there next day?

 

[Baggy]

Where's the best place in Clifton to leave a car overnight and still expect it to be there next day?

In the first couple of years a few people parked in the area around the Mall and Gloucester Row without any reported problems, but I don't know the area at all.

 

[summerdays]

I don't think Clifton has any specific issues of not finding your car there when you get back (as long as it is parked legally), it is probably more finding the parking in the first place, and remembering that Bridge Valley Road will still be closed then.

 

[style over speed]

It will be on a different weekend next year, possibly even a different month - it depends when the full moons fall!

Ah, the joys of bikes on trains. The train from Exmouth back to Exeter is of the two carriage variety so I don't think you can ever reserve spaces or seats and there's usually lots of room.

From Exeter, just about every time I've tried to book a bike space I've been told there aren't any bike spaces, but have turned up anyway and 9/10 times staff have found room (or more usually, there haven't been any bikes on the train). It's stressful though, and a couple of times have had to wait for a later train.

Would it be worth driving to Exmouth (or Exeter) and leaving the car there to get the train to Bristol on Saturday evening? Is Exeter a safe place to leave a car overnight?

 

[Baggy]

Would it be worth driving to Exmouth (or Exeter) and leaving the car there to get the train to Bristol on Saturday evening? Is Exeter a safe place to leave a car overnight?

Exeter is fine to leave a car, but the problem is that there are no bike spaces on trains from Exeter to Bristol on Saturday.

It would be brilliant if we could organise transport from Exeter to the start, but in the past numbers haven't been high enough to make it viable.

 

[david1701]

I need to pull my finger out and sort out some transport, getting an ikea field trip vibe