Forum ride: Crediton to Dartmoor. Saturday, 18th February, 2023

[Ian H]

You are welcome to come (by car) and get showered/changed at our place if that helps?

That is very kind, but I'd prefer not to drag the car out. Also, we'll probably take the train into town, unless we're giving a lift to a less-mobile friend.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Is that a Norwegian forecast for the UK that is more reliable than the Met Office and BBC forecasts?

The Met Office are suggesting a 10% chance of rain but the Beeb come up with 30%. That is quite a difference!

I forgot to ask about bike locks... I don't have one here. I could get one delivered by Prime in time for the ride but if you and/or Ian will be bringing a lock whick could lock 3 bikes together then I might not bother.

As the Met are based in Exeter I'll go with them!
But the Norwegians (yr.no) were spot-on in Kent and The Friday's used them as their goto forecasters. Here they seem less accurate!
I can bring an extra cafe lock.

Am happy for either of you to call-in here/meet or you want a cuppa/toilet etc. before the off, what I don't have is very much parking available, will pm you both an address and phone number, Whatsapp etc.

 

[ColinJ]

10 or 10:30 would suit me.

Shall we s...

Sorry - emergency dog removal - he started throwing up and needed to be gardened in a hurry!!! (Seems to be fine now.)

Let's make it 10:30 at the station then. PM just came in. I will continue there...

 

[Littgull]

Very envious of you folk re this Forum ride of @ColinJ. I was born and bred in South Devon and lived there for the first 32 years of my life. I'm now 69 and live in the North West in the Pennines s - equally scenic and great to live in.
The place names mentioned in this thread evoke lots of fond memories. Take a while to enjoy the superb little gem of the Norman church at Mamhead Park and post some pics. I actually met a church official there in 1974 when I worked for the Electricity Board.

Enjoy the ride, all.

 

[ColinJ]

A slight diversion here... Brian, you are a Devonian and lived in Exmouth for a long time. (We may have already discussed this, but you know my dodgy memory...!) Do you pronounce it the way that the rest of the world does - Ex-muff, or how I have been hearing locals doing it - Ex-mouth!?

They were asked how to pronounce Plymouth (Ply-muff!) and Yarmouth (Yar-muff) but for some reason they considered their town to be different!

Take a while to enjoy the superb little gem of the Norman church at Mamhead Park and post some pics. I actually met a church official there in 1974 when I worked for the Electricity Board.

I think the plan is to bomb straight down the hill to the lunch stop at Cockwood, but I will take some photos from a viewpoint before the descent.

I told my sister about the views from the site of the obelisk and she fancies going up there with her dog. If not this time, maybe on my next visit. We could go round to the church while we were up there.

 

[Jameshow]

Hope it goes ok, as we are predicted 60mph winds on Friday!!

 

[ColinJ]

Hope it goes ok, as we are predicted 60mph winds on Friday!!

Forecasts here are suggesting 15-25 km/hr with gusts double that, so roughly 9-15 mph, gusting to 20-30. Hopefully, the main hill will shield us because we will be climbing into that wind! A crosswind descent to Cockwood might need extra care if the gusts are sudden and savage... (I had a near miss once coming down off Holme Moss when a gust caught me doing 90 km/hr and almost put me through a dry stone wall on the RHS of the road! )

 

[Littgull]

A slight diversion here... Brian, you are a Devonian and lived in Exmouth for a long time. (We may have already discussed this, but you know my dodgy memory...!) Do you pronounce it the way that the rest of the world does - Ex-muff, or how I have been hearing locals doing it - Ex-mouth!?

They were asked how to pronounce Plymouth (Ply-muff!) and Yarmouth (Yar-muff) but for some reason they considered their town to be different!


I think the plan is to bomb straight down the hill to the lunch stop at Cockwood, but I will take some photos from a viewpoint before the descent.

I told my sister about the views from the site of the obelisk and she fancies going up there with her dog. If not this time, maybe on my next visit. We could go round to the church while we were up there.

Brill, ha ha yes it's definitely the latter Ex - mouth 😁. I think it is the 5th biggest town in Devon by population. Behind Plymouth, Exeter, Torquay and Paignton. Might actually be more populated than Paignton now. The comprehensive school in Exmouth was the largest school in the UK when I lived there. I only lived in Exmouth for 3 and a bit years when in my late 20s. Torquay and later Paignton for before then.

 

[Fab Foodie]

A slight diversion here... Brian, you are a Devonian and lived in Exmouth for a long time. (We may have already discussed this, but you know my dodgy memory...!) Do you pronounce it the way that the rest of the world does - Ex-muff, or how I have been hearing locals doing it - Ex-mouth!?

They were asked how to pronounce Plymouth (Ply-muff!) and Yarmouth (Yar-muff) but for some reason they considered their town to be different!


I think the plan is to bomb straight down the hill to the lunch stop at Cockwood, but I will take some photos from a viewpoint before the descent.

I told my sister about the views from the site of the obelisk and she fancies going up there with her dog. If not this time, maybe on my next visit. We could go round to the church while we were up there.

 

[ColinJ]

Definitely added to the local dog-walking destinations!

As is Shobrooke Park, which I discovered yesterday. (I had seen the gates to the estate multiple times but didn't find out what was behind them until I got home from my ride.)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Definitely added to the local dog-walking destinations!

As is Shobrooke Park, which I discovered yesterday. (I had seen the gates to the estate multiple times but didn't find out what was behind them until I got home from my ride.)

Shobrooke is a small piece of heaven, we walk there daily. Also good is along the Yeo from the station to Salmon hutch, another regular (and up and over the hill). There are worst places to live!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Brill, ha ha yes it's definitely the latter Ex - mouth 😁. I think it is the 5th biggest town in Devon by population. Behind Plymouth, Exeter, Torquay and Paignton. Might actually be more populated than Paignton now. The comprehensive school in Exmouth was the largest school in the UK when I lived there. I only lived in Exmouth for 3 and a bit years when in my late 20s. Torquay and later Paignton for before then.

Exmouth is developing, no doubt, but still lovely! Cycling both sides of the Exe is great too. We also dog walk at Woodbury Fort, was a shock to go there recently, they've removed all the Rhodedendrons!
Topsham is like Chelsea on Exe....

 

[Littgull]

Yes, I love the Exe Trail route. Topsham is very 'upmarket'. Nice place. I used to cycle through there when I worked in Exeter. Also when I lived at Exmouth I used to cycle to Sowton via Woodbury Common.

 

[Jameshow]

Good ride guys?

 

[ColinJ]

Good ride guys?

It's tomorrow!

Topsham is very 'upmarket'. Nice place.

We went for a family meal there a year ago. My sister really likes it. I am not keen on the rain in Topsham though...

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I prefer Exmouth, where my niece has bought her first house.

I gave my bike a superficial clean ready for the ride. It only has clip-on mudguards which won't keep the bike clean, so it isn't really worth getting it any cleaner because it will be mucky again after an hour of riding at this time of year.