Tue 20

Mr Sidey and Pikachu's Dec 2011 Travel Diary

Tuesday, 20th December 2011

Monday 19th --- Home --- Wednesday 21st

Yay! At last I managed to get some cycling in! After unfolding my bike, topping up the tyres, and getting kitted out in my ever-so-trendy hi-vis jacket and cycle helmet, I set off from the Travelodge. Having plotted my course from the map, I headed for the cycle path called "The Tarka Trail" which runs between Barnstaple and somewhere down south.

Unfortunately, I managed to get a bit lost in a big estate, and the "road"-looking thing on the map later on turned out to be a boggy "path."

and we ended up here:

and the bike will need some cleaning, Pikachu:

but eventually we made it to the trail (how does Pikachu reach the pedals?):

One of the reasons I knew about this trail was because of the James May TV programme about toys. In one episode on Hornby trainsets, they laid a massive model railway track along part of the Tarka trail - which used to be a real railway before it was closed and turned into a cycleway.

Some of the railway buildings and track have been left, like this signal box at Instow:

This one at Bideford, where the carriage is a museum:

and at the end of my trail today, at Torrington, where the carriage is used as a restaurant:

Near here, you cross the river Torridge (which the trail follows for quite a way,) three times in 700m because it meanders back and forth.

This is my entire route. I cycled 49km in total:

and today, I wore my heart rate monitor (chest strap and watch) which recorded my entire trip, including this data for a short section:

Teacher time: What do you think is going on at "A" - look at the elevation that shows you hills, the speed and my heart rate.

For a few more pictures of things we saw from the trail, including a long scarey tunnel:

Click here for more Tarka Trail pictures

Monday 19th --- Home --- Wednesday 21st