DAY 3

Earth, Wind and Storm Antonio

The day started with Dee following Bowie’s example of yesterday arriving ten minutes late at the departure point to the sound of a berating Monkey.

Off the trio set up the steep climb out of Zennor, halfway up the hill on a blind left hand bend Dee’s steed Buttercup decided fuel was short. Steering around the acute corner Dee couldn’t reach the fuel valve to turn it to reserve. Thus Buttercup stalled just around the blind turn, Dee worried of impending impact from up coming cars pushed her to the passing point nearby, reset the fuel valve and restarted Buttercup. Arriving at the top of the hill breathless he received zero empathy from his grinning colleagues.

Todays weather was challenging whilst the trio remained relatively dry the 55mph headwind was an impediment to progress. The matter wasn’t enhanced by Monkeys set off statement that we were doing 150 miles the same as yesterday. 194 miles later Dee and Bowie realised he was not being entirely honest indeed the boys set a cubs distance record today arriving at the overnight halt in Minehead Somerset.

Todays route was rather less agricultural than yesterdays, however the 12 first gear assents of Friday were equalled and surpassed with a hill that just went on and on punishing the Cubs. Indeed a 1:4 gradient two miles long.

It must be said that Monkeynav performed well above its average, indeed Average White Band moments were thin on the ground, the only notable one was when Dee filtered ahead up a hill of traffic waiting at a traffic lit T junction and turned right following signposts stating “out of town route”. Monkeynav had us turning left, up to the first roundabout and with a rousing chorus of “let’s go round again” the trio reversed direction.

It must be said albeit with immense reluctance that today Monkeynav performed admirably. Indeed it was observed that at long last Monkeynav seems to be building bridges with Monkey’s bikes indicators, today displayed considerably less than the normal vague speculation on indented directional change.

Unlike previous days Bowie’s bikes magnetic attraction to errant small car drivers didn’t surface.

As they boys Road around the North Devon coastline in gale force winds a glance to the left showed a violently white capped turbulent Irish Sea. Stopping for morning refreshments at Newquay the trio watched surfer dudes struggle for twenty minutes in the roaring surf to paddle their boards out to the break point, mount them and fall off ten seconds later to be washed onto the beach. Then repeat the same act time and time again!!!

Due to weather conditions there is little to report other than an abundance of tree bits on the road. However one highlight stands out above all else that was at a stop in Port Wreath where we met a kindred spirit on a Honda 90 step through, we obviously man bonded with him and his colleagues on more normal big bikes. He was actually on route from Land’s End to John O’Groats raising money for the Isle of Wight prostrate cancer charity. At our lunch stop at the Nice Baps cafe we again encountered him as he rode past with his ensemble all tooting their horns. Going back to Nice Baps they team dined on Devon sausage foot-longs, not being gannets they decided to buy and share two, asking the proprietor to cut each into thirds to share fell on uneducated deaf ears. Devon sausage there’s a reason Cranston’s don’t sell it in Cumbria because it’s not big and it’s not clever.

The overnight abode is quite agreeably a Wetherspoons hotel, what more could you ask for beer, food a bed and unemployed company for breakfast, obviously with chips just like Spanish holiday fare.