Bath > Feniton 80 miles

July 13, 2014

Bath > Feniton 80 miles

Today was brilliant. Just brilliant. (and I apologize for a lengthy description of it)

Woke up in a bed (always a nice start). Under a nice white blanket with real sized pillows (not inflatable ones you can fit in your pocket). And we knew that breakfast - cereal and yogurt - was just down the hallway. You know you're a nomad when these basic elements of life are so cherished. The sky was a bit grey and we hoped for no rain - we had a long day planned and many hills - and being dry is always a bonus.

Before our official departure we stopped at Anne's, a friend of our parents who they met on their "Meditation and Yoga in India Escapade". Our short visit was wonderful, tea and cookies which turned into cheesecake and more cake. Touring cyclists never turn these things down.

(the next two paragraphs might be (are) long winded - but interesting to cyclists)

Once out on the road things were a bit different. Katy said the bike felt weird - I chalked it up to not cycling the last two days. The bike's functioning was also a bit off - too much tension in the cable to the rear derailleur (which I couldn't seem to adjust). We kept riding - still she said it was "odd" but we had just descended a steep hill and all felt okay to me. We pressed on. Then when going through a roundabout it felt like our bike was wiggling. Very strange feeling. We said it was probably the cross wind and extra weight in the frame bag. But then it wiggled again - very hard to describe. What is causing these two problems - a rear derailleur all wonky and the wiggly feeling? I didn't know. A good physician, when presented with two seemingly unrelated symptoms from a patient, is best to follow Occam's Razor (which is a principle that states the single diagnosis that can account for all the patients symptoms should be the diagnosis considered first). I continue.

Katy requested to stop (again) and upon closer inspection Katy noticed our rear coupler had started coming loose - which essentially means our frame was only mostly connected (scary). Feeling like a complete idiot (I speak for myself) we cranked it tight and were grateful no drastic accidents happened (our previous host toured through South America but spent 2 months in Quito, Ecuador recovering from a broken collarbone sustained when his front rack came apart while descending a mountain at 30 mph and he tumbled over the handlebars). The loose coupler allowed for the wiggly feeling as well as the rear derailleur problems (when loose the frame became too long, adding extra tension to the cable). As we rode down the road we thought all was well. Not the case. As the frame lengthened it had stretched the chain between my and Katy's pedals. Once the coupler was tightened the chain now had too much slack - and came off three times today while it previously had never come off. On the next descent I noticed the front brake didn't engage. That cable had also been overstretched and required adjustment. And so begins our bike taking on a life of its own. Over the next 9 months it will become our little child, with its own quirks and personality.

Lunch on the street corner of Crewkerne. A friendly gentleman approaches and asks where we're going. He quickly offers tea or coffee and to fill up our water bottles. How many times has this happened to me in the States? Zero.

Met our WS host in the small village of Feniton. She guided us down the winding, hilly single track road to her home. As we rode we said we'd come from Bath. "Are you mad?" Apparently we cycled too far today. 80 miles and 5,300 vertical feet (although on Google Maps the more direct route is about 1/2 this much vertical - we like to find the scenic route). Yeah my wife is tough.

Now in front of the tele (after a nice dinner of course, and almond torte with black currants from the garden) watching the World Cup finals while Katy discusses Harry Potter trivia (J.K Rowling went to school in the town over).

Last thing I'll mention. Today was our first day we didn't spend a £. Love WS hosts and the British and Scottish. Our trip wouldn't be what it is without the generosity of complete strangers. Tomorrow is our last day in the UK. Gonna miss this place (although the flat Loire River valley and french bakeries are much anticipated).

Now I've just been offered chocolate truffles (and not that Hershey's stuff) and hot chocolate. The day gets better.

Expenses: Zero £. My kind of day.