The Cornish Lugger

I was fortunate to have my old friend (and sometime foe), Dan Holloway along with me for the first two days of the ride. This bought a

wonderful symmetry to my journey as back in 1999 when I undertook a similar "shake off the cobwebs" challenge, Dan was my wing-man at the outset. Times and circumstances have changed somewhat for both of us since then - I guess there would be a serious problem if it hadn't - but it was great to re-live the boys-own feel of that time.Those first two days in Cornwall were hard work - probably the hardest of the journey. You can get some idea of just how hard we worked going up and down the sides of those coves by looking at the GPS traces from Penzance to Lands End and Newquay to Padstow. Unfortunately I lost the GPS trace for the stage from Hayle to Newquay but I can assure you that as tough as it was, not once were we beaten by those hills! Had these come at the end of the journey, I'm pretty sure that would not have been the case as although fitness would have been better, enthusiasm would have been waning.

The first day was to be the first time I had attempted to ride more than 25 miles on my new Mercian bicycle and the first time I had used my GPS in anger. Would the hours I had spent programming my

route on the back roads pay off, or would I be bludgeoned onto the A-roads? I soon found out as close to Lamorna my GPS helpfully told me I was off course. Dan and I rode backwards and forwards until eventually, we were routed up a boggy and overgrown green lane. I was fine making headway in my lowest gears while beating a painful path through the nettles. Dan was cursing behind on his highly unsuitable high-end road bike. We then came across this gem: Flygate. Flygate did exactly what it said on the box, it was covered with flies! I seem to recall passing this gate and pondering this same phenomenon many years ago while walking around the Lizard Peninsula. Now that I've seen them for a second time, I wonder if it's something to do with my BO! But seriously, post your theories as to why flies would frequent this gate should be posted in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

The first day somewhat predicatably ended at a pub where we met up with a holidaying friend. We were able to camp the night on a site next door where Dan and I had to share my two man tent. As always when pitching a tent, the contents of my bag spilled out onto the ground - on seeing my banana guard, Dan expressed his horror and offered to sleep outside the tent. Sadly, he didn't follow through on that offer and spent the night polluting the atmosphere.

We started day two with a fine breakfast at a hotel in Newquay, this was to become a theme for me over the next three weeks. Breakfast fuelled Dan for several miles up and down these brutal Cornish coves but I think Mawgan Porth did for him. He did however, manage to muster his remaining energies and feign an aggressive riding style when he saw the camera rising to take the shot on the left.The picture on the left was taken in Padstow, just before we went our separate ways - Dan to Bodmin Moor for the train and me north-west towards Tavistock. On reflection, I do wonder if he bailed out because of concerns regarding my penchant for banana guards, the somewhat camp poses I struck for the camera and the unsuitably lurid nature of my attire.The effort that went into the cove climbs was to have mechanical consequences later in the journey...read on - if you dare!!!