AVON CALLING - DING, DONG!

 Good news - I have got my bike back and it's had a new motor fitted (free of charge!) and a new cassette, new chain, an upgraded computer and a new front rack and bag (not free of charge!)

What better way than to put it to the test but the 140km Avon Cycle Way over 2 days.  The route was launched by Avon County Council in 1989 and conveniently links National Route 4, The Bristol & Bath Cycle path and National Route 41 as well as many other local routes into Bristol City Centre.

SHIREHAMPTON TO WARMLEY

I'd arranged to leave my car on someone's drive in Shirehampton through JustPark for 24 hours and duly arrived at the property near Avonmouth. I'd chosen this location as my starting point in order to give me approximately 75km to cycle each day, so day 1 of the tour was to be Shirehampton to Warmley Station, a watering hole on the Bristol & Bath Cycle path. The first part of the day saw me negotiating fly tipping dumps to surpass all fly tipping dumps!  Old three piece suites littered the well marked Avon Cycleway along with all manner of other human detritus. Throw in my near collision with a drug dealer in the middle of a deal and my rapid escape from two snarling pit bull terriers about to escape from the lead of said drug dealer, I was pleased to reach the relative calm and safety of countryside north of the M4 & M5.  Having reached Thornbury and a quick look at the Thornbury Castle Hotel, where you can enjoy a 2 night Easter break for £823, I decided that a more reasonably priced bacon sandwich was in order in Shelly's Cafe!

From Thornbury the route heads east towards the village of Wickwar, the name adopted as part of the Wickwar & Wessex Pub Company - I thought I'd heard the name before.  Heading south and then west the cycleway meanders to the north of Chipping Sodbury and Yate before turning to the south at Iron Acton where a welcome pint of "Proper Job" was enjoyed in the sunshine outside the Lamb Inn.  

Back over the M4 and towards the suburbs of Bristol, I picked up the Bristol & Bath Cycle Path and decided that at Warmley Station it was time to seek a bed and some sustenance, so I headed back into Bristol and made my way to my friend Barry's house in Cotham.  A retired dentist who has a passion for fishing, Barry & I have been friends since our youthful days in Huddersfield. We had a great evening eating, drinking & reminiscing.

WARMLEY TO COTHAM

Day 2 began somewhat blearily - I'm unsure whether it was the cloudy ale or the spicy Sri Lankan food we'd eaten or a combination of both but I had to make a decision. Did I retrace my steps to Warmley Station or pick up the Avon Cycleway further on.  With rain forecast and conscious that I needed to get back to my car by lunchtime, I decided to head due south to Chew Magna and re-join the route there.

COTHAM TO CHEW MAGNA

A series of cycle paths and small roads saw me navigate (with the help of Komoot  of course) through the southerly suburbs of Bristol until I was out into the lanes of north east Somerset and a long descent into the Village of Chew Magna which is close to the northern edge of the Mendip Hills and almost equidistant from Bristol & Bath. Those of us who have ever flown out of or into Bristol airport will have not failed to notice the vast expanse of water which is Chew Valley Lake, a reservoir that was created in the 1950's and now famed for fishing and sailing among other recreational activities.

From Chew Lake I headed west towards the coast at Clevedon.  The route passes close to Bristol airport and the long sweeping descent towards Clevedon enabled me to make up some lost time after my tardy start to the day.  A strong cup of coffee in Clevedon and a chat with some fellow cyclists who stopped to admire my bike and I was off again heading north west following the well marked cycleway which runs parallel to the busy M5 but well below it - that is until you cross the Avon Bridge - where the path runs right alongside the oncoming traffic as it hurtles towards Taunton & Exeter.  This section of the journey was made even more disconcerting when I came across a Police man restraining a young person on the bridge. I did, for one nano second consider stopping and asking him if he needed any help, when reason got the better of me and I noticed a Police motorcyclist approaching in the opposite direction to assist his colleague.  Now I know why on some sections of cycle paths they have removed those annoying metal obstructions that stop you getting a bike through that's any bigger than a Raleigh Chopper.

CHEW MAGNA TO SHIREHAMPTON

With the rain imminent I made it back to the car before my allotted parking time ran out with 154 km clocked up, the bike in great working order and ideas buzzing for my next trip - who's joining me?

Happy Birthday!

 

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!

Saturday March 5th  - Riese & Muller Supercharger 2 GT is one year old and has clocked 7497 kms. So to celebrate it's birthday a 60km day tour from Monmouth was planned  with a cake baked by the Fairfield Flyer to add to the occasion (his Victoria Sponges are to die for!) But as they say  "the best laid plans.....

As the weather has been so awful last week, with the arrival of some dry conditions on Friday I decided to head off to Porthcawl.  Everything was going swimmingly well until after my coffee stop at the Cafe in Rest Bay.  No power assisting my pedalling and an error message on the display screen - ERROR CODE 500. Out came the phone a quick Google search for  Error Code 500 told me that there was an internal drive fault and that resetting the display might cure it.  Tried the reset - no such luck!  The next suggestion was very helpful...If the problem persists, take it to a Bosch Dealer.  So I phoned my Bosch Dealer who told me to bring it in for them to put the bike on their diagnostic machine.  Problem being that I'd bought the bike in Bristol and as it is still under the warranty it had to go back there!  Porthcawl to Bristol on a ebike weighing 32kg with no power would have probably have meant I may have made it back home for Christmas 2023  I considered the easier option of trudging as best I could to Bridgend (16kms away) to catch the train back to Llantwit Major - this would probably have meant I would have made it to Bridgend by Easter 2022.   I went for the easiest option - phone the 4th Rescue Service - Sue and get her drive my car to Porthcawl with the bike rack!  During the hour wait I popped into ONIT Sports, the bike shop in Porthcawl, who were very helpful and offered various ideas as to what might have gone wrong with the R&M. Sounded like a new motor which will have to come from Bosch in Germany - I'd been through this very scenario when I had a Cube Acid 500, which needed a new motor after less than a year's riding - that time the bike was off the road for 6 weeks.

 Sue duly arrived and the trusty steed (not so trusty Bosch motor!) was mounted onto the tow bar and driven  home in time for a cup of tea and to make the arrangement to take the bike to Bristol on Monday, where hopefully it will be fixed very soon!  

So, no birthday celebratory ride... no cake.... no candles....no Saturday morning bacon butty....

but here's the route we would have done.... and will no doubt do in the near future!