Any Excuse for a Ride (2)

Alan B

Pedelecer
Jan 5, 2011
85
0
Yatton
This time the excuse was to try and cycle up Cheddar Gorge, never done it on a normal bike.

Here's the route: Cycling Activity 27.12 mi | RunKeeper

Started off nice and early to miss the traffic, here's the church in Yatton showing the time.
Cheddar 1.jpg

Using the Strawberry Way again, with the flash on the camera coming on because it's overcast.
Cheddar 2.jpg

I decided not to use the power on the early part of the ride, this was hard graft, slightly up hill, slight headwind, and gravelly surface. Last time I did it with power on I was doing 15.5mph, power off about 11mph.
Cheddar 3.jpg

Where Thatchers cider comes from.
Cheddar 4.jpg

The station at Winscombe, is the guage of that track right, looks to wide ?
Cheddar 5.jpg

and the platform.
Cheddar 6.jpg

This is the axbridge bypass following the line of the railway and the old station, the cycle route passes through the middle of nearby Axbridge.
Cheddar 7.jpg

Cheddar Ponds at the base of the Gorge, this water is routed to the nearby Axbridge reservoir.
Cheddar 8.jpg

The Gorge - granny gear, about 4 to 6 mph, medium effort sat in saddle.
Cheddar 9.jpg
Cheddar 10.jpg

Top of the Mendips.
Cheddar 11.jpg

The ancient lead mines near Charterhouse.
Cheddar 12.jpg

Burrington Combe, that was a nice coast down.
Cheddar 13.jpg

and here's the entrace of my driveway....... no not really, thank it belongs to Sir John Wills (the tobacco man).
Cheddar 14.jpg

An enjoyable ride so early in the morning, and I'll try it again next week and see what difference it makes have the power on all the way round.

cheers,

Alan
 

lemmy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Looks a lovely ride and interesting to see the stats. Definitely one to start with a fully charged battery, I'd say!
 

bert11

Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2011
27
0
southwest England
Nice one, today I did nailsea - yatton - strawberry line - cheddar gorge, stopped at the base and went home again, 37 miles.

Its a really good route isn't it. Would love to climb the gorge and cruise down Burrington Combe, but I wasn't on electric today
 

Scimitar

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 31, 2010
1,772
40
Ireland
Was that station ever part of the Great Western Line? If so, 7ft was the gauge for a while, iirc.
 

Alan B

Pedelecer
Jan 5, 2011
85
0
Yatton
Was that station ever part of the Great Western Line? If so, 7ft was the gauge for a while, iirc.
Dave,

Done a bit more research on this and found this on one of the web sites I visited:

"The Bristol and Exeter Railway Company constructed the Strawberry Line in broad gauge, and the first train ran in 1869."

I guess it must have changed to standard guage subsequently, but they've obviously preserved that bit of history.


Bert11 - what a coincidence ! We live in a good area, plenty of variation. Perhaps we'll bump into one another one day.
 

bazwaldo

Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2010
219
21
Very nice ride Alan B.
Great desription with good photos.
I live fairly close by at Street and inspired by your trip I have checked in Google maps and found that Street to Cheddar gorge to Wells and back to Street is about 34 miles in total.
My Bearprint bike has done over 4600 miles commuting to work in the last 10 months or so to Shepton Mallet, I wonder if my battery would cope with this as a round trip?
I will have to give it a go I think.
Thanks for posting about your great ride.
Barry.
 

Alan B

Pedelecer
Jan 5, 2011
85
0
Yatton
Very nice ride Alan B.
Great desription with good photos.
I live fairly close by at Street and inspired by your trip I have checked in Google maps and found that Street to Cheddar gorge to Wells and back to Street is about 34 miles in total.
My Bearprint bike has done over 4600 miles commuting to work in the last 10 months or so to Shepton Mallet, I wonder if my battery would cope with this as a round trip?
I will have to give it a go I think.
Thanks for posting about your great ride.
Barry.
Hi Barry,

Wow that's some mileage, and I know the Street to Shepton route has some big hills.

I don't know anything about the Bearprint, so don't know if the battery is going to do the 34 miles of your planned route. I wonder if it would be best to shorten slightly by taking the B3139 from Wedmore to Wells, rather than the A371 from Cheddar (this is very busy, and very up and down, whereas the 3139 is much more rural).

cheers, Alan
 

scarrabri

Pedelecer
May 14, 2011
248
4
Stoke on Trent
Hey Allan ,what a wonderful ride that looks ,ive never thought of going there in yet ive passed it by many times ,and it looks stunning ,i am always after new places to ride ,and this looks like one of them ,well done my friend ,a must for one day soon, Brian.
 

bazwaldo

Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2010
219
21
Hello Alan,
I was thinking Street, Wedmore, Cheddar Gorge, Priddy, Old Bristol road back to Wells back to Street.
There are some tough climbs in there and it would be a quite severe test of my Ebike's battery and me I am sure!
I am prepared to give it a go when circumstances allow.
If I can find a day with good weather and take a packed lunch it ought to be fun. I could even pack my camcorder and try to film parts, also my budget helmet cam.
Thanks to your and scarrabri's reports of your fun trips I feel quite excited at the prospect! :)
I had a very enjoyable ride to Langport to see my old Dad in his Care home today, 24.5 miles with some lovely scenery it was terrific. Luckily I fitted it in before the weather changed in the late afternoon.
Best wishes,
Barry.