Babbacombe Day 3

After initially struggling to get to sleep I eventually drifted off after midnight and woke around 6.30am. I just lay on the bed drifting on and off until 8.30am when I decided I needed to get up. I wasn’t sure where I was going to get breakfast from. Googling offered up some options but they were all a few miles off route. Showered I went downstairs to find my hosts had laid on some cereal for me which was nice. Managed a bagel with honey and marmalade too. It was more than enough to get me to lunchtime.

I retrieved my bike from the shed and said my farewells and I was off through the village, past the pub from last night and across the A368.

It wasn’t long, after trundling around some flattish lanes amongst fields and farms, I began the climb into the Blackdown Hill AONB. A lovely place, quiet and very green. However the climb was the climb that kept giving. False top after false top. It just went on and on to finally what seemed to be the top after a forested section. It gave way to some great views on the other side. Right here the road descended slightly for a few hundred metres and then it was up again, even higher. FFS.

The road took a left before I reached top and then descended a long straight super steep lane which seemed to take me into the heart of a steep sided valley peppered with the odd residence and the occasional farm vehicle. At the bottom it was straight back up. Long and steep and the road continued in this fashion for the next few km. I just engaged a low gear and tapped it out. My legs were a bit sore today so the early climbs were making them complain a bit.

Up and onto the plateau I passed Upottery Airfield which today was hosting supercar driving experiences. You could see them speeding up and down the old runway one after the other. Then, for the first time, my route plotting went a bit off -piste. The Garmin wanted to take me down a rough track which was fine but I was a bit worried I might cut my tyres so I went around. The Garmin re-calculated and directed me back on course but once it found itself I’d gone a km the wrong way and had to retrace my steps.

I was now on the Honiton road and rode probably the straightest 5 miles I’d ever done. Just a very gradually uphill but dead straight for miles and then out of the blue the Garmin kicked back into life and took me right and across a few more interlinking lanes to a wonderful descent that seemed to go for a few miles and upped my average speed a bit.

I was into the lanes again now and popped out in Ottery St Mary briefly where I saw the first signs for Budleigh Salterton where, in my head, I was stopping for lunch.

Devon lanes are torture. No one seems to cut the hedges so you can’t see much and although I knew I was close to the coast I didn’t see the sea until I was a matter of metres away. It just popped out of nowhere.

I rode into the town trying to find somewhere to stop. I needed somewhere I could keep eyes on my bike as I’d forgotten to take a lock with me. No luck in the high street. I turned around and saw a sign for a kiosk by the beach so I found that and it was perfect. Right on the beach. I wheeled my bike down the steps and sat in the shade and enjoyed a BLT bagel. The sea was so still, it was lovely although the pebbled beach was a broken ankle waiting to happen.

Lunch done I wheeled the bike back up the beach steps and rode on the busy main road to Exmouth for a bit until I turned off and found a fantastic little lane that seemed to drop way more than I’d climbed but I wasn’t complaining. Then before I knew it I was on Exmouth sea front. Somewhere else I’d never been before. A lovely sandy beach with a baywatch-style lifeguard hut too. I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was.

I had to find the Starcross Ferry now so I followed the garmin into a little built up complex and there was a sign for it, a small queue and as luck would have it the ferry was just coming in. I only had to wait 10 mins. It was 10 quid for me and the bike. I had to take my bag off and they lifted the bike up onto the roof and tied it to the rail. There was another couple with bikes too and he had a Cube Stereo full-suspension ebike but the guy hauled it up, battery-in, no issue.

The ferry took about 25 mins meandering its way across the River Exe estuary. I left my garmin on to pick up the route. Docked, we disembarked. I was handed my bike back and had to walk up a long pontoon, down a path onto the railway platform then up and over the bridge before getting back on.

I picked up the Exe estuary path which is a shared path. Some of it is great and traffic-free, some, particularly the path into Dawlish, just naff so I rode on the road.

I stopped at Dawlish and took a pic of the beach and was quite impressed by the railway rebuild that had washed away in storms a few years ago.

I started the long draggy climb out of Dawlish and was passed by a couple on road bikes. She was on a very fast looking bike. I just settled into a rhythm but I was sure I was catching them.A few more metres and I’d convinced myself I was so I opened the taps a little and pulled up to them and then decided to pass. I said hello and then she boomed ‘Oh My God! you have a pannier bag on, I must be so unfit!’ We had a brief chat and carried on together to get stuck in traffic before they carried onto Newton Abbot and I flicked a left down and across Teignmouth bridge.

I had to plug the Garmin into the power bank here before the final climbing before Babbacombe. I’d decided to stay off the main coast road and plot a loop up and over the headland which started by the water’s edge in Teignmouth. The first climb was like all the others. Up, straight, steep, high hedges and relentless. I met a couple of cars coming the other way but they were nice and gave way.

First climb done, I dropped into a beautiful little village. Really old buildings, a church, a pub, school, shop. Perfect and then it was out and up again for the last climb and one of the steepest which was worth the effort because as I topped out and reached the main road I had a long descent, a short pull into St Maryschurch and a left onto Babbacombe downs and I was done. Completed it mate.

I called Sally who was at our AirBnB so I scooted there, showered, got changed and hit the pub. It was apt my first pint was Proper Job.

It’s been a hot 3 days in the saddle but weirdly got a little easier each day I think. I can look forward to a nice weekend off now in the sun.

Adios