So Day 3, our final day of riding, started ridiculously early again for me, 05:30, why? Balloons!! We were warned that they set sail early (is that the correct term?) but starting that noisy fan to fill the balloon with air at 05:30, that just takes the p.....
Bikes were loaded and we were away by 07:30 and I was already thinking today is going to be a looooong day and I may need a pick-me-up later to get me through.
It wasn't long before we hit our first lane and it was a tricky little sucker, a steep and rutted downhill that had various 4x4 playground's spurring off it at various points along its length. Well, that certainly woke us all up!!
Damian needed fuel so we followed our route until we were close to Radstock where we detoured to get fuel ..... and a morning coffee. At this location we were actually on a later part of our route so when we left the garage we decided to loop back around the opposite way to our route, which is actually the correct way this part of the TET should be ridden (not that it really matters although this does become a bit of an issue when theres one way streets and riding the wrong way up an exit slip onto a fast A road as we found out later in the day #dangerous!!
The lanes here were very different from yesterday. Much more sunken and under the canopy of trees and the surface covered with masses of golf ball sized stones which smash off the belly pan as you ride along and fly out from under your tyres with a distinct 'pop' noise, almost as if you've popped your tyre.
There were some very muddy and very rutted and very steep lanes on this section - Wilmington was one such lane. As we dropped into the lane it was as if someone had turned the lights out it was that dark! I had to stop and remove my sunnies so I could see. We proceeded to paddle down this tricky lane and when we'd almost made it to the bottom we commented that we're glad we chose to ride this section the opposite way to originally planned, but that made no odds cos climbing back up the other side of the valley wasn't any easier. Good fun though and on the big bikes with massive power (over the Enduro bikes) they can handle this terrain with ease (as long as the rider is confident to handle the bike)
There were more great lanes along this stretch and some absolutely fantastic houses too.
Tracking back past our breakfast coffee stop at Radstock we headed South West towards Holcombe taking in more tree canopied, stoney lanes then arriving at Shepton Mallet where - after a few dizzying circles of the town centre due to one way streets - we found a suitable venue and stopped for an elevenses brunch.
The first few lanes after a lunch stop are usually a bit sketchy until you find you eye again and today was no exception as we were dealt a pretty tricky one immediately after lunch at Chesterblade - more muddy, steep descents and then another tricky climb. All good fun though!!
Pressing on further south through Pittcombe, North and South Cheriton, Trent then to our faux-pas for following the route backwards. At Over Compton we rode up a narrow inclined road that, to be fair, did have a no entry sign at the bottom, reason being this was a small exit slip off the A30. Realising what had happened and why we were in the situation we were in we joined the carridgeway (safely!!) and proceeded along the road until a U-turning point.
Good job we rejoined the route here as the next lane was a belter, another deeply sunken lane with crazy talls cliff-like walls rising 30 odd feet above us. Amazing. This was right on the outskirts of Yeovil.
We stopped her at a fuel station for fuel for Damian and a RedBull for me that I knew I was going to need. Since the brunch I was feeling lethargic with low energy which I out down to a combination of lack of sleep and a bit of food coma (the beinch wasnt massive but it was enough to make me feel dozy, and especially with the sun beating down on us at thia point of the day ...... not that im complaining about th weather being so nice I might add!!!)
Fuelled up amd sugar and taurine intakes brimmed we set off for our finaal destination which we'd decided would be at Raymonds Hill on the A35. The planned route was much longer - too long, but we knew this - so given when we wanted to be home this location should be achievable.
Exiting Yeovil to the south we past Sutton Bingham Reservoir where there were lots of boats out on the water.
At Halstock there was a nice long and flowing easy lane though the trees before a short little lane at Corsombe.
With a road closed at Crewkerne we thought we might to have a look for an alternative route but the diversion actually took us up a street where we were planning to head anyways, #bonus!
We were closing in on our agreed final destination now so with only a few lames to go we pulled over for a quick wee. We discussed the section of lanes from post brunch to now and all agreed that there was a lot of roadwork amd that the lanes were all very much the same - wide hadpacked gravel based with little challenge. Well, someone must have heard cos the next lane was at Sandpit and jeez, didn't that provide some funa and games ! Another tricky climb in very deep muddy rutts with boulder sized rocks amd everything.
In the next lane was wildly overgrown with a narrow single rutt and this is where we met some fellow TET riders coming in the opposite direction. They were from Yeovil and had been doing the Great Western Trail down to Lands End over the oast couple of days. After a quick chat we buried ourselves in the hedge to allow them oast then we continued on to our two final lanes, the last of which was a steep amd rocky climb that exited ontoa blind bend of a fast A Road, another example of why theres a right and a wrong way round to riding this route! I was not happy with pulling out from thia lane so I dismounted my bike to stand on the opposite side of the road to hail Russ amd Damian out when I knew it was clear. Crossing the road on foot was also a fair risk tbh but I made it safely across (you'll all be glad to know! Ha ha)
So, that was it, our 3 Day TET trip done, now just the 1hr and 10min road ride back home which was okay although my arse had had enough long before we got home!!
As Russ and I peeled off the A38 to Ivybridge Damian waved us goodbye heading directly for home.
My plan was a jetwash at Ivybridge just to get the worst of the muck off the bike before a deep clean. As I was about to turn into the garage my wife drove past as she was heading to the in-laws for a roast, hmmm nice I thought, and I was to reap the benefits as I was delivered a 'add your own gravy" monster portion of roast dinner when the wife arrived home just as I'd got out of the shower. How about that for timing hey. It was amazing and just what I meeded and a great end to a fantastic few days away.
