The first few people to arrive at Plymouth station were Paul Smith, Neil Allan and Ian Gibbs.  After about quarter of an hour all the people from Devon arrived, making 19 in all.  Just before everyone was about to leave, Martin Luke suddenly announced that he had two spokes missing and his wheel might just need truing!  While Michael fixed the wheel the bad weather was confirmed by Warren Masters, who cycled into the road and exclaimed "Michael, it's raining!!!".  After this stunning announcement, everyone put on their waterproofs.  By the time the group had reached the Torpoint ferry the sun had begun to shine, so a few members went up on the 'balcony' while the ferry went across.

We stopped at Portwrinkle for lunch.  After a good downhill towards it, everyone was in good spirits ... until they realised that a good downhill also meant a bad uphill!  There was a cold wind, and a few people sheltered on the other side of a wall.  Later, Eugene's tyre came off its rim because it had been pumped up too much.  This didn't take too long to fix, and we were soon on our way again.  As we turned on to an old track down towards the Monkey Sanctuary, we were told of Martin Rushworth's 'Helicopter Pick-up' - it sounded very interesting, but I'm sure he was putting it on.

We had a very interesting look at the Monkey Sanctuary's entrance.  We were all so glad that Michael had taken the detour just so we could see this astounding entrance!  Next there was a lovely coastal footpath that we went down.  No-one had told us that pedestrians might be there!  This was a Well 'ard Mountain Bikers' track, so what were they doing on it?  After everyone had zoomed past them, the pedestrians stopped and had a word with Michael (Tut Tut Tut).

As we rounded the last corner on a really good downhill, someone spotted the steps Michael had mentioned.  They were MASSIVE!!  Surprisingly enough, a few people needed a bit of help (including a few Well 'ard Mountain Bikers).  After a telling off from Michael we set off again.  This time, as soon as any pedestrians were seen on the paths, everyone got off and walked!

After stopping at West Looe for some coffee (and ice-creams, the decorations from which Luke insisted on wearing on his head) we set off again - by then it was about 5 o'clock.  Phillip Harler's rack snapped, and was hastily taped up by Michael (amazing what a bit of insulating tape can do).  Phillip's rack snapped again just after crossing on the Bodinnick ferry (the side without the tape on it).  This time Michael just took off the rack and gave the panniers to Simon to carry.

Golant hostel was down a long track, overlooking the river Fowey.  It was a large hostel with one single dorm for the boys: Martin Hills and Simon Hopper were in a separate dorm, within our dorm.  They refused to open the window, even though it was boiling hot and really stuffy!  Meals were served straight away, and nobody minded doing the washing up (there was a dishwasher).  Neil Allan and Neil Ault got hooked on the arcade games, and Eugene sat all evening watching the Nelson Mandella concert.

The day started off well, and everyone was up bright and early.  After getting ready, Paul Smith helped Neil Ault fix his puncture while everyone else packed their stuff.  Luke Hatherly's panniers were a bit full and needed a bit of encouragement to close them (Warren sat on them).  The first problem of the day was Martin Hills' broken pannier, which was fixed up by Michael with a piece of wire.

There was a detour taken into St Austell to find a bike shop.  Phillip Harler bought a new pannier rack (but didn't plan to fix it until later), and Neil Allan bought a pair of handlebar grips (his old ones had a hole in them).  After this, several people (including Neil) didn't trust themselves with their own money and gave it to Michael to look after.  Lunch was bought from a take-away and a bakery, and was taken down to Charlestown to eat.  After lunch, several people went back up to a museum - but only to go on the remote controlled boats!

Half way to Mevagissey Phillip's rack broke again.  Everyone was pleased that he had bought a new one, and Michael fixed it on straight away - Phillip was very pleased!  We set off again and soon reached Mevagissey, a small fishing village with narrow streets.  Lots of people bought souvenirs, and some went into the aquarium (it was only 20p).  Neil Ault and Martin Luke missed the rendezvous for the cafe stop and stayed outside in the rain!

It rained again just as we arrived at Boswinger hostel - a very simple hostel with lots of new small dorms which slept six.  Some went down to Hemmick beach that night, and looked in the caves using Luke's (nine pound) fancy lighter.  Michael's idea of Warren supervising a dorm didn't work, but at least he had his window open.

Once again the day started off well, with all the jobs being done.  Martyn Williams managed to evade doing the washing-up, so he got an extra job.  He almost got another when Michael heard him saying how easy the second job was!  We all tried to leave promptly, but Luke Hatherly was late packing (this was a mistake he learned not to repeat).  We started off (finally) and followed some lanes past Caerhays Castle.  Much to Martin's embarrassment we met the Rushworths taking the dog for a walk.

We stopped at some round-houses in Veryan, and many people took a photo (Neil Allan tried, and ended up wasting three).  After this we took the main road to St Just in Roseland.  There was a short detour for a downhill, a church and a 'VERY interesting garden' (which apparently looked like an overgrown cemetery).  Some of the Well 'ard Mountain Bikers went back up the hill via a track - and some cowpats!  Once again following the main road, we got to St Mawes just as the ferry was arriving.

We managed to get everyone on the ferry by taking off all the panniers.  Luke Hatherly complained that his took too long to take off.  He was the only one who was awkward (as usual).  We got across safely (pity Luke's bike didn't fall in).  On the other side we all had our lunch in a bakery, which was quite reasonable.  Three guesses who went to a pizza shop instead (and the first two don't count).  Luke was so long eating his pizza that he and Simon (who waited with him) got left behind.  Mark Burnard went back to look for them, but they had already gone on in a different direction.

Fortunately both groups met up at Helford ferry.  It was very small, and it took three crossings to take all the bikes across.  Neil Allan managed to leave a bag of waterproofs behind, but the ferry-man said he would post them to him.  We were all totally soaked when we arrived at Coverack, but the warden showed us straight to the drying room.  There were two dorms, this time separated by age order - of course, Luke Hatherly had to swap with someone!  There were plenty of entertainments in the hostel, and in the evening Luke (Pyromaniac) Hatherly kept the fire going.

The meal was very nice, and everyone got a free Easter egg from the warden (we could have done with a magnifying glass as well).  Neil Allan fitted his second handlebar grip, but this time discovered an amazing way to grip the grips:  he held them with a cloth, so his hand wouldn't slip!  It was a cold and very windy night, and the window rattled and banged.  It was wedged, and then finally, much to Michael's disgust, closed!

This was the first self-catering breakfast that we had, and most people made use of the supplies that the warden was selling.  We just about managed to leave on time, although it was rainy, and nobody wanted to cycle in the rain.  There was a strong head-wind as we cycled towards the Seal Sanctuary.  Everyone (apart from Simon) was looking forward to getting there, and it was with some dubious thoughts that we stopped at Goonhilly Downs Earth Station - although when Michael mentioned food nobody wanted to stay outside.

We all managed to get in free and enjoyed an interesting look at British Telecom's satellite system.  Meanwhile Michael met the Vicar from Buckfastleigh, who happened to be on holiday in the area.  Next stop (not including Martin Luke's puncture) was to see the Seal Sanctuary, and only a few people decided not to go in.  Paul Smith bought a cuddly seal for his girlfriend, Martin Luke bought one for himself, and Ian Gibbs bought one for the fun of it!

We had our lunch at the Sanctuary, and everyone stopped to take photos of the seals in the pools.  Once we had exited we realised that the members who hadn't gone in hadn't had any lunch!  We stopped at a Spar, and while they had lunch everyone else bought their tea.

The next stop was RNAS Culdrose, but we were quickly off again to follow the A394 all the way to Marazion.  Everyone thought the road would be easy because it was downhill nearly all the way.  When we got to it, a strong head-wind blew against us, making it quite hard work.  The wind even ruined our refreshment stop on the beach opposite St Michael's Mount by whipping up the sand and hurling it at us wherever we sat.

There wasn't much support now for Michael's detour through Lamorna, so a shorter route was selected through Newlyn and some lanes.  We finally arrived at the hostel at about 7.30, hungry and exhausted.

The first problem with supper was that the hostel's gas cylinder was almost exhausted and had to be changed.  Then we discovered that the warden had only reserved 11 pints of milk for us instead of the requested 17 - he had sold the rest to some unexpected hostellers the previous evening!  Michael thanked him very much, and then watched incredulously as certain members produced Vienetta ice-creams from their panniers.  They had bought them earlier in the day, and were now hoping to eat them for supper!  They actually looked astonished when they opened the packets and discovered a molten, creamy mess.

When Eugene had finally been persuaded to take his first shower of the tour, about half the group walked down the footpath to the beach in the semi-darkness.  The ghost stories at the bottom must have frightened Warren, Paul and Martyn out of their minds, because on the way back they decided not to follow the footpath and got lost, almost falling down a disused mine shaft during their travels.

This was bound to be another tough ride, and our spirits weren't exactly raised by the warden's dismal weather forecast.  Michael took the precaution of obtaining a forecast from another source, and was relieved to hear of "Sun and Showers".  We left the hostel when the rain stopped, and were blessed with a completely dry day.  There were still strong winds, however, and they had thoughtfully changed direction overnight so that they would still be against us all the way.

We made time for a cafe stop at Geevor tin mine, near Pendeen.  The mine is temporarily out of action until the price of tin rises to an economic level, so the guided tours were being organised by the miners themselves - two of our group went on one of the shorter tours.

The B3306 took us through some wild and rugged countryside, interrupted only by the ancient chimneys of many disused tin mines.  Most of the houses in this region were built entirely from stone - one or two were roofless.  Eventually we rolled into St Ives, where lunch and supper were purchased.  Most of us ate lunch beside the harbour, shivering in the cold wind, but Ian spent the time searching for "Hot Tuna" T-shirts at #26 a time!

After Hayle we took the coastal road towards Portreath, which offered some dramatic views from the cliffs overlooking Deadman's Cove.  There was such a strong side wind here that several people were blown off their bikes into the verge.  Mark's woolly hat was blown off too, saved from a watery end only by a bramble bush.

Next morning Paul Hamlyn-White joined the group at 9.45.  He had been working all week, but didn't want to miss the tour completely.  There was a delay while Eugene spent most of his money on a leash for his surf-board (he didn't have the surf-board with him on the tour), David bought a head protector and Martin Luke fixed another puncture.  We then set off on one of the easiest days of the tour, blessed with plenty of sunshine and a lessening wind.

The ride through the lanes of Cubert to Newquay were notable if only for Erica's attempt to ride her cycle with hands reversed - she fell into the hedge of course.  Lunch was enjoyed in the park at Newquay while several members hired pedal boats to float around the lake - with the inevitable collisions of course.

Riding into Newquay we spent some time walking through the crowded streets in search of a supermarket.  Eventually we found an enormous Gateway and were spoilt for choice.  It felt a bit strange walking out of that huge store with just a can of beans!

Luke Hatherly's brake cable broke on the way to Watergate Bay.  He fixed it hurriedly, but failed to tie down his luggage properly.  So for the second time on this tour all of Luke's belongings lay strewn about the road.  He really is a unique personality!  We watched the surfers in the bay while Luke collected himself together.

The visit to Bedruthan Steps cafe almost failed to happen when a number of riders shot past.  Simon chased after them at breakneck speed and just managed to catch them before they sailed down a long hill.  As before, there are no prizes for guessing who was leading!

When a number of people had purchased one or even two Knickerbocker Glories, the steps themselves were investigated.  Numerous warning messages lined the path, so we were not completely surprised to find the steps closed when we arrived:  they were being restored following damage caused by the recent storms.  We could see the beach and rock arches from the top, however, so the visit was not wasted.

There was confusion at the hostel when Michael changed all the dormitories around after everyone had begun to make their beds.  The reason was that the warden hadn't told him that one dormitory was much larger than the other.  The problem was soon sorted, and the tiny kitchen was packed with hungry cyclists within a few moments.

The weather had been steadily improving over the past few days, and now the sun was gloriously warm as we set off through the lanes.  First stop was Harlyn, for a short exploration of the beach and nearby shops.  It ended up not being quite as short as planned when Neil Allan cut his foot while retrieving the group's tennis ball from a stream. 

Padstow was the selected lunch stop.  We weren't allowed to park our bikes near the harbour, so one of the many advantages of having a cycle was not evident on this occasion.  We used a cafe, chip shop and take-away for lunch.  Michael was constantly irritated by a machine positioned just outside the cafe.  Inside the plastic exterior resided a mechanical hen which produced a frantic cackle every few minutes - apparently in order to draw attention to the many sickly sweets on which it was perched. 

The cyclepath to Wadebridge was great fun, being mainly flat and affording interesting views across the River Camel from the occasional viaducts and other structures that dotted the route.  Everyone went at their own pace, making sure to keep to the left so that the many other cyclists could pass safely on the right hand side.  A hire shop at the Wadebridge end boasted a touring bike just like Simon's.  When asked they said it was their best bike, and they wouldn't hire it out for use on the cyclepath because it "wasn't suitable" for that kind of terrain!  Simon couldn't hide his amusement.  The shop proprietors weren't as stupid as Eugene apparently thought they were, however: he tried to sell them Martin Luke's broken mudguard!

Continuing through St Kew Highway and Trelill we were soon at Delabole.  The famous slate quarry was closed and so were all the cafes, so we had to make do with the small shop in the local garage.  From here it was but a short leap to Tintagel via Trewarmett.  And just for a change, we arrived at 5pm.

The hostel is gloriously situated on the edge of a cliff, with magnificent views to the sea far below.  The whole scene was bathed in rich red evening sunshine.  Inside, the dorms were very cosy, although they wouldn't have been if we had arrived a few weeks earlier:  the roof had been removed by the winter storms, and only just repaired in time for our visit.  It was now covered with grout, a thin fluid mortar which stops wind from getting under the slates.

An excellent supper was served by the warden with full stereo background music in the form of the Radio 1 chart show.  When washing up had been completed and everyone had assisted in tidying the dorm (Michael hounded the lazy ones relentlessly) we had to say goodbye to Erica.  She had school on Monday and had to be collected a day early by her mother.  The rest of the evening was spent fixing punctures, riding bikes around the clifftops, playing tricks on each other or walking through the village to the castle and beach.  Storm damage was again evident, with a set of steps being closed to the public.

The weather today was even warmer and sunnier than yesterday.  We had a problem, however:  40 miles by 2pm.  This was, of course, the very last morning that we would want to oversleep.  But somehow, even with 20 alarm watches all going off, everyone overslept - which just goes to show how healthy this particular kind of exercise is.

Simon's puncture repair of the previous evening turned out to be a complete failure, and Paul Smith's brake cable suddenly needed replacing.  It was 10am when we finally got away ... would we make it?

We rode through Slaughterbridge and thought we were making quite good progress.  But then Neil Allan and Warren collided with each other, leaving Neil in need of some repairs.  Simon led the rest on while Michael sorted Neil, then the two of them cycled hard and caught the group close to Altarnun.  The final disaster struck en route to Jamaica Inn, when Martin Rushworth began to feel sick and slowed to a snail's pace.  Time was now getting critical, but there was a solution.  We were taking a train from Liskeard to Plymouth which couldn't carry bikes, so we had arranged for a removal van to meet us at Liskeard.  The removal company was based at Callington, and they would have to pass through Jamaica Inn to get to Liskeard.  When Michael rang them they hadn't left, so the main group continued while Paul and Martin waited for the van. 

Fortunately it was nearly all downhill to Liskeard.  We arrived at Liskeard at 2pm and reached the station at 2.11 (I'm not sure how young Phillip made it as he was feeling very tired today).  The van was waiting.  There was just time to load the bikes before the train arrived at 2.17 - and we beat the van to Plymouth!

So this was the end of the tour.  Ian had been collected from Liskeard, and now Paul was being collected by relatives, vowing to return again for the Scotland tour.  The rest of the group, who had all run out of money, queued up in the BR restaurant to buy food on Michael's one remaining cheque - the bill came to #27.09!