The opening events of 2013 from Penzance were notable for the very fresh and cold wind from the East. The two brave starters of the Many Rivers to Cross 300 called it a day at Camelford when it was clear that finishing in time was no longer a realistic hope. The Four Hundreds 200 next day was a more practical proposition with four finishers. I found the slog around West Penwith and especially from Lands End to St Buryan painfully slow but some rather fuzzy mental sums suggested I could finish in time and after catching up another rider who had lost me before Zennor, enjoyed the final run past Sheffield and down to the lights of Newlyn.
The Cornish Hundred from Falmouth took place under threat of Westerly gales with gusts of 48mph on the forecast. In fact it was windy but not that windy. Making use of the excellent cross-wind stability of my small wheels I made quite a brisk start. Thoughts of an early arrival at Long Rock were rewarded with a loud bang from my back tyre and I was able to review nearly the entire field as they passed me bent in a gateway fitting a new tyre and tube. Caught on camera too.
Things soon looked up with an end to the rain, some fun with the route sheet and the arrival of sunny spells and the pleasure of riding without the waterproofs. Falmouth Wheelers’ cake and savouries spread didn’t disappoint and I made the most of it.
