Where camping is fun for disabled and able-bodied together

A hard days riding. No other way of putting it really. The size of the hills was not the real issue, more the amount of them and the fact that they just kept coming, one after the other. We needed 2 gears today: 1st and top.

We left St Austell at 10am and agreed to take it easy and warm up slowly. This went out of the window on the first hill out of town where we had little choice but to yomp our way up, hearts thumping.  This pretty much set the scene for the day with grinding up hills followed by exhilarating and very fast downhills.

The first food stop was only 7 miles in which was too early but we were all hungry and needed the energy. We then got caught up in some road works and had to ride fast as cars could not over take us through the contraflow. At Liskeard we met up with the photographer from the local rag and did some photos in front of the towns fountain before pushing to Callington. It was here that we stopped for lunch, sending Mark back in the van to pick up some extra supplies from the Ginsters pasty factory shop. We also met a photographer for our second photo shoot of the day. Such is the price of fame (but I think we managed to lose the scooter mounted paparazzi on the next big down hill!)

The road down into Gunnislake was fast as hell and I hit my top speed of the trip so far at 46.5 mph. As there were a few corners which I couldn't see round I started to feather my back brake which I think is what set off the speed wobble. This got worse as I rounded one bend and I managed to stay on the right side of the road. Braking wasn't the ideal way to deal with it but I didn't have a huge amount of choice. I finally got the bike under 30mph and the wobble eased but I was pretty shaken by it. Coming off at that speed in bike leathers would be bad enough. In lycra I think they would still be washing me off the road!

Gunnislake also saw us crossing into Devon where we were welcomed with another steep climb then a descent into Tavistock. We flashed through the town and started what I reckon was the hardest climb of the day up onto Dartmoor. On legs which were already tired, I spent most of the climb out of the seat, using my body weight to stamp the pedal round another turn and another metre closer to the top. My lungs could handle it but the muscles had nothing left by the time we stopped for a drink and enjoyed the view over Devon. We were now looking forward to the gently undulating road across the moor that the last photographer had told us about. He'd lied.

Dartmoor is lovely on a bike be flat or undulating it isn't. Once again we found ourselves whooping down the hills and crawling back up the other side. We finally made it to the Warren House Inn in the middle of the moor where we met Mark for liquid refreshments. Myself and Tim shared a much need pot of tea while Ben got stuck in to a pint!  I would still be up there sleeping it off had I tried that but Ben seemed unaffected!

A quick spin down into Moretonhampstead was good fun and our campsite was only a mile further on. At the start of the day we had considered pushing on further in an attempt to bank a few extra miles but we unanimously agreed that was now a bad idea. In a way it was a relief that we were all feeling tired as I was worried it was only me!

The campsite is on a farm. Small, quiet and cheap at £13 for all of us! Not the Ritz but we are beyond caring. Pasties and veg for dinner with (at Bens insistence) cream scones for pudding. Wives and girlfriends joining us tomorrow so the language and the humour will have to improve by the end of the ride. Tim tells me its mostly flat riding, so if he's got this wrong I don't think there will be much chance of clean language!

Craig (9.30pm)