John's Riding to John O' Groats for The Teenage Cancer Trust: Day 1 Lands End to Fowey - Cornish Granite (True Grit) 68 miles 6000' Climb

The Peak Tours route sheet says "This is a tough start to the trip with plenty of short, sharp hills to tackle. The road from LE to Penzance is largely undulating with only a few fairly steep but short hills"

We set off from The Square in St Just at 08:15 after an efficient breakfast (Well done to the staff at "The Commerical Inn") for the ride of 7 miles or so to "The End".

Conditions were cool, overcast with a strongish SW wind

Lands End was effectively shut the "mini Blackpool" did not open till 10:00. After the customary photos we left at about 09:20

The original group

The route would take us through Penzance following the main road (this was quiet and not the nightmare describe by others, past Marazion (poor light so I didn't stop for a picture of St Michaels Mount) and then on to; Leedstown, Praze an Breeble, Porkelis, St Stithians, Perranwell (lunch at the Royal Oak was just what was needed, and was waiting for us so no delay), King Harry Ferry, Tregony, St Austell, Par (bit of a dump very industrial), to Fowey

The Papworth Team
Ian, Margaret, Richard, Ernesto, Jaz, Mike

Hills in Devon operate on guerilla tactics, some jump out at you. These are usually short and steep and can be quelled with a bit of extra effort and a large handful of gears (get a Triple!). Others work on the basis of a war of attrition and appear tame but go on and on. Importantly some have been tactically misalinged and face the wrong direction, here the downhill slope can be deceptive and with bends could be lethal (perhaps they have another tactic, to kill rather than humiliate the rider?) In all seriousness I found myself running along at speeds that were not expected, good brakes are essential.

In between the hills there are often plateau like sections that let you roll along merrily without a care in the world, until you see a drop ahead of you and the hills in the distance!

As for the Peak Tours description? It was accurate but probably didn't identify that the second half of the day, after the King Harry Ferry, was harder with a sting in the tail on the last section from Par to Fowey