Just Following My Front Wheel.

After riding Fatso on almost every ride since his arrival, I had told myself I mustn't neglect the other bikes in my stable, as they are perfectly good bikes and I've had many enjoyable rides on them. So yesterday, with a ride in mind and the Voodoo still being properly peachy after its last marathon cleaning session, I elected to take the still mucky from 2015 Jamis out for a 'make it up as you go along' ride, a 'go wherever I end up going' job.

Strewth. I do run the tyres on the Jamis close to their recommended maximum of 65psi as it only ever goes on the road, but it felt like someone had sneaked into the shed one night and filled the tyres with concrete. It wasn't just the seemingly harsh ride that felt weird either, the Jamis felt long and teeteringly tall too. Fatso really is a comfortable and cosseting beast that makes other bikes feel like unstable scaffolding planks to ride. That however was just the initial impression, as a couple of miles in and all felt as normal once again ( I did unlock the front fork though to soften the ride a bit...).

This section of the old A39 just east of Trispen is still open to all traffic, a bit later it becomes a Bridleway. A cracking morning for a ride, but after riding the fat bike a lot recently, the Jamis, even with its chunky tyres, felt harsh to begin with.

Setting off, as I said earlier, I didn't have a route, or a destination, in mind, unusual for me as someone who usually likes to know what I'm doing. But these 'go where the mood takes you' rides can be very enjoyable too, although the early stages of this ride were a bit of a slog as I'd chosen to head out along the old A39 towards Carland Cross, which involves a lot of up hill wheezing, and the reason I usually come the other way along this stretch. But hey ho, it was a nice, if full finger glove wearingly chilly morning, so just settle in and keep the legs spinning and enjoy the fresh air.

A double Rainbow near Carland Cross.

Reaching Carland Cross leaves only one way to go, unless I fancied dodging the Scanias and Volvo Globetrotters along the A30 (erm... no). So I found myself heading in the general direction of Ladock or Boswiddle, places I visit often on my usual loops. So on arriving at the first junction I turned left instead, and doubled back on myself and dropped down the long hill into Mitchell. Now where? I could hang a left and head off towards Newlyn East, or go half way and hop over the stile and onto Newlyn Downs for some off road action... nah... wrong bike really and it'd be a mudmungous slopfest. Neither of those tickling my fancy, I opted to head out on the Newquay road instead, but only for a short distance as A - it's not a pleasant road to be on and B – it goes to Newquay. Good reasons then to find another road to use, and quickly. So on reaching the mini roundabout just yards out of Mitchell I turned right and headed north eastish up the lanes for a good old mooch, arriving eventually at the rather splendid St Enoder Church, which some Googlery reveals dates back to the 15^th century, which makes it officially, a bit old.

The church at St Enoder is a handsome looking affair, but fitting it all in to an unobstructed photo isn't easy, even with the bare trees of winter. 

I had hoped to get a good photo or two of the church, as in the past I have been thwarted from all angles by trees. This being winter though I stood a better chance, but on getting there I soon found the angle/view I wanted was still obscured too much by a tree, but apart from indulging in a little freelance Lumberjackery, there was not a lot to be done about it, so I settled on an angle that did show the church, or some of it at least, but not to its best advantage in my opinion.

From the church I decided to head in the general direction of home again, pottering through the village of Summercourt and back onto the lanes heading towards Mitchell. Mitchell is very nice, I've nothing against it at all, but rather than visit it again and retrace a chunk of my outward journey, I veered left at a junction and headed for Trendeal instead. From there it was along favourite back lanes past Ladock Woods, then Boswiddle via a dunk in the ford, and home.

 Water running down the hill and over the verge on the Summercourt to Trendeal road.

Gravel has been pushed into the middle of the lane by traffic after being left by water streaming down the hill then turning off into a ditch behind that bollard.

Heading homeward did reveal one of the drawbacks of riding the lanes at this time of year – the strobing effect of the low winter sun behind the trees. It also made me particularly wary whenever a vehicle appeared in the distance behind, having seen the aftermath of a crash caused by heading towards a low sun in the past.

But anyway, the Jamis delivered me safely back home in time for lunch (Chicken Noodle simmer soup, naturally), and I even showed my appreciation by giving it a thorough wash and lube. Can't be bad.

The more detailed map can be found here