Great Western Trail (TET)

[v8mark]

Sounds like some places are a challenge lets go whos got dates in mind

[Ksithumper]

Commons Old Rd - that's the one out of Shaldon? We hit it on AT's and KTM twins in the wet a few weeks back, bit of a shock first lane of the day with a hangover but all 6 of us made it, happily.
Snaf, we might be down again soon if you and Grouty are up for a play?

[Snaf MKII]

Dates will be waiting on being given the green light for staying away for many people but day rides are possible.

KSI yes we're always up for it, do you have any suitable period bikes these days or shall we go modern, apart from Grouty.

[Ksithumper]

Probably coming down with a couple of others all on heavy artillery Snaf, but dates, being allowed to camp etc still all up in the air.
Otherwise I might just chuck the modern enduro bike in the van for a day trip. I'll let you know when some sort of cunning plan materialises! Are Fridays any good?

I'm not coming til the pasty shops are open either. A gentleman has needs.

[Snaf MKII]

Fridays are good for me but I expect Grouty will be working although he may have accumulated holidays by the scramble being postponed.
Maybe meet you in east Devon/Dorset for a day ride to save you driving so far., might have to bring our own pasties though.
We should have two new modern bikes by end of June.

[dibbs]

So got back yesterday from a fantastic week riding the TET great western trail, I met up with Kyle (Oblix) and Chris (MotoCP) at Basingstoke and we set off on our week long journey to Lands End and back following the TET route. The weather was fantastic and we only had one rainy day and one cloudy day, so camping was fine and we managed to find suitable campsites each day with no real bother. We rode through Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Wiltshire on the trip and there really is some stunning scenery down that part of the world, and we sampled Cornish cream tea and Cornish pasties yum!!. The track was mainly rocky trails and back country single track roads which were good fun but you had to be careful as tractors and horses were to be found along the way! the trails were mainly rocky inclines and descents with some quite tricky technical sections, some of which were much harder than I had anticipated for this sort of trip, there were also a lot of overgrown lanes with grass covered ruts (the worst kind) and we all had some offs along the way but no injuries to us but the bikes took a bit of a beating as usual, and I have to say im glad I didn't take the Africa Twin coz it would have been too big for such a trip in my uncapable hands!! (Big bikes beware it is difficult) We also managed to wild camp on Dartmoor which was an awesome experience with the horses and sheep surrounding us all night definitely one to remember and stunning scenery again.

Kyle got one puncture which we managed to fix caused by a nail, then he needed a new rear tyre because his one wouldn't have lasted the trip home it was nearly a slick hahaha! The rocks took there toll on all our tyres as they are brutal! so we found a guy in Yeovil and he got a new one fitted then bugger me another nail in the tyre about 10 miles up the road, so we replace another tube, and he managed to pinch it with the rim lock!!! we only had one tube left between us when a kind biker drove past in his van and gave Kyle a nearly new heavy duty 18" tube he no longer needed! how nice... all the locals we encountered were friendly and very helpful and were interested in our bikes and where we had been etc.

But we had wasted too much time faffing around repairing punctures to finish the entire route (Kyle and Chris went onto finish it on Saturday) but by then we had completed almost all of it together.

A fantastic adventure trip, and my PR7 handled all that was thrown at it, it does have a few battle scars now like a dinted exhaust pipe and bent bash plate, oh and a stick got stuck in my lower chain guide and has rubbed off the paint on one side of the back rim which pissed me right off, but its all fixable, and the bike is pretty much the unicorn I've been looking for, as it was a 100 mile road ride to meet the lads plus another 150 mile ride home and its quite comfortable sitting at 70 on main roads and the seat was comfortable for that time! it just needs a good wash and some TLC now! Here's a few pics to prove it happened lol...

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[boboneleg]

Excellent, well done all of you .

[MotoCP]

It was indeed a great trip Dibbs.

So glad I made the effort to ride down from Yorkshire to join you and Oblix.

The trip has left me with happy memories of wafting through beautiful hamlets, welcoming waves from farmers, thumbs up from villagers and toothy white smiles from sun kissed girls.
The trails and views were outstanding, evenings filled with banter and great campsite grub.
Hats off to the Linesmen of the TET for plotting such an accurate and varied route.

[v8mark]

Thanks for the great review , still on my list to do this year if poss , did you follow GPX routes

[daveuprite]

toothy white smiles from sun kissed girls.