East Suffolk

The East coast of Suffolk has always been something of a jewel in the crown for me. During the 15 years that we lived south of the border/River Waveney we spent a lot of time walking the coast line between Languard Point and Benacre Broad. If you are into wildlife, then I cannot recommend it more highly. If you are into cycling, then the same recommendation comes equally highly rated and I was about to cover a good number of miles through the country lanes that border the A12. (The arterial route that joins London and Lowestoft.)

I had covered only 86 miles by the time that I left my Aunt in East Bergholt. Map My Ride www.mapmyride.com - which incidentally has been one of my primary mapping tools for both this and my Lands End to John O'Groats tour in 2010 - indicated that it would be about the same distance again if I followed the bike route that it came up with when I put in my start and finish points.

It is odd the things that you discover about cycling. The strangest circumstances throw up problems. A bit like the time that I was hit in the eye by a moth, because I had recently lost my new sunglasses that came with a pair of clear lenses specifically for riding at night.

On this occasion I was trying to hit new speed records as I descended a steep hill into the village of Stutton, when another insect, this time much smaller hit my ear and disappeared within. There are many who know me out there who will assert that they are surprised given the notoriety of my particularly elephantile wings, that I don't arrive home after every trip with enough wildlife to feed a bat colony for a week. Thankfully this is not the case because I can now testify that doing 30 + mph down a hill with a critter in your ear canal trying to find a way out is about the fastest route to madness that I have yet discovered!

Thankfully it found its way out, possibly in bits and a trip to the local A&E or probably more appropriately, Walk in Centre was not required.

Meandering through the centre of Ipswich before heading out on the Tuddenham Road toward Grundisburgh, Clopton, Brandeston ad Framlngham it got hotter as the afternoon wore on. I was noticeably more comfortable than I had been on my previous double hundred a couple of months ago and but for the stops to chat to old friends along the way, was completing 6 hour 100 mile pace for most of the time.

From Framlingham to Beccles and then Lowestoft where I called in on my third last home of the tour.

Incidentally this is the bike in its racing livery. Not much else to add. What you see is what I'll be taking.

Reminder: Live tracking of the event from 08:00 09/08/14 will be available on www.transcontinentalrace.com

I am also now on twitter @johnnymbakewell and will be keeping you up to date here whilst I'm away, so please sign up and follow me here too. I will try to upload the odd blog entry, but they take time and chances are I'll either be asleep, eating or cycling.

Finally: there's just this
www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell