Day 3 - Tuesday 31st July - Okehampton to Taunton

Weather - Wet in the morning and dry and sunny later

Distance - 61.5 miles

Camp Site - Blackbrook Sports Centre, Blackbrook Way, Taunton

We awoke to a very overcast sky and there appeared to be rain over the hills around Okehampton as we left the town. We soon had drizzly showers but decided that they were not heavy enough to keep putting the waterproofs on - we just got damp and then dried out when the rain stopped. We had some difficulty following the route this morning in several places on the narrow lanes and steep hills of Devon but eventually found our way to Crediton.

I had a near miss in Yeoford, a small village just before Crediton. I was the first cyclist in a small group leaving the village up a hill at a fork in the road where the main road which we were taking bore round to the right and a minor road went off to the left. The main road was indicated by dotted lines across the minor road. I was just starting across the junction when a vehicle cut across in front of me and turned left onto the side road clipping my front wheel as it passed. It was enough to shake the bike - and me - but luckily did not cause any damage or knock me off. Others in the group just behind me who saw what happened said that the driver hesitated and must have known that he had hit something but he then accelerated away and did not stop to check if there was any damage.

Shortly afterwards in Crediton a car pulled out of a side road immediately in front of me and the driver just said that she did not see me coming. Car drivers were not my favourite people today.

Whilst in Crediton I visited the Bike Shed cycle shop and bought a new pair of lycra cycling shorts as I had decided that the two pairs I had with me would not be enough if I wished to wash them regularly and be able to dry them properly in the damp weather conditions which we seemed to be getting.

Lunch today was in Tiverton at a pub in the centre of town followed by a much gentler ride towards Taunton. We had left the steep hills and valleys of Devon and Cornwall behind us now and had come to much less hilly rolling countryside which was a great relief. We had been told that Cornwall and Devon with the very steep valleys and also the higher moors was the most difficult part of the whole ride particularly as we are new to the consistently high daily mileage and have not got used to this as yet.

The final approach to Taunton was along the A38 and then into the centre of Taunton through the rush hour traffic which was quite difficult. It made us appreciate the quiet side roads which we had been using over the last few days. The showers etc tonight were in the Sports Centre with separate facilities for men and women and were very nice after the rugby club showers at Okehampton.

The camp site was on the sports field and was bounded on one side by the M5 motorway and I expected to be kept awake by the traffic but in fact it did not disturb me at all. I must be very tired with the cycling and the fresh air all day and nothing stops me from sleeping now. I still seem to wake at about 6.30 am however and am then ready for the new day's ride.