LEJOG Day 2: St Just to Truro via Lands End

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Weather: Fine, cool, light cloud, negligible wind. Perfect!

Stats: 48 miles, average speed moving: 10.9 mph

Counties: Cornwall

GPS track map:this is the complete map of our LEJOG: zoom in for today's leg

The first day's riding. The group assembled at 9am for the ceremony of 'fitting the Garmin', a very handy GPS unit in which the route appears as a purple line. We got used to it very quickly so as the day went on we could ride autonomously, without the need to stay in one big flock shepherded by Peter, our excellent guide for today. We made our way to Lands End for the obligatory photos, and then our big adventure began.

The ride to Penzance was, I imagine, a good introduction to what we can expect for the next few days riding through Cornwall and Devon, ie plenty of ascent and descent. Somewhat to my pleasant surprise, the roads were quiet: I had expected more traffic especially as this is peak holiday season.

We picked up the cycle path along the front from Penzance to Marazion, where Les joined us in the van for tea/coffee break in the shadow of St Michaels Mount. We then struck inland on the B3280, passing around the suburbs of Redruth, before reaching Truro on very quiet - and hilly - back lanes. All in all an auspicious start, with no mishaps and weather better than we had expected from the rain of the preceding days.

Some of us went for dinner in the local Wetherspoons: not brilliant food, but what do you expect from a roast dinner for £7.50 including a pint of beer.

Peter-the-guide told me I ride 'a very high gear'. I think that's a compliment.