Day 7: St. Austell to Fowey — Planning for the Unplanned
When I woke up in Charlestown this morning, the plan was simple.
Busk.
Mother Nature, however, had other ideas.
By the time I arrived at the busking spot, it was around 26°C, there wasn't a breath of wind, and there was very little shade anywhere near where I wanted to play.
As much as I love busking, there are some decisions that are easy to make.
The dogs always come first.
That has never been negotiable, and it never will be.
It wouldn't have been fair on them, and sitting behind an upright piano in that kind of heat wasn't going to do me any favours either. Sometimes the best decision is knowing when not to play.
So, instead of setting up the piano, we changed the plan.
That leads nicely into one of the questions I get asked more than almost anything else:
"What route are you taking?"
The honest answer?
Sometimes we don't actually know until the night before.
People often imagine we've simply typed Land's End to John o' Groats into Google Maps and started cycling.
I wish it were that simple.
I've mentioned before just how much work goes into planning this journey, but what most people don't see is the amount of time Yorkie spends building and rebuilding routes before I ever turn a pedal.
Most days there isn't just one route.
There are several.
She is constantly weighing up the weather, busking opportunities, visibility for the project, overnight parking, places to resupply, where we can safely stop with the dogs, and how practical each option is for moving something most cycle navigation apps have never even considered:
An electric cargo bike carrying a full-size upright acoustic piano.
A normal cycling route simply doesn't work for us.
Google Maps might happily send a bicycle down a narrow cycle path, through tight bollards, over steps or across rough tracks. That might be fine if you're on a normal road bike.
It doesn't work when you're cycling something the size of the VOK.
Instead, we build every route in Komoot, using the road cycling and e-bike profiles as the starting point. From there, we exclude rough terrain, stairs and unsuitable surfaces before the real work begins.
Then comes the balancing act.
Steep hills are toggled on and off repeatedly as different route options are evaluated.
Waypoints are added one by one to override sections that Komoot wants me to avoid, but that we already know the VOK is capable of climbing.
Without those adjustments, I would sometimes end up several miles out of my way simply because the software doesn't know what this bike can actually do.
Every climb is checked.
Every sharp corner is reviewed because the piano carries most of its weight on the left-hand side. Cambers and tight turns take extra care to keep the load balanced and prevent a tip.
Potential hazards are marked with waypoints and instructions so I hear an audio warning while I'm cycling, and know what’s coming up.
But the planning doesn't stop there.
Yorkie is also looking at where we're sleeping that night, making sure there is shade for the dogs, somewhere suitable to park, and nearby places to eat or pick up supplies if we need them.
St. Austell to Fowey in Komoot
Then she does something most people would never think to do.
She drives the entire route...
...virtually.
Using Street View, she follows almost every mile before I ever ride it, looking for anything that might cause a problem.
Only after all of that is finished do we sit down together and go through a written rider brief before setting off.
People often tell me they can't imagine what it takes to cycle a piano the length of the UK.
The truth is...
Neither could I until we started planning it.
This journey simply wouldn't be possible without that level of preparation and support behind the scenes.
So, the next time someone asks, "Which route are you taking?", just know that while we usually have a general plan mapped well in advance, it’s always subject to change.
Weather changes.
Conditions change.
Plans change.
Today was proof of that.
Before leaving St Austell, I also had the chance to meet Councillor Ethan Stephens, the Mayor of St Austell, who was joined by world kickboxing champion James Turner.
The first Mayor I met in Truro saw me fully clothed.
The second Mayor, in St Austell, met me topless.
I just hope the third one doesn't catch me with my trousers down.
After picking up supplies in St Austell, we made our way to Fowey, where I plan to spend the weekend busking before continuing north and east.
Exeter is the next major milestone...
...but there are plenty of places, plenty of busking, and hopefully plenty of new people and conversations waiting between here and there.
— James
Day 7 Counter
St Austell to Fowey
Miles travelled:10.8
Average speed: 12.1mph
Elevation gain: 672 ft
Elevation loss:856 ft
Locations busked: 0
Journey Total
Total miles travelled: 89.3
Total locations busked: 5
