Trans Kernow 2025, one and all (over)

When Plymouth's Rockets & Rascals announced that this year's Trans Kernow adventure ride would be the very last it was met with the correct amount of public disappointment all backed up with a secret sigh of relief.

These events are hard, for those that don't know, it's supposed to be a multi day adventure ride that takes in the sights of the UK's most south westerly peninsula. Organiser Steve Toze said, "When we came up with the concept we imagined riders camping wild, eating fresh oysters in Padstow, maybe taking a dip in Penzance's Jubilee pool. But, predictably, instead it got turned into a kind of race."

The problem with a race over a social ride is that it adds a whole element of danger. Very tired people pushing themselves to the limit on public roads, whilst under our care, wasn't exactly what we had in mind. For some reason it took the best part of a decade to come to terms with this and then it was either live with it - or kill it. So they killed it.

image @rob.ditch.photo

2025's final chapter fittingly attracted a small but very loyal crowd. Some of the real ambassadors for this event showed up for one final time to drop their own stamp on a solid 180 or so mile ride. The ride would leave Rockets & Rascals on Plymouth's historic Barbican at 8pm heading to Tintagel on Cornwall's north coast. The riders would then turn south pointing their front wheels in the direction of Porthleven, just shy of the UK's most southerly tip, and then begin the epic ride back to Plymouth. For some this turned out to be less than 12 hours in the saddle, the fastest riders arriving back at RNR by opening time. For the majority the ride would take the best part of all Saturday and for many well into Sunday too. The weather was great, the second checkpoint at Origin Coffee Roastery was a perfect spot for great coffee along the way and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces from across the last decade of Trans Kernow and Trans Devon events.

image @rob.ditch.photo

So why did they really kill it? For many reasons. Entries had started to dwindle, it's a tough event. Costs to organise it increased, GPS tracking, running checkpoints etc are all hard work and with low entry numbers had started to become a risk. The main reason though was it was done, it had run it's course. Time for something new.

So for Trans Kernow, Onen Hag Ol, one and all (over).