Those that have been around these parts for a few years may remember (possibly even donated to help raise the £1500 handed over to St Ann’s Hospice or even won one of the many prizes) my Olympic Park to Manchester Velodrome 13’ish hour death march ride. A small handful even helped drag me along certain parts of the route (but it definitely wasn’t my idea to ride up Taddington Moor). I said “never again” but I’m goi g to do it again.
Who’s in? Will probably do Manchester to London this time. A more user friendly pace but still one day. No sponsorship malarky.
Date to be decided by whoever shouts loudest.

Road or sustrans routes?

Just follow Raphas route for the M2L.. I did it last year, long day but great mates.. some not too shabby countryside on the way down too..

Maybe we could join you on sections if we can’t do the whole thing?

St Ann’s in Swinton?
They looked after my mum, the most amazing people.

Love to join you, even for a just a couple of miles.

Road. Possibly the Rapha route. Open to discussion. NOT the route I did 4 years ago to raise the money you lot gave. Christ, it was grim! Fast. But grim!
Join in for sections is fine. Everybody welcome. I’m not raising money this time. Just going for a ride. Training for a big race next year.
They would be the ones Rusty. Sites at Heald Green, Wythenshawe and Little Hulton. My wife is a boss of them. She’s horrible*

*this probably is a lie…..

i did an organised Manchester to London route with RideUK24, which was 250 miles, also done the 310 mile Newcastle to London with them, so have .gpx for both if you need them? Manchester to london started at velodrome in Manchester and ended up somewhere in Hackney in London.

email is pauljwhitlock at gmail . com

Keep me informed, I’d be tempted to do some or all of this. I did the Rapha one last year, it was bloody hard work but I have a yearning to do it again…

I think I said I’d do some of the last one, then broke my arm, so I’m saying nothing to avoid that jinx!

I’d be interested in the gpx, quite fancy just riding down to my parents at some point and meeting the family down there.

I’d be up for that too Steve – not the whole route as I’m planning on doing the Rapha M2L in Septembr but I know the route they use; I’ve lead recce rides along it several times in the past down the Peaks / Midlands section of it.

Excellemn stuff! I was hoping you’d volunteer James. Just need Crikey and Fat Boy Jon and we have the team back together. Everybody is welcome, the longer you can hang around the better. I’m a really good wheel sucker. How does the weekend of the August bank holiday fit?

Doing it on Monday if anybody is stil interested?
Paul, I’ll email for the GPX route, if that’s OK?

No problem at all.

Go Monksie, have a good day.

It’s all downhill to London from your house anyway!

You living over High Peak way now Steve? Presume you’re riding from home rather than Manchester City Centre?

That’s it James. Setting off from New Mills Co-op just after they open as I need to buy cake first

Good luck everyone & hope you get dry, calm and cool weather (or just one of them at least). 🙂

London to Manchester in a day… 😯

Jeeeeezus… Fffffing… Christ! 😯 😯 😯

I would be a broken man after that.

Out of interest, how far is it?

Looks to be 214 miles according to my Googling:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/London,+UK/Manchester/@52.4465304,-2.596154,7.75z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d8a00baf21de75:0x52963a5addd52a99!2m2!1d-0.1277583!2d51.5073509!1m5!1m1!1s0x487a4d4c5226f5db:0xd9be143804fe6baa!2m2!1d-2.2426305!2d53.4807593!3e1

… a walk in the park

It was 224 miles when I did it Olympic Park To National Cycling Centre. It will be a bit less (I hope) when I do it from New Mills on Monday (on my own if nobody is joining in).
We *still* have your gift from the guys at the hospice from the last time I did this silly thing, Mr Nettles.

Ah, is that all?

*nutter* 🙂

I’ll send you the .GPX for manchester to london mate if you send email, do you want the Ride 24 Newcastle to London to, that is 310 miles!!?

No thanks but thanks anyway 🙂
London to Manchester is and was bad enough.

Rapha do an organised Manchester to London every year:
http://pages.rapha.cc/m2l

The ride itself is more mental than anything, I know a few people who’ve done it without masses of training or a history of long rides, audaxes etc.

Last time Monksie did London – Manchester I met him in Buxton and rode the final few miles, he was physically pretty broken (sorry but you were!) but just kept on riding by sheer mental fortitude. Oh and custard creams. Lots of custard creams.

I did Horsham – Liverpool last year, via London and Manchester (various offices) which was 300 miles. Wasn’t physically hard, we took 23 hours over it all told, about 19 hours riding, so not fast. It was just a mental thing really.

Doing it on your own definitely harder though, Bon chance monksie!

Custard creams courtesy of Fat Boy Jon from Asbourne to Buxton and then you and Crikey shouting at me from then on 🙂
I’m beginning to have 2nd thoughts….

Will aim to see you outside Co-op on Monday then. Unless it’s been raining, is raining or is forecast to rain anytime in the following 5hrs.

What time do they open on B/H Monday?

Must be 10am on a BH? Good luck Steve – I may well be part of the send off committee

Me and a mate at work are talking about doing exactly this on or around the longest day next summer – good luck to you!

I may well call on the GPX route offer above at some point!

Steve I thinnk Co-op have weird hours on Bank Holiday. A better bet is Sainsburys at Torr Top whic are open 7am to 11pm 7 days a week no matter what.
HERE

Oh no! That means I have to climb all the way up past the town hall and drop down again to Sainsburys! Co-op would have been so much easier….
So, that’s me, James and James so far. We’ll just storm our way on to the train at Euston for the ride home. What two bike only rule?
Anybody else coming?
I’ll definitley email for that gpx mate, really sorry but I’ve not had a minute….

You don’t for one second think I’m coming all the way do you?!
I’m paying Rapha a large sum of money for this ride in about 2 weeks time!

I’ll come as far as [somewhere] – name deliberately left off to give me the option of bailing out at Chapel-en-le-Frith.

😉

To start it is to finish it….and it’s free.
When you mention Chapel….you do mean the by-pass, don’t you? I’m not letting you talk me into Long Hill again…sadist!

Best route out is actually the Rapha one. Over to Whaley then Dove Holes, Peak Dale, Wormhill, down to Millers Dale and onto the Monsal Trail to Bakewell.

Long Lane out of Chapel into Dove Holes? That goes right up before if comes down again! I was planning on going down the by-pass to Dove, straight through to Buxton and down through Ashbourne.

Change of plan due to circumstances brought about by the family. I’m going tomorrow not Monday. Apologies if that’s a problem for anybody coming. Hope not but negotiations were terminated at a very early stage.

Depending on what I do – was planning a trip to the Dales for a Three Peaks CX recce type thing but I could do that Monday instead. What time you setting off on Sunday?

Sorry James, I’m having to go for the ride tomorrow (Saturday). I plan on leaving Sainsbury’s or Co-Op in New Mills – whichever suits best around 7:00am? I’m thinking 15 hours should ensure I’m at Euston for a train back to Stockport and then ride home from there.