Just saw a poster for this on my way home from work. Have known about the annual Manchester to Blackpool ride for a long time, but now it seems there’s an off road version.

Not sure how well advertised this has been so thought it might be of interest to some from the NW on here

https://www.mencap.org.uk/event/pedal-pier-2017

I’m presuming off-road = canal and sustrans.. not exciting singletrack, hill tops, moors and forests. Shame

Yeah I guess so, particularly once past rivington. There’s not much in the way of bridleways and exciting singletrack this side of Preston!

It might be someones cup of tea, for charity too.

Well .. I’ve been blagged into doing this. Looking at the route it seems apart from Rivington its all lanes / hard-pack, canal paths etc.

Now do I take the Rumblefish with Bonty Xr4 rubber – which I think will be too draggy most of the time – or do I stick on the Big Apples and just accept its a bit sketchy over the moor but way easier everywhere else.

-or-

Take the Gnarmac bike ?

I’don’t know Rivington area at all – anyone clueful care to take a look at the route and advise ?

the rivvy part is all entirely doubletrack and or quiet road wiht a bit through the woods that will be dry anyway.

I see nothing there that requires a MTB to complete and i will definitely be on the CX bike for this ride [ 50% at least is basically road which also applies to the entire ride if not more].

Quite an odd choice of route tbh
Most of it would be doable on a road bike with road tyres. Not often you can say that about an off road route – NB I dont know the bit from Manc to Bolton that well though I have ridden it but again it does not require a MTB IMHO/IME

is their a better link I cannot see times for that ride – is it at night ?

Better link – its a daytime ride.

Cheers – Gnarmac bike it is – I couldn’t really see it was a MTB ride.

I ended up taking the Rumblefish as my other bikes in France atm. Would have been doable on a cross bike as wasn’t very hardcore but was very muddy in places. Rained for 75% of the route,

Good fun though – more of pleasant bimble through the country-side but not an area I knew so a grand day out really.

Wouldn’t mind following that route sometime. Nice to avoid roads wherever possible!
I’ve always fancied doing a coastal ride from Fleetwood to Llandudno or something as my first 100miler (although is Preston the closest to the coast you can cross the Ribble!).