The Way of the Roses

Hilary has been cycling "The Way of the Roses", a 170 mile cycle trail from Morecambe across the Pennines to the east cost resort of Bridlington. She's been doing it in memory of her Godson, Simon, who died from cancer ten years ago and raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Several blog readers have expressed an interest (and made a generous contribution) so here is a report of how she got on. (Oh, and  I would have accompanied her but a recent (and temporary) change to my medication left me unable to do so, honest. Instead I acted as back-up.)

Morecambe Stone Jetty. As far from Bridlington as you can get going west

The official start of the Way is on Morecambe promenade, but as if 170 miles was not enough Hilary had to start instead from the end of the "Stone Jetty", the juts out into the sea from the Prom and adds another half-mile (there and back) to the journey!

The "official start" Only 170 miles to go

Here she is at the "official" start of the ride. Only 170 miles to go. In fact, on Day 1 the target was merely the five miles or so back home to Lancaster. We know the cycle path between home and Morecambe very well and Hilary did this section after work on the day before she was setting off, to save time and still be able to say she'd done the whole ride.

On her first "proper" day she left home at 7.50am leaving me to follow in the car with a possible rendezvous at lunchtime, which I expected to be about Settle. In fact I received a text at 10.45 to say she was in Settle, but for morning coffee!  Even then I wasn't quite ready to set off after her and by the time I reached Settle it was nearer 12 noon.

Lunch Stop on Day 1

I was confident of catching her soon though as it's at Settle that the real cycling begins with long, steep climbs on to the Pennine ridge. But Hil was well into her stride and I was just beginning to think I must have missed her and was about to turn back when I caught up with her at Hetton, 47 miles from Lancaster, where we had lunch in the local bus shelter.


To be continued. . . .