31st August
Stretford Wheelers 25-mile TT on Byley Course
Five Members rode this event on the same roads as used for our recent 50-mile TT but in cooler and very windy conditions. Our top three performers all recorded excellent 1hr 1 minute rides, with Ben Norbury slightly faster than Nick Decker, closely followed by Kelvin Milward. Mike Jones posted 01:03 and Peter Hayhurst, 01:19. The clear winner was, as usual, Simon Bridge (Manchester Wheelers) with 53:14.
Schwalbe Tyre MTB Marathon in Ruthin
Charlie Evans rounded out his MTB season with the Schwalbe Tyre MTB Marathon in Ruthin, North Wales on Saturday 31st August. The 50 mile route was based around the Clwydian hills, climbing Moel Famau and Moel Arthur and conditions were dry and dusty – rare for North Wales! Due to UK bridleway regulations, such events cannot be run as races, however riders are still timed! He recorded the 12th fastest time of the day, placing him 6th in the Masters age group with a time of 4hrs 29 mins.
1st September
Clubrun to Roaches Tea Room – 45 miles
Fourteen Members enjoyed a windy and tough but pleasant “Autumn” day in the hills. Denise and David Hurst, Dean and Tristan Roberts, John Broadbent, Jim Cook, Sam French, Mike Line, David McVitie and Markus Rohrmann did the complete ride which started with the first leg of our Hilly Reliability (to be held soon due to cancellation last Spring) – up Blacky Bank, Timbersbrook, Cloudside, Rushton, Swythamley, Bearda, Wincle (where Roy Hayhurst headed for home), Allgreave, Gradbach and around the back of the Roaches to the popular venue – where they met Sue Collins, Stephen Kane and Peter Hayhurst who had ridden a more direct route. After the usual nourishment, they returned along the Roaches and down the steep and twisty lane (in ideal, dry conditions) to Meerbrook where they cheered the riders in the Tour of Britain Sportive – but instead of heading up Gun Hill, the Club rode via Abbey Green (saying Cheerio to John Broadbent who lives in Leek) to Rudyard and then Horton, up to Lask Edge (via either short and steep or longer and not-so-steep climbs), where they again cheered the ToB Sportive riders all the way to Biddulph Park – where our riders went their separate ways – homeward bound. Altogether, a very enjoyable day in the Hills!
