Home alone Day 3
I headed to Marple (Near Stockport) for the second audax of the week. The forecast looked bleak so I packed the winter ribble bike and a range of waterproofing clothing items. The journey to Marple was uneventful if a bit slow around the outskirts of Manchester. I arrived with ample time for the 10am start. A 10am start for an audax is slightly unusual and to be honest brilliant. Very relaxed.
I collected my brevet card from the organiser (Winston Powes) as well as a banana and chocolate roll, met Noodley from YACF cycling forum and briefly acknowledged Mike who I had met on the previous Sunday riding the Bowland Audax. At 10am and prompted by strong whistle from WInston, the group of 40-odd cyclists started the ride. I don't know why but there is always a kind of nervous vibe in the first 15-20' of such a ride. I always have trouble keeping track of the routesheet in these early stages. Thankfully with many riders around who know where they are going it isn't much of an issue. No sign of the torrential downpours forecasted by metcheck. Perfect cycling weather. 17 degrees, little wind and overcast.
The first serious climb of the day was Snake Pass. A delight. It's a long by british isles standard and does not contain any of the silly 20-30% gradients one encounters in parts of the Lake district. Beautiful views, moors with heather in full purple blossom. Fantastic. This climb set the scene for the rest of the ride. Gorgeous scenery, climbs to the top of some moors. The two cafe stops were great too. Efficient, good value. For a change I avoided the beans on toast. Tuna and cheese toastie, carrot cake / scoop of ice cream and cups of tea kept me well stocked up and hydrated.
My favorite climb was on the way to Sheldon HERE
All in all, an excellent audax, one of the best if not the THE best I have ridden in my young and limited audax experience. The Peak district is superb cycling country. And the weather hold out!
Route:
