100km RELIABILITY RIDE - PENDLE

SUNDAY 3 JULY 2011

What a scorcher.

Well we finally got the weather we dream of in summer, it was here and coincided with out 100 kilometre reliability ride, a great day was in prospect.

Fifteen gathered on the town hall square for the ride, included were a couple of newcomers introduced by Dave Bisset via a work colleague. For a change, every one intending to ride was early, and on the stroke of eight we moved off.

As a reliability ride people chose their own pace riding in small groups of similar ability, except me, I found myself giving all up Bradshaw with Craig Smith and Ken Crompton, as I puffed and panted they rode in comfort behind me, if this is the start of the ride, let me off.

Ken started with the usual 'I've not been out for three months' while Craig admitted to being stuffed out training with Pete Wilson.

By Edenfield it was time to remove the gilet I set off with, it really was getting warm and not just through riding uphill. I offered jelly babies to Ken and Craig, already I was feeling the need to top up my early morning porridge, I was also by this time half way through my first bottle of 'bonk' fuel.

Setting off again heading for Rawtenstall and Burnley I mused on the fact that the fast lads behind, Ryan Smith, Paul Hackin and fellow big trainer Ian Tipping had not yet caught us, either we were travelling well or they were not going much faster. They were however travelling faster than us and made the catch just as we were about to climb up to the top of Burnley Brow. The two new guys were still with them and I was impressed at their fitness as they disappeared into the distance, one of the group though who caught us, Brian Firth seemed content to stay with us, grateful of a more comfortable pace.

Brian was another who amazed me with his fitness since he has been concentrating on running with 'Endomondo' whoever he is.

The drop down into Burnley was as thrilling as ever with Craig leading the way in true TdF fashion, the cooling rush of air a welcome addition to the superb long drop.

On through Burnley and then the turn for Fence arrves, a reminder to me of the grovel up ahead, well a grovel for me that is, these mountain goats I am with will have no problem whatsoever.

I wave the others by indicating I will see them at the first watering hole, Barley.

At Barley, my plan is to fill my now empty first bottle of energy drink and add a concentrate of 'Red Bull', ram down a couple of cereal bars washed with the second bottle of energy drink while at the same time downing three ibuprofen to keep my troublesome knee pain at bay. After this brief activity, sneak off to tackle the long, long drag up the side of the mighty Pendle hill.

My plan worked like a dream, I was on my own with my granny ring for comfort,riding without puffing and panting but still concentrating gazing downward at the tarmac, ignoring the beauty of the surrounding area as I was fearful of looking upward at the never ending climb.

Eventually I crested the hill and before me was the incredible landscape set against deep blue skies with white fluffy clouds, forgive me if I refrain from breaking in with the Max Bygraves song, as I gaze across the panoramic view.

The road now drops away at incredible speed with twisting hairpin bends that require utmost concentration, the lane is well shaded with high hedgerows and dappled sunlight hitting the road sometimes hiding rough patches and potholes.

At the very bottom is a sharp right turn, many time this junction has caught out the unwary, even when they have been supplied with map and route sheet, confusion has reigned, and so it would prove again.

I could imagine the panic caused when I left Barley surreptitiously, the 'where the hell are we' boys, not wanting to be left would be worried at my departure but there were enough experienced heads there to look after that aspect, I thought.

As I neared Rimington, Martin was the first to reach me, what a rider Martin is, then he was soon joined by Paul, who relayed the confusion caused by my tactics at Barley, very amusing. Ken was next on the back and as we passed through the super rich village of Rimington, surprise surprise, three riders were coming toward us with a familiar look about them, shouts from Paul, 'where the hell are you going' brought about a healthy response from Ian Tipping, who declared they had not gone off course but were merely swanning around looking for us.

Back on track we now stopped at Downham, the gorgeous privately owned village nestling at the foot of Pendle hill, to record our arrival and what a picture perfect place for a photograph.

The picturesque lanes continue as we now make for Worston and Pendleton, the going much easier now, before another nice descent to Whalley.

A change from past habit here at Whalley as we ride straight through instead of calling at the abbey for tea.

From this point on I am on my own as the long drags up through Langho put me at a disadvantage with my younger and fitter companions, I am unconcerned at this but from here I seem to hit every traffic light on red and at every mini round a bout dozens of cars all come from the right, very frustrating.

On through Blackburn I am still making reasonable progress but I begin to get concerned about a 'clicking' on my back wheel, perhaps a broken spoke I thought, but not so.

At Darwen I pulled over and took out a bottle of Red Bull in readiness for the long tiresome grind of Bull Hill itself, and decided to investigate the 'Clicking'. Lo and behold the sight of a tyre lipping the rim brought near panic to me, I was lucky I had not succumbed to the dreaded loud explosion that usually occurs on such occasions. I removed the wheel and found on further inspection that the rim was fractured and giving way, I quickly deflated a large amount of air then gently pushed back the protruding piece of alloy rim. How long will it last before catastrophic failure? Gingerly I pumped up the tyre to a level that barely kept the rim off the floor and resumed my ride up Bull Hill hoping another pothole did not put me in walking mode.

Riding soft tyres tires, not easy on the flat but on an upward incline, more so.

Eventually the top of the long hill was reached and with a bit of luck the tyre would hold good on the downward swoop to Bolton, normally a wonderful end to the day but now it was with my heart in my mouth that I sped as fast I dare, no longer able to use my back brake due to the faulty rim.

At last I was on the sunny town hall square thronged with people enjoying the afternoon sun, it was still only ten past one and I wondered how the fast lads had fared, since they were no longer around I assumed they were well on their way home.

I sat around for about twenty minutes and finished off my drink and cereal bars then suitably refreshed made my way home via the Middlebrook trail, an easy option home after a hard ride, as I pointed out previously, a beautiful, fairly short but demanding bike ride.

As I write I am not up to date with how all riders fared, but am impressed that the two new lads who accompanied us enjoyed the ride so much they may want to join the club, I will update as and when I am fully informed. Report by Tony Bowles