Tour of the Peaks

Entered the short version of the Kilo To Go organised Tour of the Peaks. This was a 64 mile jaunt through the Peak District incorporating the Cat and Fiddle and Winnatss Pass (20% or 1 in 5) amongst others. OK, I walked Winnatts Pass but so did 90% of riders. Terrible weather though, it was wet most of the day although in fairness it was a very fine drizzle rather than torrential rain.

Some of the paths were just that, paths. They were often rutted and when combined with steep downhill gradientsd, wet leaves and a streaming wet surface, it's not surprising that I saw a number of accidents. Only just managed to avoid one myself which was more a result of luck than judgment. Great refereshment stop on the way in this tiny Derbyshire village where around 700 cyclists took over the village coffee morning. They told me the takings had never been so high and a cup of coffee with loads of custard creams was just what the body needed! Haven't got my official time yet but in  view of the number of climb, I reckon my unofficial time of 6hrs 30m  was respectable.