Audax Fleet Moss 212km (132 miles) by Euan Cameron

Date: 19 09 2010

Conditions: roads washed out – weather not fit for man nor beast!

Checked in first light at Claughton Village Hall.  Raining.  Headed over Harris Fell and Trough of Bowland to Slaidburn.  Card stamped at café.  Heard owner mutter to his assistant, ”It’s only the die hards on this one.  You can tell.”  Secretly chuffed.  Long climb out of Slaidburn. Still raining. On the tops Phil Morgan passed me with a nice compliment: “You’re working well.”  Decided might just be diehard after all!  Floods. Rear light fell off and clattered along the road.  Retrieved it.  Put it back together.  Relieved to find it still working. Put it in back pocket for safety.  Down to High Bentham.  Got directions  Did a left and then a few miles later a right into Spout Lane.  Still raining.  Wondered if I was on the right road and pleased to be swept along with a group of about ten also doing the Audax.  One wryly commented. “Must be mad to be out in this.”  More floods.  Stuck with them for directions.  On an uphill one of the bunch fell left into a mate.  If we hadn’t been moving slowly on a climb we would all have gone over.  Followed them to start of the hill over to Dent and let them speed away.  Felt a bit tired after the Saturday ‘B’ ride the day before.  Very wet roads down into Dent squeezing wet brakes hard.  Had lunch in café.  A few other riders there were congratulating themselves on being half way round.  Told them “no you’re not!”  Transpired they were on the ‘short’ 100 mile ride.  Up and over  and down to Haworth.  Adjusted brakes to find almost no rubber left.  Decided to carry on but try to avoid hard braking.  Passed the Wensleydale Cheese factory and wished I could stop.  Then Fleet Moss.  This was extremely hard.  Would have been easier on my Mercian tourer with the bigger gears.  Didn’t know if I could do it.  Tackled the two steepest bits by weaving a zig zag path across the road.  Used the whole road.  Near the top I held a straight line out of my saddle as a car driver showed good initiative and passed on my left reving up the hill in a low gear.  I was surprised to find I had made it over the top.  I didn’t need a rest at all and just ploughed on. On reflection a couple of big rides Jackie and I did in the Highlands plus a walk up Ben Loyal must have boosted my fitness and powers of endurance.  Brakes held out on the descent.  Down a beautiful flooded Wharefdale valley with roaring river.  Floods.  Floods. More floods. Rain. Through Grassington.  Got a signal and called Jackie to tell her not to worry because my ETA at finish was going to be very late - after 9pm.  I was worried about having poor brakes.   Jackie was finishing work in Clitheroe and offered a pick up.  Quite enjoying myself though and wanted to carry on.  Next check point was closed at 5.30.  No food.  No hot drink.  Not good at about 100 miles.  Stopped at pub near Bolton by Bowland.  Ate two packets of crisps, drank an orange juice and left a big puddle on the floor!  Hands and arms were shaking with wet and cold when I came out the pub but I figured I would be OK if I could warm up with pedaling.  Took a wrong turning but figured out the route in time.  Back tracked. Pedalled over near to Clitheroe.  Had to use front light to read directions.  Fitted lights.  Had to slow down a bit in the dark and at a steady pace Chaigley Hill didn’t seem hard at all.  Got to Chipping at 8.20.  No phone signal.  Realised I was going to make it.  Cycled in pitch dark past gliding club on familiar roads now.  Very poor brakes.  The rain had stopped though.  More floods.  Finished to cheers applause and hugs at 9.20 p.m.  Yes, I did want a medal.  Given sandwiches and biscuits and a hot drink.  Set off on last mile to home and met Jackie looking for me in the car. 

Many thanks to members of the Ribble Valley Cycle Club for organizing the event some of whom had been up since 4.20 a.m.  It was fun and I realize now I actually enjoyed it. It would have been better on a nice sunny day though with company of course!  If I did it again I would want lower gears.

Euan Cameron

PS  The other good news is that Broadgate Cycles sorted my bike and rims so I didn’t need to buy new wheels.

PPS I promise to clean my bike soon.