Jan/Feb/March 2016

The severe weather conditions over the last months have restricted our Sunday rides somewhat with a number of our “structured” rides requiring to be re-scheduled later in the year, our 30mile reliability ride and Treasurers Trek MTB outing being casualties. However, our members have been out cycling when practical enjoying a number of local rides and some possibly a little further afield. The club rides to both Rivington via the ascent of Winter Hill and the ride to Whalley via Padiham returning over the climbs of Painter Wood and Haslingden Moor both illustrating the excellent cycling available on our “doorstep”.  The last Sunday ride of March saw the re-run of the 30 mile reliability ride which was well supported finishing at Millcroft Tea Gardens, Norden rounding off a very enjoyable day.

April 2016

With improved weather conditions our programme of events have gone ahead uninterrupted.

The first Sunday ride in April saw our version of the “North West Passage” which takes riders to Gisburn then through Bolton by Bowland, West Bradford to Waddington for lunch retuning via Whalley, Painter Wood and over Haslingden Moor and home. An ever popular ride through beautiful countryside with good company, it does not get much better than this!

Our members are always keen to support local events and this was certainly the case with the “Spring into the Dales” audax starting and returning to Hebden Bridge after negotiating what seemed, most of the steepest climbs in and around Keighley providing a severe challenge for all but the fittest.

We attempt to provide a varied Sunday ride programme which was highlighted with an MTB ride along the canal towpath to the Clayton Vale purpose built “off road” track breaking for lunch at the Velodrome café before returning via Tandle Hill country park.

We continued, the following Sunday, our series of reliability rides with the 50 mile version finishing at Millcroft Tea Gardens, Norden for refreshments which were much appreciated by all and incidentally, the ride was OK as well!

As always we run our Wednesday evening MTB trail rides starting at 7pm from either the Alpine, Whitworth Road, Rochdale or the Crimble, Bamford, see our website for details.

May 2016

The first of May’s road rides was to Holmfirth, the setting for “Last of the Summer Wine” sitcom with a route through Delph, Uppermill, Greenfield and over the curiously named “Isle of Skye” road takes us to Holmfirth for lunch (see café reports on our web site). The return journey via Meltham, Marsden and Denshaw can be quite challenging but travels through some delightful countryside.

Improved temperatures coincided with the club’s well supported 100k reliability ride, which included a lunch stop at Rivington, before returning via Edgeworth and Ramsbottom finishing off at Owd Betts.

The following Sunday was coincidently the annual Rivington “Epic” but using a radically different route to the previous weeks ride with a lunch stop at the Rivington’s Village Green Tea Rooms. The return journey around Anglezarke reservoirs’ Brinscall and Tockholes takes in some breathtaking terrain and breathtaking certainly applies to the fearsome ascent of Pickup Bank (possibly a climb to avoid).

For almost two decades the Trans Pennine organised the Over the Edge charity cycle ride raising over £160,000 in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Although we as a club are no longer able to run the event it was decided to pay homage to the OTE by riding the traditional and challenging “gold” route on the final Sunday in May.

June/July 2016

Despite the Trans Pennine not being a “racing” club we held our yearly 1 mile sprint and hill climb which was blessed with good weather and a rewarding response from the membership. Enjoyed by all who took part we embraced the social side of club life with lunch at a local hostelry rounding off the day’s proceedings.

We organised two “structured” rides in July the first being to Bolton Abbey over a route which proved to be quite demanding whilst the second one followed a circuitous route to Waddington. Although quite a lot further than the average Sunday ride they never the less provided great cycling amidst beautiful countryside.

The Trans Pennine is not a racing club (despite the sprint/hill climb event) with the remaining rides in June and July reverting to the more usual relatively shorter and leisurely local rides of approx 40/50 miles, which always include the obligatory lunch break.

If MTB/trail rides are “your thing” come and join our Wednesday evening outings which last for approx between 1 and 2 hours starting at 7pm (see our web site for details).

August 2016

We try to have at least one ‘structured ride’ per month. Augusts’ offering being the annual car assisted ‘Whalley Wobble. Starting from Springwood picnic site just outside Whalley, this is a superb ride of approx 40 miles incorporating some of the very best cycling in the Ribble Valley. We once again visited ‘Last of the Summer Wine’s’ Holmfirth and later in the month rode the classic 50k ‘Charlie Westlake’ Audax route providing an enjoyable day’s cycling.

September 2016

Our members once again took part in the Manchester 100 around the lanes of Cheshire (organised in aid of Christies Hospital). The last of this year’s reliability rides was the energy sapping 100 mile route out to Waddington and back! Possibly a little too demanding for one or two of the membership. The final outing in September was our ‘Over the Edge’ reunion ride which, sadly, was not very well supported despite all our efforts.

The remaining rides in August and September reverted to the more usual relatively shorter and leisurely local rides of approx 40/50 miles which, as with all our rides, include the obligatory lunch break.

 Oct/Dec 2016

As autumn approaches winter shorter club rides tend to be the norm providing a less strenuous though none the less enjoyable outing. The introduction of weekly A & B rides both starting at 9.30am from the “Range” provide an opportunity for riders of varied abilities to enjoy club cycling.

In November some of our members enjoyed the traffic free delights of the Preston Guild Wheel, such a refreshing change from dealing with the congestion on our overcrowded roads.

Despite being well into the festive season a few of our group found the energy to take part in a taster session at Manchester velodrome which I understand was enjoyed by all who took part.

The clubs year was brought to a close with our Christmas meal and the traditional tinsel ride followed by a sherry and mince pie gathering at a member’s house.

We now look forward to 2017 and hope to attract non member cyclists to join the Trans Pennine CC on one of our rides. As always check our website for details of upcoming events.