Coast Busters

First hint of the trip for 2012….

Destination, Bourg d’Oisans near Grenoble in the French Alps.

Looks awesome!

Plenty of climbs starting in the town and more in the area.

Extracted from an e-mail received today:-

Dear Everyone

On behalf of the individuals and families we support across the UK, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved in the 180 mile Coast to Coast cycle ride in July this year. Thank you also to the team who tackled two stages of the Tour De France. An amazing £4,129.00 has been raised, so on behalf of all the families we are able to support thank you for all your hard work and generosity. Please also thank all those who kindly sponsored you for taking part in this challenge.

Up to 500,000 people living in the UK today have had viral or bacterial meningitis. Those who survive may be left with debilitating after-effects including deafness, blindness, limb loss (where septicaemia has been involved), learning difficulties, memory issues and behavioural problems. We are here to help everyone affected by the disease for as long as they require it providing support for life.

It is only through your valuable support that we can continue to help those struggling to cope with the impact of meningitis.

Once again, thank you for all your efforts and for your contribution to the work of the Meningitis Trust.

Yours sincerely

Matthew Clarke

Community Development Co-ordinator

Meningitis Trust

A late entry in the events of the recent Coast to Coast:-

This was the lads’ good deed of the weekend.

They came across these gals on Saturday morning 5 miles out of Kendal, they has a puncture and little idea how to fix it or even use a bike pump !

The lads soon had them up and running and as promised the ladies later donated £10 to our charity!

Thanks Girls!!

We all assemble in the square at Barnard Castle ready for the off at 9.30. All except Johnny G (who only arrived yesterday to pick up the final leg).

John has overslept…

But we’ve got to crack on to Whorlton where there is a photo opportunity on the rickety bridge.

Rickety isn’t the word for it. This thing shakes when a car goes over it and there is only one car allowed on it at any one time.

Bit hairy in the van. I catch the lads and get some snaps then head back to Barnard Castle to get John.

He jumps in the van with me to the first meeting point at Hurworth.

The lads arrive and after a quick snack head on to Great Ayton.

After that it’s the fast downhill in to Saltburn and I race ahead to get parked and get on the steep bank at Saltburn to get more snaps.

I’ll add more photos to the website over the next couple of days so look out for those.

Well done to the lads for another excellent effort!

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We had a great night in Kendal after we had all met up at the local Weatherspoons. On to another pub for a game of Killer on the pool table which Farley won.

Then we found a place playing live music with a pretty good band on who did a whole range of covers from the Beatles to Bowie, the Rolling Stones to The Jam.

Everyone had a great night!

Up early and away by 9.00am this morning as we have a good 60 miles to do and some big climbs over the Pennines.

Off to the first rendezvous as Beck Foot which is just under the M6 and has a classic old viaduct. Everyone arrives safely for the photo shoot. Except for Stoz that is. The lads head off on their route under the viaduct which I can’t follow as the track is too narrow.

I head off for Orton via a different route and as I meet the next junction I spot Stoz and point him the right direction towards Tebay.

Everyone arrives at Orton OK though some took a short cut. Another stewards inquiry later. No sign of Colmer and Dean though.

Unfortunately Colmer’s chain had snapped and they were stuck in a tiny village called Roundthwaite. I managed to find them and once Colmer had grabbed the spare bike (its Johnny G’s who arrives today) the were back on route.

On to Kirkby Stephen and the dreaded climb up to the Tan Hill inn (1700+ ft). I pass Coxy part of the way up and wait nearer the summit for action shots.

Once he goes past, Steve K is not far behind followed by Ade and Spenna.

I get some good shots of all the lads coming in which I’ll put in the site later.

The lads split on the way down from Tan Hill. Those with nobbly tires take the off road route while the bulk go the long way round by road.

And what a road! It’s all down hill from Tan Hill we think… except it isn’t. This road is the closest thing to a rollercoaster I’ve ever driven on and very tough going for the lads. Harder than the climb up to Tan Hill according to Steve K.

All now in our digs at Barnard Castle and we are meeting up at the The Old Well Inn where the bulk of the lads are staying.

An easier day tomorrow? It must be…

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After an uneventful trip by van and coach from Middlesbrough we arrived at Walney Island at around 10.00am. The weather was quite cloudy and chilly at the start but it picked up during the day.

First stop was Ulverston, a 13 mile ride for the lads through picturesque scenery and woodland. For some reason, best known to the Sat Nav, I went the coastal route and managed to miss the lads at the first stopping point. Not a good start.

On then to Grange-Over-Sands over some fairly tough climbs for the lads and some very tight single track lanes for me. Glad there was nothing coming the other way.

All the lads arrive within about half an hour of each other with and we link up after a bit of the usual searching for each other.

That is’ all except Dean. No sign of him at Grange and no-one had seen him for a while on the route. We’re in Grange for around a hour for lunch and still no sign of him.

Johnno gives him a bell and he’s only in Kendal already! Yellow Jersey for Dean? I think there will be stewards enquiry in the pub later.

We meet again at Matland, a tiny village just outside Kendal and then I follow the lads into the digs. We’re staying in four separate places, two pubs and two B & Bs but they are all pretty close so we’ll rendezvous later this evening.

A tough day ahead tomorrow including the dreaded Tan Hill.

Click here to see more photos from this leg