An establised and popular event to celebrate the New Year and ride off some of that Christmas excess. The ride counts towards the
PARTY award
.
The start/finish is at Bradwell Sports Centre just outside Hope. There will be tea/coffee at the start and soup at the finish.
David Darricott in the Peak District
The route is on mainly decent B roads in the Peak District, with some sections of quieter A roads and a short section on unclassified roads. The route has been designed to give the event a good chance of running unless the weather is unusually bad. Route finding should be easy.
There are two controls. At Ashbourne you get a stamp from the Leisure Centre and there is an Info control just beyond Waterhouses, so you'll find a pencil useful.
Need a cuppa? You can get a hot drink from the cafe inside Sainsburys in Ashbourne. There are also useful cafes at Longnor and in the Bookshop at Brierlow Bar.
If you are not familiar with Audax events or winter riding some local knowledge is pretty essential. Although there is a fair amount of climbing, we hope you find the hills not too challenging. The route is quite exposed in places so plan your gear accordingly and err on the side of caution. Decent lights are probably essential for all except the super fast and the super confident, as there are unlit roads right up to the finish.
