Warning: this is a 200km Perm where the finish is 200km from the start! Don’t worry, this ride is run in association with Transpennine Express, who run a direct train service between Scarborough and Stalybridge. You should take advantage of the prevailing SouthWesterly winds.The ride counts towards both the PARTY award , and the Peak Audax SR award .
Trains for the return are run hourly; check the Transpennine Express Thyme Tables before choosing your start time. bikes without reservations are not allowed on board, so you must book your bike onto the trains at TPE . Don’t forget to tick the box to reserve a space for the bike.
Of course, you could just stay over in Scarborough and ride a second Perm back to Stalybridge.
The ride itself is generally in a North-Easterly direction. You have the big climb of the ride early on, rising to 492m on Saddleworth Moors within the first few kilometers of the start. Your reward is a long descent into Holmfirth. This is followed by a second climb to the Sovereign but then it is easy gradients until the Howardian Hills between Boroughbridge and Malton. There is a final heave into Scarborough before a plunge to the coast.
Scarborough