An Email from Simon
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An Email from Simon.
A team from CBRE GWS Limited completed the Way of the Roses over two days on 24th/25th September in aid of The Christie in Manchester due to the care they have provided to the team members' families and friends. Altogether we managed to raise over £2,500 for this great charity.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gareth-Roberts41
Leaving Manchester early on the Saturday morning, the team set out from Morecambe at 9am with aspirations of making it to York. Slightly more climbs than expected meant we got as far as Ripon before calling time on day 1. After another early start on the Sunday, we left Ripon to complete the remaining 95 miles, finally getting to Bridlington late in the afternoon - just in time for fish and chips!
With a few unintentional detours along the way, we managed to ride 175 miles with over 9,000ft of climbing (depending which app you choose to follow!) with just under 12hrs in the saddle.
It was a great weekend and the team were particularly impressed with the stunning views along the way. It really is a beautiful route, largely traffic free and in most parts the surface is good. It was tough but enjoyable with plenty of variety between hills and flat sections. As well as the scenery, there are some great moments along the way, in particular the climb out of Settle and the descent from Greenhow Hill into Pateley Bridge springing to mind.
Pictured left to right is Will Sherwin, Mat Dugdale, Simon Johnson, Gareth Roberts & Jack Prady. A huge thanks also goes to Laura Valentine who drove the support vehicle along the way making the whole experience run smoothly.
The below links are to my Strava segments for the two days.
https://www.strava.com/activities/723453416
https://www.strava.com/activities/724780954