Way of the Roses: 170 Mile Ride 22.05.15 25.05.15 In support of the NACO President s Charity, Railway Children, Darren Leverington will lead a group of NACO members of the official Way of the Roses cycle route from Morecambe (West Coast) to Bridlington (East Coast). Members wishing to participate should contact Matt Arrowsmith at the NACO National Office on 0161 351 7900 or by email to ma@naco.coop General Information Although the Way of the Roses route (pg. 4/5) has been completed by cyclists of many different ability levels, it is a challenge! Make sure that you are physically prepared for the challenge by doing some training rides prior to attempting the route. You don t have to be Superman to complete it, but, you do need to know that you can manage more than 10 miles on a bike before collapsing in a heap! We will tackle the 170 mile route over 3 days: Ride Day 1: Ride Day 2: Ride Day 3: 60 miles. Some steep climbs around Settle and towards Pateley Bridge. Overnight accommodation in Pateley Bridge. 47 miles. Climbing from Pateley Bridge to Brimham Rocks. Flat from Ripon to York. Overnight accommodation in York. 61 miles. Mostly flat country lanes and cycleways from York to Bridlington. Carrying Your Gear / Support Vehicle Info NACO will be providing a support vehicle to carry clothes, general luggage and any large spares. The support vehicle will stick to A-roads where possible and only meet us at set points on the route and in case of emergency. We strongly recommend that you carry a small bag with an inner tube, multitool, pump, waterproofs as necessary, and anything else you think you will need (energy bars, drinks etc). We will be staying in bed & breakfast accommodation on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, your larger luggage items will be transported for you in the support vehicle. 2
Do not underestimate the amount of liquid you will need to carry. The norm should be at least two bottles in the morning and two in the afternoon. The route can be ridden on most types of bike as long as they are mechanically sound. Your Safety Some sections of the route involve riding through exposed, isolated, upland areas. We will be keeping a close watch on the weather forecast and the condition of our riders, but it is your responsibility to ensure your own safety if the route becomes too challenging or you are finding the conditions to be too much you must alert a route organiser as soon as possible. Route organisers will wear hi-viz and emergency contact numbers will be distributed remember that mobile phone signal can be a problem in the hilly central areas. The support vehicle is there to help and will be on hand with blankets, your warms clothes, snacks/drinks etc. Some sections require short rides on busy roads so be careful and remember it is not all traffic free. We do not plan to ride in dusk/dark, though you are required to take some lights with you even in late-may mist can come down very quickly in the hills or unforeseen punctures etc. can slow you down. You will find that your bike handling skills quickly improve during the ride; hills that were near impossible at the start of the ride will seem a lot easier at the end; and you will very quickly learn how to pick the best line between the dog deposits. 3
Overview of Itinerary Subject to availability, the ride will follow the basic itinerary detailed below. Participants will need to fund the cost of their own snacks and meals, along with transport to Morecambe and from Bridlington. TWIN ROOM Accommodation will be provided in Morecambe, Pateley Bridge and York. No overnight accommodation will be provided in Bridlington. A non-refundable surcharge of 90 is payable if you require a single-occupancy room. Thursday 22 nd May B&B accommodation provided in Morecambe 8:00pm, Meet for dinner (to be confirmed) Friday 23rd May: 60 miles 8:30am, Meet at the Way of the Roses start, by the Eric Morecambe statue on the seafront Morecambe to Settle, 35 miles. Lunch in Settle. Settle to Pateley Bridge, 25 miles. Overnight in Pateley Bridge staying at local B&Bs Saturday 24 th May: 47 miles 9am, Gather by Pateley Bridge Pateley Bridge to Boroughbridge, 25 miles. Lunch in Boroughbridge Boroughbridge to York, 22 miles. Overnight in York Sunday 30 th September: 61 miles 8am, Gather by Clifford s Tower/York Castle Museum York to Driffield, 42 miles. Lunch in Driffield. FINISH in Bridlington around 4pm 4
5
Training Training schedules will vary extremely from person to person. Each cyclist is different and will invariably start from a different base level of fitness. Remember that the best person to judge your fitness is yourself, and if you get out of breath tying your trainers you will probably need to work on it. Two important points to take into consideration are: The early section of the route is very hilly and you should do some riding over hilly terrain before attempting the C2C proper to prepare yourself. Your undercarriage takes a hell of a pounding so try to ride for 2 or 3 days consecutively to help acclimatize your bits. Its no good completing the first day only to find it s far too uncomfortable to get on the bike the next day! The Bike Bit You might have got yourself into shape to complete the route but have you thought about your bike and how it will cope with the extra demands you are about to place on it? Below is a basic (very basic) list of checks you should carry out on your bike before you start and don t do them the night before you set off! If you are in any doubt as to your competence regarding cycle maintenance then take your bike into the local bike shop to get it serviced. Brakes Make sure that the blocks are not rubbing on the tyre when you apply your brakes, also check that the blocks hit the rim squarely and do not slide under the rim. Check that the blocks are not overly worn and that they connect with the rim cleanly. Disc brake users need to check pads, pistons and rotors for wear. Cables Check that neither the gear or brake cables are frayed. If they are, replace them. Tyres The tyres should be inflated correctly to manufacturers recommendations and check the amount of tread left. If in doubt, replace them. Consider if you will be taking off-road routes and select a knobbly/semi-slick tyre accordingly. Lubrication Apply lubrication to front and rear mechs, brake holder pivots, all entry and exit points on cable outers, chain, brake lever pivot points and reapply lubrication at the end of each days riding Spares Various spares will be required depending on your bike. Be prepared! 7
Way of the Roses Guidebook For a detailed review of the Way of the Roses, included sites along the route, you can buy the official guidebook available from Sustrans: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/shop/route-maps-guides/way-roses-official-guide Accommodation TWIN ROOM Accommodation will be provided in Morecambe, Pateley Bridge and York. No overnight accommodation will be provided in Bridlington. A non-refundable surcharge of 90 is payable if you require a single-occupancy room. Sponsorship & Costs In order to raise as much money as possible for Railway Children we require all participants to raise a minimum of 600. A deposit of 200 is required by 1 st January 2014, which will be refunded once your sponsorship total reaches 600 Please Note: Your sponsorship total must reach 600 by 24 th April 2014 in order for you to participate in the event. NACO has made every effort to keep costs to a minimum. Your 600 sponsorship covers bed and breakfast accommodation in Morecambe, Pateley Bridge and York, and the shared cost of the support vehicle. You will be required to cover all other costs (i.e. lunch & dinner). If any surplus arises from additional charges, this will be donated to Railway Children. Virgin Money Giving NACO will establish a Team Page with Virgin Money Giving which you will need to join. This must be your default fundraising method as it helps NACO keep up-to-date with your fundraising and will be used to return deposits to participants raising over 600. First you ll need to join Virgin Money Giving yourself and set a fundraising target of at least 600 which will, in turn, be added to the NACO Team target. Visit the NACO Team page here: http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/naco To find out how Virgin Money Giving works: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/ 8
NACO Way of the Roses Cycle Challenge Registration Form Registration: To register for the NACO Way of the Roses Cycle you must complete this registration form and send a deposit of 200 by cheque or BACS to cover 3 nights B&B and a contribution to the cost of a support vehicle. This will be refunded once you have met the minimum 600 fundraising target. Meals, drinks and other expenses are at your cost. Start Details: We will meet at 8:30am, Friday 23 rd May 2015 at the Way of the Roses start point, Morecambe. Riders will be given a route overview every morning showing pre-arranged stops and the day s final destination. Luggage not needed on the route will be carried to the day s end point by our support vehicle. Riders will be expected to carry the essentials as suggested in the information pack. Conditions of Entry: All riders must wear a helmet at all times whilst cycling. All bicycles must be fitted with working front and rear lights. NACO takes no responsibility for injury, death, damages, errors in route, losses, fines or actions however caused. Ride in groups to minimize accidents, with at least one rider with a suitable map. Riders should have their own travel insurance. Respect other track users and road regulations. This event is not a race - please help others if they ask for help. There are walkers, horses and vehicles on the route. Please be aware. Some sections require short rides on busy roads so be careful and remember it is not all traffic free. Please be aware. Fundraising: By registering and entering in this event, riders commit to raising a minimum individual sum of 600 for Railway Children by 24 th April 2015. On receipt of your registration form & deposit, NACO will accept your request to join the Virgin Money Giving fundraising team. Hardcopy sponsorship forms are available on request (email ma@naco.coop). Register at www.virginmoneygiving.com and join the NACO Team. http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/naco 9
Disclaimer: The organiser (NACO), the charity, nor its employees or agents, cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to personal effects, accident, injury or death however so arising. Acceptance of Conditions of Entry: I have read the above terms and conditions for registration of the NACO Way of the Roses Cycle Challenge and agree to abide by these conditions. I understand that this is a charity ride and agree to raise a minimum individual sponsorship of 600. PLEASE RETURN PAGES 9&10 OF THIS DOCUMENT ALONG WITH A CHEQUE/ BACS PAYMENT FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT ( 200 deposit + any additional charge) to: NACO National Office, 6a CLARENDON PLACE, HYDE, CHESHIRE, SK14 2QZ BACS/ BANK TRANSFER TO: NACO, Unity Trust Bank, A/C: 33019725 S/C: 08-60-01 10
NOTES 11