Girls on Cogs

Miles estimated: 70

Miles cycled: 87

Route revisions: several (due to hilly minor roads…)

Hours taken: 9

With the weekends before the big trip racing past, we decided to cycle up to the Peaks for the summer barn weekend in Bamford.  Google maps said it would be approximately 70 miles, so with an average speed of 10mph (including breaks) we could take a half day off work and still get to the pub in time for food and couple of beers with the gang……or maybe not!).  We set off from Leicester at 1.30pm, and the sun was shining.  Lovely!  We headed out towards Newtown Linford, past the Ferrers Centre, through Melbourne and arrived in Mickleover around 4.30, over 30 miles completed.  We were both gasping for a drink, so had a break at a roadside pub for some iced cokes – well, we were on schedule and almost half way there (or so we thought…). 

Back on the road, we picked our way along some small, unclassified roads which appeared to be a fairly direct route northwards to Bakewell.  It was all very scenic, pretty cottages, rambling roses, sheep in the fields etc….but also very hilly and a bit slow going….and we were probably not going to make it to the pub in time for food.  Oh well…have to be chips on route – we’d eaten all our food and only had one dextrose tablet left between us).  By around 9, we were approaching Bakewell, having changed to B roads in the hope we could gain some time and speed.  We’d definitely be there for last orders!  From Bakewell, we sped along the A619 to Baslow, through Grindleford (there was a big hill here under the railway bridge, and no getting off to push as some of the gang might be driving past!) on to Hathersage, where it was only a couple of miles to Bamford.  Despite the light evenings, it was properly dark by the time we rocked up at the pub at 10.30, but we had done nearly 90 miles in 9 hours.  We’d not managed to find any chippies,  so time for a big pint of water (even I finished a whole pint of water before tucking into the beery refreshments) – and good news….the pub was open til 1am!  So we were able to enjoy the beer, the company of our friends, and a couple of games of pool.  Excellent.  (might revise the route home on Sunday though…)

What we learnt:  Add on at least 10% to the google miles, and avoid unclassified roads if you want to arrive in daylight (‘u’ roads not always shown on road atlases or signposted)