Yesterday I completed the Manchester to Blackpool ride, a 64mile ride in aid of Christie's. There was well over 6000 bikers taking part, some of them in costume.
I set off around 6:50 and got off to a good start, once i had warmed up a little i got into a comfortable pace. Over the next 30-40 miles the ride was fairly hilly, with descents being just as hard as the uphills. On one long and steep decent I managed to hit a personal top speed of 23.78mph.
The ride was going well until I ran out of water with around 18 miles to go. Luckily there was someone handing out bottles of water just as i ran out, so that kept me going for a while. Up until now I had not taken any stops except at a couple of traffic lights where, if lucky, I would have a shoulder to hold onto.
With 10 miles to go the cramp was getting quite intense. With the last 10 mile stretch along the sea front having a strong head wind, this slowed me down by quite a lot, but I kept going as I had already gone 50 miles with no stops. I couldn't stop now! Coming up to the finish line was amazing, with so many people clapping every time someone crossed it, and the slice of cake and water at the end was brilliant! After talking to many cyclists, trying to convert them to one wheel, I made my way to the chippy, a great end to a great day!
I had completed 64 miles in 4 hours and 20 mins, non-stop, which means I had an average speed of 14.8mph. Thank you to all the cyclists who gave me support along the way, I hope to see you next year!
Across the finish line at last.
Manchester to Blackpool by Matthew Morris
- 10 Jul 2012