Weve done it! 106 miles and 20 super fit, svelte ;) lycra clad Dads and Mum arrived safely back in Bramhall around 6:30 on Saturday. It was never going to be plain sailing and It didnt feel like we would all make it at the halfway point but it was in the end, an incredible effort from everyone.

We arrived, bleary eyed, at 5:45am Saturday the 23rd outside Pownall Green. The coach had arrived early so we started loading our bikes. The traffic was non existent (what nutter would be on the motorway at 6am?) so we made Bowness in an hour and a half. Things were looking good time wise.

Overcast and 15 degrees, it was good cycling weather and the 1st part of our ride we could enjoy the rolling country lanes of the lake district. Early on it became clear we had groups who are cycling at very different speeds. At 45km (28miles) we stopped at crook o lune picnic site where we just caught the speedy group leaving. Next stop is lunch in Preston which was a tough sell to the others when route planning.

We were making great time when in Garstang my chain broke. After being fobbed off by a miserable git in a cycle shop Id stopped outside, I then found All cycle care. Very nice of the group that they all waited for me so it involved a weird slow procession of 10 bikers making their way through a housing estate in the middle of Garstang while I try to navigated with my phone to find Phils house. All in it probably took out 45 minutes with the actual repair taking 2 minutes.

With me, pedalling on eggshells, we made our way to Preston where the traffic increased and it started to rain. On a warm dry day, Avenham and Miller Park would be glorious. On this day though many of us were shivering and cold to the bone. Rob had managed to park up but it was a sod of a climb to get to the van and our lunch. A hot coffee and a sit down was a much needed boost for many of us.

Fed and watered we took off over the River Ribble and a couple of miles of bike path that had so many tree roots raising the surface that it pummelled our now sore posteriors. Then we emerged out into the beauties of the A6 dual carriageway. We managed to get though some heavy traffic easily then out in the countryside again we battled with a couple more big hills.

Andy had a puncture that was swiftly dealt with and our 3rd stop at a Glazebury pub meant a quick refuel and we had much easier going on more familiar roads. Through to our last stop in Hale where there was a pint in the beer garden of the Bulls Head that had my name on it. James had been there waiting for around an hour as we were the stragglers. Feeling absurdly drunk off one pint, we set off at a more sedate pace as team Pownall for the last 6 miles.

An easy spin on the bypass led us to a warm reception cycling through the gates of the school. We finished with relief, satisfaction and a sense of achievement as, for most of us, this was the longest ride wed ever done. I had eaten flap jack, energy bars, gels, jelly babies, and had burned around 8500 calories that day. Most importantly we'd raised around £3.5K for the school with a special mention to Jane Hamilton at Future recruitment for the £1000 donation.

A Massive Thanks to everyone who donated

And a huge thanks to our riders

Alex Heritage, Alex Waddington, Andy Brigg, Andy Jones, Craig Hunt, Daniel Murphy, Dan May, Ed Winterbone, James Bramley, Jon Waterworth, Mark Dooner, Matt Facer, Matt Clayton, Matt Evison, Mike Smith, Nick Batchelor, Phil O'Keefe, Richard Mills, Ross Mitchell, Simon Bates.

BACKGROUND

The past couple of years have changed the world as we know it. Schools and the children have had to adapt to these changes but the effects of the Lockdowns and Covid are still being felt. There is still a huge shortfall in the money that used to be raised by the PTA because of the events that didn't take place like the Balls, Fairs, Discos and Easter egg hunts.

Please help us make up the shortfall and raise the money needed for the projects below

School Projects to Fund

- Outdoor learning area with canopy

- Musical instruments for whole class tuition

Many thanks to Stef Fowler of Fannys Real Fitness for the Sports massages at the end of our ride. https://www.fannysrealfood.com/

For more information on the ride please visit https://pownallgreenpta.wixsite.com/sponsored-bike-ride