Holly’s charity bike ride report.

06/03/2010 by Steve McCall.

Holly and myself set off in good weather at 07:45 this morning for what was planned to be a full day of cycling for the Haiti earthquake victims. 

Good progress took us around the streets of Mirfield to rack up a few easy miles! After taking this gift we hit the cycleways then the “Peter Kay” rain came (”it’s drizzling, get inside” “the kind of rain that wets you through……like there is any other!”). We had good fun going to Huddersfield on the rolling greenway under all the bridges, we had averaged 12 MPH at the town centre.

On our return, the incessant drizzle became intollerable and we stopped at Nosh in Mirfield for a dry out basically. Suitably refuelled we flew along the greenways until…….nightmare….. we hit the Yorkshire Water works that forced us onto the roads around the exotic roads of Hecky and Clecky. It was pure hell as we went up to Knowler Hill expecting it to be clear there, unfortunately not. We had to then stick to the main roads all the way past Chain Bar which was throughly unpleasant.

After regaining the Greenway just below Wyke we flew up to Bradford turn off ( or we would, if I hadn’t missed it celebrating 30 miles with Holly). We the wandered around the industrial estate then had to drop down to the bottom by the fishing pond and climb back all the way back up to Brierley, Holly unashamably dropped me at the steepest section (the nasty whipper snapper!).

After a nourishing cycling friendly meal at Macky Ds we re-traced our steps still getting soaked by the drizzle. We were having a good laugh together and then, PTHFFF, chav debris struck with a splinter of glass causing me to puncture. I got well mad when the valve stuck and would not hold the pressure and literally threw the wheel into a bramble bush, classy! Eventualy I got 5.5 PSI into the tube, where was Doug when we needed him with his brilliant pumping action!

During the 15 mins changing the tube Hol got really cold and tried to get warm by cycling up and down the greenway but to no avail. She really suffered all the way to thru Cleck & Heck and when we got near Ravensthorpe she was shaking uncontrollably (even after downing my flask of tea, bugger , you know what I’m like with my tea) .

The end was nigh and my goal was to get her home by her own steam, then PTHFFF, another puncture!!!!! Rather thgan change it and have her waiting for me to pick more glass out of my tyres we struggled up from the Marmaville with a knackered little girl with 48 miles in her legs and her Dad sucking her wheel with a flat!

We had to zig zag around to get the half century in cos I’m cruel and a little bit pedantic that way!

Thanks to all who sponsored Holly for Haiti victims, it looks like Hol will have raised over £600!

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