GLOWING IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

 TEAM GLOW'S ANNUAL RIDE AND SOCIAL EVENT 

Hartington Hall Youth Hostel

Just like buses, there's an absence of cycling weekends then two come along at once. You'd think the recent jaunt up Holme Moss would be enough, but no, here we go again. 

Last weekend was Team Glow's Annual Ride and Social Event (I leave you to work out the acronym) featuring our very own BikeRight! MD as Guest of Honour.

The weekend was impeccably organised, sating 42 women's thirst for riding and networking, whooping and drinking with three differently graded rides on each day emanating from Hartington Youth Hostel and an evening event at the Village Hall. Fair play to all you women for the miles crunched, hills nobbled and hours socialised - you certainly know how to pack it all into a weekend.

Oops!!

On Saturday we went for a pootling 17 mile ‘A’ ride led by Yasmin Green - except you can't pootle anywhere on the Peak District, it's too damn hilly.  Severely undulating country provides a good whack of personal challenges: changing your attitude to climbing (it's no good dreading hills when there's one every 45 seconds), and  tackling the fear of descending (thankful for that bit of extra weight keeping you firmly in touch with terra firma).

The added thrill on Sunday was developing these skills whilst gusty winds threatened to blow us off our bikes at any unpredictable moment.  We ‘B’ riders handled it with aplomb; it was the ‘D’ women who called it a hurricane.

Staying upright this time

Sunday's 25 mile circular led by Glynis Francis, founder of Team Glow,  from Hartington to The Roaches took us up hill and down dale (hang on, isn't that a Yorkshire term? But we were in Derbyshire.)  It turns out the Holme Moss effort was just a practice for the testing gradients in Derbyshire - 2,885 feet of climbing narrowly beat the last weekend's 2854 ft.  Ok, it wasn’t all in one go, but toiling repeatedly up hill after hill requires its own level of stamina and determination.

A personal best for me was being housed in a room once occupied by my ancestor, Bonnie Prince Charlie in the historic Hartington Hall.  You may laugh (many do) but be aware: the force of the Stewarts endures.  

Many women plan to follow up the weekend with bike maintenance and ride leader courses at BikeRight!, and there’s a 2015 LEJOG (Lands End to John O’Groats) ride in the offing.

Go girls! Glow girls!