Manchester to Morecambe - 1 September (night ride)
****RIDE UPDATE 15th Aug****
OK, decision made, we're going to Blackpool rather than Morecambe by a new, shorter route and then there will be a ride back to MCR.
The outward route will be the same as previous years until we get to Longridge. After that we'll take a more direct route to Blackpool..
MCR to Blackpool Tower will be 95km/59 miles, round trip will be 188km/117 miles.
I'm planning to have breakfast at the Lytham St Anne's Wetherspoons (The Railway Hotel). It's 14km/9 miles from the Tower.
If we arrive there too early then we'll push on to The Grey Friar in Preston. That's 32km/20miles from Blackpool Tower.
I'm sorry about using Wetherspoons but I don't have either the time or the mental energy to seek alternatives.
In a break with the Friday's tradition, I will make the gpx of the intended route available to anyone signed up for the ride.
I believe that, during previous rail strikes, several trains did run so there is a possibility that you'll be able to get home anyway but you may have a long wait, especially as you'll have a bike. I'd advise against doing this if at all possible; leave the trains to those people who need them, don't take up space because you're on a "jolly".
I've booked a train to B/Pool Saturday 19th to do a route check back to MCR and I'm riding to B/Pool Sunday 27th, staying over and planning to ride back Monday 28th to route check both directions.
One rider from outside MCR has already booked train tickets and a B/Pool hotel with a view to getting the train home on Sunday 3rd so, as promised, I'll be doing this ride anyway.
If no-one else joins, I may look at staying over as well and going out on the town with them !
I'll send out a little more information on the route when I've done the route checks; you may want to join us en route or head home at some point on the return.
Please feel free to ask any questions.