Bowland Forest Populaire 24 April 2022

After a gap of two years the Bowland Forest 100km cycling event, organised by  CTC Lancaster & South Lakes in conjunction with the Wray Scarecrow Festival, returned on Sunday 24th April. 

There were 38 entrants, 35 of whom rode the event. As well as local cyclists from Lancaster, Kendal, Bentham, Clapham & Preston there were riders from Southport, Manchester, Rochdale and Leigh; and from Eccleston, Leyland, Nelson, Leeds & Ilkley. 25 rode solo and there were 5 tandems, 2 of had blind cyclists as stokers. 

The route is concentrated upon minor roads within the Bowland Forest area. Starting from the village hall in Wray it passed through Caton Green, Quernmore Crossroads, Harrisend Fell and on to the first marshalled checkpoint by the Cobble Corner Café in Chipping. The next section headed into the strong easterly wind through Dunsop Bridge and Slaidburn before the brutal climb towards Toss Side and then Wigglesworth and the final checkpoint near Rathmell.  The final 24 kilometres had, at long last, a favourable tail wind and the riders returned to Wray via  Eldroth and Mewith Head.

 It had been a hard ride on a challenging course – just over 100 kilometres with some 1,800 metres of ascent. All finished the event with plenty of time to spare. The first two riders arriving just before 1 pm and the final tandemists checking  in at 4.30pm. All deserve congratulations for a gradely effort.

The organiser, our Lancaster and South Lakes President, Mike Hutchinson, would like to thank everyone who helped, especially David Hugill and Ray Moss at the Chipping checkpoint and Anne Hutchinson and Susan Lucas at the start [and finish] at Wray.