The Polka Dot Challenge by Danielle Riley.

In 2007 I went out to the Polkadot ride and thought that everyone riding it was insane! 12 months later and I was on the start line with sister Terrie and friend Dave Robinson other wise known as Team Tootal. The plan was just to get round as long as we made it in the allotted ten hours we weren't going for a time, or so we thought. The idea of riding 72 miles wasn't particularly daunting for myself or Terrie who both had the benefit of some warmer weather training, myself in Mallorca and Terrie in Italy. When Dave asked what was the longest ride we had done together I didn't mean to frighten him when I said about 45 miles, but he's so fit I'm sure if we had of done the 100 mile ride he would have managed fine.

We left the headquarters one of the first groups with Dave muttering that he always managed to upset the race officials when he was racing and why 30 years later were they picking on him, after Bernard demanded that he was sat on his bike before he would start the group. Several riders sprinted away from the group but it was short lived after we caught them up at the roadwork's on the Macclesfield road and then we sat on the front trying to keep the pace to a steady 16mph. As we approached the Silk road a number of riders insisted it was left as the sign had been turned around, we carried on towards Macclesfield and the dreaded Cat and Fiddle. As the climb started the group split and we rode up at our own pace to the pre arranged regrouping at the lay by just beyond the old Setter Dog. I was quite impressed to be averaging 9mph following a recce ride on bank holiday Monday where speeds were as low as 4mph in a horrendous headwind. 45 minutes later and we were approaching the top, and after a group of riders claiming that there was enough shelter behind me for all of them! We were lucky enough to see the top of the Cat before all of the cloud descended to leave an indistinguishable line between it and the tarmac. A short stop to put on jackets and we were off downhill just as the weather unleashed it's worst at us.

By the time we reached Buxton and Dave had assured is that the 10 degree decrease in the temperature was perfectly normal for Buxton with it's own micro climate we were completely fed up and I was again questioning my own sanity. Following Dave through Buxton, who didn't seem to be bothered by the extreme change in the weather and was busy pointing out all the windows that he cleans in the area in his alternative life as a window cleaner. A mantra came into my head that I was now a fair weather cyclist and I didn't have to do this and a decision was made to return home the most direct way and forget the Polkadot until 2009. I soon warmed up going up Long Hill and it didn't seem anywhere near as long as I'd remembered and by the top I'd decided to carry on thinking if it didn't get any better then I could always go home next time I hit Buxton. At Whaley Bridge I informed Dave of my decision and despite what Terrie says I didn't bully him into carrying on with me, I'm just very persuasive. Terrie went straight home to design windscreen wipers for her glasses.

As we approached the short route split in Chapel on le Frith there were a lot of people hanging around the junction obviously deciding whether doing the shorter route was a sign of weakness or a sign of still possessing an element of sanity. No question here for us the short route and following the right turn we started the evil climb of Martinside that wasn't even marked on the route profile. Despite having a triple chainset I still ended up walking and when a group went past and I was asked which sadistic ******* had put this climb in and not categorised it, I didn't dare own up to been the organisers niece, I just made a mental note to ride the event in my GMP issue body armour for protection next year in case it get's out.

We carried on past the Peakdale quarry and we climbed up to the feed, I was looking forward to Pat Graves world famous banana cake and was left vastly disappointed when it was pointed out that the mass baking doesn't start until after the Polka Dot, ready for the Spud Riley ride. The flap jack went someway to me getting over the disappointment. A quick discussion as to whether we were carrying on was stopped by Bryan Roebuck asking what I had done with Terrie and then informing me that I had to finish for the family honour, so the decision was made and after Ann Watson checking that we were alright ( if I was alright I wouldn't have been there) we were back on our bikes quite confident that with only 2 climbs left we could manage it. Into Buxton and the temperature dropped again and after more window cleaning stories we were riding easily up Axe Edge, Dave stormed off on his racing gears and I plodded along in my tourist gears. Several riders caught and past me and all were really friendly and cheerful although the one that made Dave question why he was doing the ride and how he'd been talked in to it is probably still stunned with the answer "I'm not sure, ask her behind it was her idea and I don't know what I'm doing here"

We cruised off Axe Edge and as the rain had eased we made the most of the descent towards Meersbrook using the big rings for the first time. Turning right towards Gun Hill we were still quite confident and started the climb, I was asked what it was like by another rider and muttered the following "it's not to bad, it's stepped, it keeps on levelling out, I've climbed worse". What I failed to add was that a 6 year lay off and a considerably increased waistline may change my opinion. When I finally made it to the top on two feet rather than two wheels I then had to check my sanity again when I saw an advert of a rather large naked woman holding a hose pipe advertising sexy fun on a walkers signpost, I really did think that I was hallucinating, or maybe it was just relief that I'd made it over the final climb. I mean if you're going to hallucinate on a bike as a female it really should be about some lycra clad male like Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati, as Dave`s wife had pointed out several weeks earlier he really is too good looking to be a bike rider. We plummeted through the lanes to Rushton Spencer and along the Macclesfied road towards Gawsworth where we took the left turn over the rather short sharp climb We then wended our way through the lanes towards Prestbury. A sense of excitement was growing that we were going to finish and after discussing that the Deanwater could possibly feel like L'Alpe d' Huez we flew up it and were soon back at the HQ.

A team pat on the back and we were back in 5 hours 41 minutes. Several cups of tea later and the trials and tribulations of the day discussed we were back on our bikes and heading for home discussing whether we'd be able to manage the 100 mile ride next year, weather permitting. So until the Spud Riley, happy pedalling and hopefully see you on the road.

Danielle Riley.