Way of the Roses Challenge
The Challenge
In order to raise £5k in sponsorship for Educaid India, John Corden will attempt to cycle The Way of the Roses, which is a demanding 170 mile cycle route across northern England, from Morecambe in the west to Bridlington in the east, in one day, in July 2024.
As any cyclist knows, it's not the distance that matters so much as the amount of climbing, and this route demands 8,618 feet (2,627 metres), with climbs of up to 25%, most of which come in the first 70 miles. It's a very tough challenge. When John rode the route over 2 days in 2021 it took him 12 hours and 53 minutes. This time he we set off from Morecambe at 5am and is hoping to complete the challenge in Bridlington by 8pm the same day.
John will be riding with several fellow members of Skipton Cycling Club, some of whom will attempt the whole route, others will ride segments. John's wife, Annie and a friend, will provide vehicular support, enabling John to stop for 10 minutes every 2 hours.
The target date is 16th July but it might change in the event of adverse weather conditions.
About John Corden
After a lifetime of sailing, John moved to Yorkshire in 2018 and took up cycling. Since then he has completed many cycling challenges, including 1,800 miles from Skipton in Yorkshire to Dubrovnik in 2022 and the 500 mile Camino Frances in 2023. He rides regularly with Skipton Cycling Club.
At 68, in order to stand any chance of completing his toughest challenge, John needs to train hard and lose some weight. He's on a strict diet, is forgoing his much loved red wine and riding in excess of 200 miles a week, incorporating increasingly longer routes into his training plan.