Stage 6: Newport to Glossop

Going to Glossop

Distance: 72.72 miles

Climb: 2,969 feet      


Today sees us pedal through the Potteries and touch four counties (Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire) along the way.

What seems a fairly gentle route secretly saves us a collection of climbs towards the end of the day.

Fingers crossed we manage to dodge the forecast thunderstorms🤞

Fun Fact: Glossop is a historic mill town, famous for producing and printing calico.

Post-ride Debrief

A ride of two parts today as we travelled almost three-quarters of our 72 miles on tracks and paths, before climbing into the Peak District.

Leaving the pretty town of Newport behind, we were soon buzzing along paths, dodging the dog walkers, hikers and bikers. A mixture of packed gravel and tarmac kept us on our toes. We even managed to reclaim a couple of paths, although the formic acid from the nettles travelled with us for the rest of the ride.

Our canal path led to Stone, the small part of which we saw was very pretty. A coffee stop at a small independent café called M&S Simply Food was brightened by a cycling nerd chat with a couple of local riders – we are now informed about the pros and cons of snub-nosed saddles. A lady at a nearby table also told us the rest of Stone is horrible and she was pining for her home town of Eastbourne.

Pressing on to the Potteries we moved through many of Stoke’s towns, with Richard choosing probably the grittiest to get his first puncture of the trip.

Meeting the support crew at Biddulph Grange, which we are told has a very fine stumpery, we took on fuel and got VFM for our National Trust membership – toilets.

Moving through rural Staffordshire and then into urban Cheshire, we travelled through Macclesfield, home to the Macc Lads, famous for their album Beer & Sex & Chips ‘n’ Gravy. Sampling none of these, we pressed on.

With the sound of distant thunder, the old maxim of an English summer being a few hot days followed by a storm was coming true. In Charlesworth the clouds burst causing us the seek cover.

Emerging into persistent rain, the now drowned rats took on the back-loaded climbs heralding the Peak District. All the flat riding early meant there was enough in the legs to get us to the rendezvous at Glossop’s Norfolk Arms and its helpful staff.

We've already climbed 200 feet more than the height of K2...and it's up, up and up tomorrow.

If you are able, please sponsor our ride in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care. Click through to our JustGiving page.






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