Set off at 7.20 and finished in 3 hours 57 minutes which I'm really pleased with, covering 62.65 miles on my computer. This was my earliest start and it made a huge difference, roads were clear all the way of bikes and cars, so it was a good ride with the added bonus of there being a few more people around to chat with. Until Preston Dock the weather conditions were almost ideal, cool and a slight breeze. From Preston the headwind began to grow and was really tough by the time we hit the Kirkham area. Highlight of the day for me was the way 7 of us just came together to make up a small chain gang all the way in. Each time we picked up a new rider their relief was palpable. The gang just grew naturally which was great.
Haigh Hall had a lot of dirt on the road which was wet from overnight rain. Going through early needed caution so I'd guess it was quite dangerous when it got busy.
Starting early meant I saw very little poor cycling apart from the group of six MTBers following the white coach at a round 3 feet from his rear bumper, then pulling out and overtaking the coach on the wrong side of a traffic island. If the driver had braked none of you could have stopped! The coach was simply hanging back because he couldn't get past a group of perhaps 20 cyclists and he wanted to turn left. The driver did everything right and the MTBers everything wrong! Also saw three or four roadies going through red lights - you should know better!
The route has changed since I last rode it, presumably to accomodate the Promenade finish. I think I preferred the old route as this took in more of the Fylde lanes before finishin in Blackpool.
