Several SNCC members ride the Wiggle Peaks Punisher, 8000 ft of climbing:

Three other club members, Judy, David Spoors, Sharon Herbert and I decided to tackle the Wiggle Peaks Punisher with the starting point being the Bakewell sports grounds deep in the Peak District. I elected to leave St Neots just after 4am on Sunday morning whilst the other three decided to venture up the day before (the sensible option). I arrived at just after 7am and the sun was already starting to shine. I swiftly put my bike together and made my way to the signing on area which was surprisingly quick and efficient, The day was already looking promising the sun was shining and the atmosphere was friendly. I made contact by text with the others who were just about to sign on so all was good.

I decided to ride lone wolf whilst Judy and David rode together and Sharon rode with a friend.

For me the ride started at a semi-relaxed pace for the first few miles taking us out of Bakewell and subsequently towards what quite quickly became hell. The theme for the rest of the day was every time we turned left everything went upwards and just kept going upwards - to which at one point I thought the last time I was this high up I had a parachute on my back. To be honest even turning right wasn’t much better because although the bike pointed downwards I just knew there would be a fast sweeping bend at the bottom and, guess what, we went up again. I’m not sure I can remember seeing so many people getting off the bikes and walking which under the circumstances is nothing to be ashamed of but when it happens straight in front of you, it ruins your tempo and trying to keep calm isn’t easy. At points my mind drifted to our club members on the ride and hoped they were suffering as much as me (joking of course).

The first feed station couldn’t come quick enough and I must say they were well stocked with energy drinks and loads of energy foods and it also dawned on me that all the riders who were there were remarkably quiet about the horrors that went before and for what lay ahead, and it most certainly didn’t help when a local was heard to say “ that’s the easy bit done then”. How we all laughed!

So out of the feed station, then, guess what? Yep, up we go again and so it continued. When we eventually levelled out I managed to link up with some local riders who were riding at a very relaxed pace and I must say I couldn’t understand why until, and here it comes, we turned left and off they went like nanny goats leaving me to think I should have seen that coming, I could, by now, hear myself with my good ear saying more than a dozen times that we are not used to this in Cambridgeshire and even raised kerbs are problematic - this excuse even with me was wearing thin. Anyway I got to the second feed station and it was pointed out that there was quite a lot of claret on my left hand which meant my elbow was playing up and then the pain started when I removed my arm warmer. Luckily a first aider was on hand to clean it up and re-dress it. She did actually ask if I should carry on and like an idiot I told her I’m fine - the reality was the total opposite. Onwards we rode for a couple of a hundred metres and then a left turn and you know the rest. At the top of this one, the route spilt, Epic one way(100 miles), Standard (75 miles) the other and although I set off to do the Epic, I thought - excuse the pun - I’ve already chanced my arm enough and elected for the Standard although there was still a lot of hard riding to come. Just before the end there was just one more sting in the tail and it came in the shape of big and vertical and only now will I admit it - I very nearly cried but managed to hold back the tears and just blamed Wiggle for everything that’s wrong in the world.

For the last few miles I rode in with a lad from Sheffield and I don’t know how we managed it but we both rode straight past the finish point. We didn’t even notice the massive Wiggle flags and we both agreed we were both socially confused by the days events.

Anyway, finish we did, and shook hands and parted company. I, with what little energy I had, threw the bike in the car and went in search of something to drink and wait for the others at the finish point. Both Judy and David had come in together and both had done 75 and both had averaged a cracking pace, they were shortly followed by Sharon and friend, again 75, who again had averaged a great pace and at this point I also want to mention Simon who was a friend of Judy who also done brilliant.

On this occasion and given how severe this ride was, it really wasn’t all about pace, it was about if you had finished it then you had done something very special and for me something to be extremely proud of.

Terry D