Our 1st 100 mile cycling challenge. He’s 80 Years Young & we see LOTS of Lancashire! Can we do it?

So, I thought my 1st 100-mile cycling challenge through Lancashire would be a tough ask… until I teamed up with my unstoppable 80-year-old father-in-law Ken Hodgins. Ken was going for his longest distance for many years. Our circular route from West Manchester to Garstang took us on a cracking adventure through stunning scenery, including the Preston Guild Wheel, the River Ribble crossing, and the epic Trough of Bowland. Expect climbs, sweat, maybe a few tears (mostly from swallowing flies), food stops and definitely some foot-related drama. This light-hearted video captures the fun, the challenges, and the sheer joy of a long ride with fantastic company in beautiful sunny rural Lancashire. Can we crack it?………watch and find out. Thanks for watching.

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#Cycling #RoadCycling #Lancashire #UKCycling #100Miles #First100milecyclingchallenge #CyclingChallenge #AdventureCycling #TroughOfBowland #PrestonGuildWheel #ElderlyCyclist #80yearoldcyclist #StockportClarion #CyclingVlog #BikeRide #RuralCycling #WestManchester #Garstang #OverWyre #OverWyreCycling

Okay, good morning everyone. We’re just uh out on another sunny sunny weekend ride. Um setting off from home today. The plan is the plan is to uh try and do 100 miles if we can. kind of setting off from West Manchester heading up towards Gastang and then looping back around back home. But uh whether we’ll make it or not, I don’t know. But we couldn’t have a better day than this. It’s gorgeous. Um so we’re about uh 4 miles in that. So I’ve only just set off on the outskirts of Bolton. So we’ll bring you back in a bit with some updates. Let’s see what happens. See you later. Morning. Yeah. So, the idea today, wanting to do this for ages, try and get 100 miles in. morning cuz the uh the light light nights are back. I want to see if I’ve got it in me legs. See if I’ve got it mentally, physically. See if we can do it. So, just coming over the dam at Rivington going up the hill now. So, we’ll uh see how we can get on. Uh but judging by this, not very well. Let’s keep going. So, here he comes. Sir Kenneth just conquered another climb and he’s trying to do 100 miles today. 80 years old. So, not bad. So, we’re just looking at booking a holiday abroad at the moment for summer. But if this weather continues like this, there’s no need to go abroad. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, this country, if you get the right weather, there’s no need for foreign travel. But that’s a trouble in it. You’re forced into it most of the time cuz the weather’s rubbish. But, uh, I’m not going to knock this. This is fantastic. So, we just come through the outskirts of Charlie through Whittlely Woods. We’re about 20 mi in. We’re just at a Curdom Valley uh park. Very nice off-road trails. Um never been here before, but I think it’s near Whittley Woods heading towards Preston. Um so, yeah, 20 mi in, feeling okay so far, so we’ll just keep going. Now, I know they do the the national pie eating championships each year. I think it’s in Wigan where they do it. A genuine competition who can eat the most pies, but this morning I’d be winning the National Fly Eating Championship. I must have swallowed about five already. Horrible. Uh, but I should ride with my mouth closed, shouldn’t I? But yeah, the nice weather’s brought the flies out and I’m having a feast. That’s Sir Kenneth. Old man Kenneth in front going up the climb. grinding away, but he’s still doing it. Fan’s still doing it. His age, something’s gone. All right. Come on, get a move on. All right. So, we’re 25 miles in. Um quarter of the way in. if if everything goes to plan. This is a river Ribble. We’re just coming into South Preston here. Really? There’s Kenneth. How you doing, Ken? All right. At the moment. Yeah. Keep bobing. Yeah. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Oh, it is, isn’t it? Yeah. So, we just come through down all these tracks and everything. Yeah. All right. There’s a lot of foot traffic, didn’t they? But yeah, they’re lovely. Yeah. You can’t whack it. We’ve just uh come up here on this cobble bit with that think that’s Penworth there, which is I think it’s just south of Preston. So, I say if everything goes to plan, we’re about quarter the way quarter the way in, something like that. Roughly about a quarter of the way in. Whether we’ll do 100 miles, I don’t know whether we run out of light or run out of legs. Um, one of them things are going to happen, isn’t it? But hopefully we can do it. So, we we’ll see what happens. Keep cracking on. That is it. Yeah. Just uh leave you with a view of the Ribble there. River Ribble. Lovely. And uh I didn’t realize it was so big. Oh, the Ribble. Yeah, it’s massive. Yeah. It goes out into the North Sea, doesn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. So, there you go. Yeah. Just cycling down the side of the Ribble. River Ribble that’s coming into Preston. There’s one of the old road bridges. A lovely off-road cycle track down the side of the river. This is a top notch as they say in the trade. Look at this. Fantastic. Ha. I’ve never been on this path before. I think this is the Preston Gild Wheel Path. This um runs up the side of the river Ribble. But on a day like this, I mean, virtually got it to ourself as well. a couple of cyclists around, some dog walkers and stuff, but yeah, never been around here before in this area, but this is a top notch. Brilliant. Very lucky. I’m not sure you can cuz in the background having a way in the trees. Yeah. Yeah. So, we’ll keep keep we’ll keep plotting on. Okay, so we’re 30 miles in. Um, coming up for about a third of the way around. Just short of it. Bumpy road. Oh my word. Um, I didn’t start that filming at a good point, did I? God’s sake. Um, yeah. So, we’ve um about 30 mi in. Uh, we’ve managed to navigate through Preston now. So, we’re out of Preston. We north of Preston, which is good. We’ve used quite a lot of that Preston Guild wheel, which I’ve never ridden on before. That was really good. Um, yeah, well impressed with that. If anyone lives around there, you’re very lucky to have that. Yeah. So, we’re getting more out into the lanes and the countryside now, which which was chuffed about. And hopefully we’ll be stopping. If we can find something next few miles, we’ll get something to eat, try and fuel oursel, keep us going uh for the challenge. Oh, yeah. Oh, I like it. Now there’s Boland over on the right hand side over there. Only if that’s coming across on the camera. Yeah, we’re um heading up towards kind of Broen area. Yeah, there’s Boland over there. Back on the lanes now. This is great. Nice and flat. Decent surface. Not much wind. Lovely and warm. Next food stop. We’re having something to eat. We’re um 34 miles in. So, just over a third. So, same again twice. We’ll see. So, we’re just coming up through Bills now. 36 milesi in. Looking for something to eat. I’ve just been to the thatched hamlet, guys. Thatched hamlet, but it’s absolutely rammed. Um, I’m just looking for a cafe really. So, somebody might say, “Oh, there’s one there on the left.” But, uh, I don’t know. I keep looking and hopefully find some chippy here, but I had chips yesterday. Okay, so we’re 40 mi in, 40 miles in. Um, we’re kind of scooting around Bowling, the edge of the forest of Bolan really here. Um, we’re generally going to scoot back around towards Gastang, I think, cuz everywhere we come across has been closed so far. something to eat. Oh, absolutely rammed. Um, so yeah, I don’t it’s not surprising. It’s a lovely sunny day, but um hopefully keep saying this, hopefully we’ll get somewhere to stop and get some food in a minute or soon. But me voice be gradually getting angry and angry if I can’t find some food in a bit. So, we’ll keep going and see what happens. Hello folks. Hello. You fully loaded. You camping. Lovely. Enjoy. Look at this. We’re just kind of on the edge of uh Poland here. What are we 42 miles in on the lanes there? It’s really nice. Just waiting to getting up a bit of a climb. I was just catching up to the ladies who’ve got bikes full of weight here. So, he’s he’s doing all right. I don’t know what this is. We’re on the outskirts of gas stand. Is it a car boot or a country show or something? I don’t know. Uh, looks like some kind of motor meat or something. Motorsport or something. I don’t know. Yeah, agricultural show. I wish it would give you more information, but I can’t. They m Oh, Lanasher Game and Country Festival. That’s what it is. That’s why it’s mad busy. Going to try and get something to eat there. But give that a swerve as well. Chaos. There’s Kenneth just finishing off his dinner. He’s had his sausage buttery. And what’s that? What cake was it? Walnut and coffee. Walnut and coffee cake. Very nice. Coffee and walnut. Yeah, I just had a big chocolate cake. We got our teapot topped up. We’re in Gastang. We’re at the uh the Delhi Cafe, aren’t we? 46 miles in. So, we got about another 55 to go. We got about 6 hours to do it in. So, so we need to um get our foot down a bit, but I think it’s a bit flatter on the way home. I think we have done most of the climbing coming, Ken, have we? Yeah, I think so. Mind you, we got stopped a lot with the um with with the foot traffic in on the um Yeah, we were on a lot of walkways and that weren’t we? But it’s good that Preston Gill, isn’t it? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Really good. Tell you what, it dead smooth that that roads been on. They were awful, weren’t they? Nice, wasn’t it? You want filling up? Um Yeah. Yeah. Fill me up. Fill me up. We’ll get fueled and then we’ll get going again. So, we’ll see you in a bit. Yeah. You’ll be mother. Take a picture of all this. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone’s They’ve got the best idea over there. All sat outside the pub. Yeah. We’re here having tea. They’re out there sat in the sun having a pipe. So, good on them. We’ll see you later. Yeah. So, feeling a bit better now. Had something to eat in the center of gas. Stang there at the deli at the cafe. That was lovely. Um, sandwich, soup, cup of tea, and a massive piece of cake. Greedy git. So, um, yeah. So, I’m feeling better. 46 miles done. Got about another what 50 or so, 45, 48, something like that. Um, but yeah, we we’re just on the outskirts of Gastang. Trying to get out of Gastang now. We’re just over 50 milesi in out raw cliff. Look at the flag on the right. There’s a little winding got up. I wasn’t a breath earlier on, but uh out here over wire gas areas as you get towards the coast, the filed coast and then um yeah, there’s a wind got up, so we could do without that. But at least it’s sunny and it’s flat as a pancake. So keep our head down. Genuinely don’t know if we’re going to be able to do this. Don’t know if we’re going to run out of time before it gets dark or what. I don’t know. Um I think we’ll be cutting it fine to do 100. But we’ll keep going and hopefully we can crack it barring any disasters. When’s the last time you did 100 miles then, Ken? Before me cancer. Well, the week before me cancer. I uh Well, people who are watching are not going to know when that is. How long ago was that? That was about 7 years ago. 7 years ago. So you’re not done 100 miles for 7 years. So what’s your thoughts? You think you’re going to crack it? We’re halfway through. We’re halfway through. Yeah. Very. That was a a very non-committal answer there, wasn’t it? Like a 50/50. Yeah. Yeah. We’ll see. We’re just heading up towards like um pilling that area up there. Pilling area overfiled filed coast. Um yeah. So, um we’re doing all right so far, but we’re just going into a bit of a wind here, aren’t we? Bit of a headwind. Flies are knocking about. I know. I said I’ve swallowed about 300 now. Flies. I don’t know how many you’ve had, but they’ll keep you going. There’s protein in them. It’s part of your fuel. Bloody hell. Bloody flies and rain. W I don’t know if you can see my shirt. I don’t know if he’s coming across on the camera with the flies, but my skin, my face, everything. Oh, just absolutely caked in. Oh, God’s sake. We’re coming off this road now, so I’m hoping that’s the end of the flies. But we’ll see because the lanes are much of a muchness around stay full of them. Come top. God’s sake. See you in a bit. Now, some idiot decided to plan this route using a ride with GPS, which is brilliant, by the way. If anyone wants to use that, ride with GPS. Uh, but uh I keep putting the wrong uh I’ve put the wrong route in about five times. I took us up crazy farmers fields and all sorts. So, just had to double back on ourself. 55 mi, but it was worth it for that view over to Boland, heading back towards it. So, we’re coming away from the coast now, back towards inland towards the M6 towards uh Boland and that area. So, yeah, another wrong turn, but nice view on the way back, so it was worth it. Well, that’s 660, the big 60. 60 mi in. Just on our right hand side is the River Wire. We’re heading kind of east here, back in land, heading east. I think we’re heading towards kind of St. Michael’s on wire, that area. Uh, starting to feel it a bit now to be honest. Uh but yeah, there’s a bit of a winding got up, so I’m getting me excuses in early in case the remaining 40 miles don’t go smoothly or don’t even happen. Yeah, let’s keep plotting. Keep spinning. Let’s see where we are. What time is it, by the way? Let me have a look. It’s uh it’s half 3, so we’ve got realistically 4 and 1/2 hours. 5 hours. 5 hours tops really to get home. We’ve got what 40 miles and on my math that’s 8 miles an hour. So we should fly through that. We’re doing we’ve averaged 13 so far. 30 mph. So we’ll probably slow down later on a bit as we get tired. But yeah, we should do it. But you never know. You know what’s going to happen. Oh, come on. Just have a little moan cuz look at the state of these roads. It’s been like this a lot of the way around. It’s just pothole central. You can’t get any speed up at all. So we’re in Cat Forth now. Uh but yeah, in Lanasher, but these roads are terrible like a third world country at times. But yeah, we’ll keep on keeping on and see what we can do. 70 blind 70. So, we’re up to 70 mi. Um, me foot I’ve had a a foot injury in my right foot and it’s uh just started playing up. So, I’ve just had to nail a load of um tablets and I’m hoping that’ll keep the pain away and hoping we can ride home on it. But I was taking a chance coming out because I’ve not planned this ride really. It was just a last minute thing last night saying should we go and uh should we see if we can do 100 miles? So, it wasn’t great planning to be honest. But, uh we’ll see. I’ll just try and get a drink in this uh petrol station. Uh and then we’ll go from there. Hopefully, we can uh keep going without having to phone for a a lift home. Now, sausage dough. Right. So, we just uh stopped giving me foot a rest for a minute cuz I got sore foot. Uh saddling services. Ken just got himself. What have you got? Coffee go. Is it vegan? I have to take that as a no. Yeah. So, we’ve uh we’ve just stopped here for a minute, haven’t we? Um done 70 miles. They’re both doing all right, but there’s you, if you look at these trees here now, the bigger ones in the distance there, there’s a right headwing got up that’s looking south and we’re heading south all the way back towards Manchester. So, I think we’re going to have I know. Yeah. Don’t know if they’ll come across on the camera, but in the distance over there, some flags on a building site and they’re not half not half in the wind. So, we’re into that all the way home. So, yeah. So, I don’t know how this is going to go really cuz the old uh the right foot’s playing up and we’ve got 30 mi left yet. But I mean with with nutrition like that I mean that’s Olympic standard isn’t it? Olympic standard nutrition that is I feel a bit confused about this part. How do you get to HS? You can’t get down here can you? I’m not from down there mate. I’ve not got a clue. I don’t know. I’m not a clue. I’ll have a look on the map for you in a minute. I live that I’ve had two operations last year and I never been out. A couple of year this way. a bit out of me back cuz it’s confused me now. Yeah, it’s all different. All new roads I think, aren’t they? Yeah, I always remember this. This was a pub. How was it? The saddle. I wish it was still a pub now. You know, you stop for drinks and everything. But I’m trying to think. I’m sure it’s old. I don’t know. I’ll have a look on the map for you in a minute, mate. Where are you from? We’re from Manchester. You haven’t biked from Manchester, do you? Yeah. Honestly, we’re on our way back now. Yeah. So, we’re just stopping for a minute. Where is it? Gastan. Yeah, we’ve been to Been to Gastang. Yeah. So, oh, we’re doing all right so far, but the wind’s got up. It’s getting harder. So, Manchester from uh the west side. Oh, we’re this side of it. So, we got about 30 miles left. Embarrassed to me cuz I’m not going to continue. I’ve already had a pick placement. Uh then I go back to work from medical. Then I find a big massive hammer in next to me. hard. We found another one. Then they found one in this way here. Found me. They found another go back. They found a big turn here. So apart from that, I haven’t been out of the bike for a first time. I’ve been out coming around here, you know. It doesn’t do too much. I know. I’m not forced to back up. I’m only live about quarting. Well, we’ll find it for you on a in a minute, mate. All right, you I’ll just uh I’ll let him finish his sausage roll, finish his nutrition, and then we’ll be getting ready. So, we’re just kind of looping back the way we came here. This is like Preston Docks. Preston Marina, I think is a posh name for it. Oh, yeah. Saturday evening. Early Saturday evening, nice and quiet. Oh, and we’re up to uh 73 miles here. Just hope the pills that I’ve popped for me foot injury are uh are working. They seem to be doing the trick so far. Just hope it lasts. Look at this. Glorious down the side of the Ribble. Got to cross back over the Ribble at Pemworth in a minute and then start working our way back home. It’s named after me. That road wholesome lane. We just been down Wham Lane as well after George Michael. So Lorraine would love that. Yeah. Cracking. 78 miles. Nice and flat here, but the wind’s up. So I reckon we got about 22 25 miles left or something like that. As I said, that a big blob of snot blew on me face. Lovely. Yeah. So we’ll update you in a bit. Foot sore, legs are sore, bums sore. But I’m determined to do it. See you later. Right. So, we’re uh 80 miles in. That’s 80. Um same as your age. Yeah. Well done. Your age in now. Get your age in. Yeah. So, we’ve got We’re just on the outskirts of um Leland, I think. Um Yeah. So, just I think we’ve got to head into Leland Town Center and work our way back towards like Wigan and Hay Hall and stuff like that. And then unfortunately we got the big climb, aren’t we? Up over red rocks out of they all. So um yeah, I don’t know how I’m going to get on with me foot with that, but we’ll see. Um yeah, so update on uh lungs, head, bottom, bottom sore, legs are not too bad. Yeah. What about you? This is a bit hurting, right? So bit bit 50/50. 50/50. Yeah. So are we going to Everything’s 50/50. Are we going to do it then? Uh I hope so. Yeah. So Baron, any disasters? We’ve got uh roughly about another 20 miles. So what’s that? I mean we’ve been averaging 13 m an hour. So an hour and 3/4 in is it something like that. So um yeah baring any disasters they won’t be phoning Lraine to pick us up. So we’ll Yeah. Yeah. 5. So it’s half five. So half seven. Hopefully we should be home half 7 if we take it easy. Yeah. So uh yeah, let’s uh see what happens. So we got about 90 miles now. So 90. Nearly there. Just come through uh on the outskirts of Standish near Wigan. Um just had to stop at the little to get a drink. We got no drink left. So I’ve got a drink at the little cuz we got a couple of big climbs coming up going towards Hi Hall. Um so yeah, just wiped a fruit bar down. had a load of water and some coke and hopefully I can go up those climbs and if I can work our way back home. Got about maybe 12 mile 13 miles something like that. So we can get through that. I think we’re going to do it. So I’m going to cross fingers and let’s see what happens. So approaching the camera in the sun is a weary old man just come through standing. She’s done over 90 mi. Take me off to him. He’s still going. Spinning his legs, but I think he’s pretty much done in. If he can spin him for another 10 miles, he’s cracked it. He’ll have done his 100. You’re knackered. Knackered. Wow. Um, yeah, I think my uh microphone’s gone off by now cuz I’ve been riding for so long. But uh, basically, we just come up. It’s from Red Rocks. It’s called red rocks down there near Standish up a big climb over the uh over the canal towards the camera and it’s just constant. I think it’s about 200 ft or something like that. But when we’ve done uh whatever we’ve done uh 93 miles, it uh yeah, it’s a bit of a climb, but look at that view today. That’s over to Winter Hill and Rivington over there. And looking up there is going up towards Boland, Forester Boland, Trafford Boland. Um, but yeah, I’m just waiting to Ken getting to the top of the climb. But yeah, it’s a bit of a climb for him that especially after that that many miles in this heat. But he’s done he’s done marvelous today to be honest with you. And we’re just on the edge of um Hey Haywood Park. So, we’re going to kind of make our way home up there. Um, but yeah, I think we’re back to the onboard microphone cuz uh I think my microphone’s died of death, but it’s been running on Bluetooth for about I don’t know. Don’t know. I don’t know how many hours, 10 hours or something. Um, eight hours, nine hours. But yeah, so uh yeah, I’ll just wait again coming up and then we’ll bring you back. So he’s made it up the hill. He’s just on his way towards me there. Just uh annoying the driver behind him. And he’s going to be turning right here. Yeah, take me out off to him. Fair effort that is. Well done, Ken. You having a minute? Don’t blame you. So, we’re at uh 99.9 milesi. We’re heading back towards Athetherton. Just come through check near West Alton. Um I’ve not got me mic working, so the audio this is probably going to be awful, but uh yeah, we’re almost there. 99.9 98 99 100. Yes. So, we’ve done it. I’ve averaged uh about 13 mph as well. Not quick by any stretch, but loads of weight on the bike. It’s not a light bike. Quite a heavy gravel bike. I think about three and a half thousand feet of climbing there. So well tough with that made up. Yeah, I think we got about another five miles till we get home. Excellent. So here he comes. The 80-year-old oxygenarian century man. He’s done his century. He’s pulling here a minute. Ken. Hey, you’ve done it. Oh, yeah. Hey, come here. Oh, all right then. Just carry on and ignore me. I was going to I was going to have a word with him there and uh congratulate him, shake his hand, but uh he’ll have to wait till I get home now. Um that’s the sort of bloke he is. Just ignorant. No, he’s not. He’s just deaf. So, yeah, there he is. He’s pulled over up there. He’s done his century. First time in 7 years. Yeah. Marvelous. Well done, mate. I’ll uh I’ll see you when I get back home. So, we’ve probably got I don’t know 4 miles, something like that left. Uh head down to Alton, then make our way back home. So, yeah. See you in a bit. All right, then. So, we just got back home. Um, we just done virt well virtually 105 miles. So, uh, well, well chuffed with that. Oh, I am dead chuffed. Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know how many hours it took or whatever, but uh, we average about 13 m an hour. Just just under, but we did quite a lot on climbing. Uh, well, yeah, a bit of climbing and then we did quite a lot on like stopping and trails and stuff, didn’t we? Like walking trails, weren’t we? Yeah. So, it was a lot of foot traffic which we had to keep slowing up for. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, I’ll shake you on there, mate. Well done. Yeah. Well done. Cheers, mate. Thanks for it. Thanks for the ride. That’s your first 100 mile in seven years, isn’t it? Oh, more. Yeah, that. Now, I was thinking that one that it was only at 95, but the I think um the last one I did was um that distance was an ax 200. Yeah. And that was it must have been 10 years ago. Yeah. So, yeah. So, we still I’ still not susted out the few drinking and eating. That’s all over the place. That’s all right, M. Out me, uh, computer. Oh, no, no, it’s over. We’ll do a session on that one time with you in technology. But, uh, yeah. So, we we’ve managed been a great day back home. So, um, I’m over the moon. I am. Yeah. Good on you. Yeah. Yeah. Good on you. Um, so yeah, I mean, my legs feel fine now. I I just had a bit of a I had a bit of a dip about 70 miles or something like that, and I thought, Jesus, I’ve got 30 miles yet to get on. You always have these dips. I don’t think I’m going to make it. And then me foot was playing up but I nailed a load of tablets and that seems to settled down. So um but yeah um some couple of tough climbs on the way home but we did it. So about 15 mile Yeah. we had climbing, didn’t we? Yeah. Well happy with that. Oh god, it was a Yeah, just when we didn’t want it. It was stinging the tail. There was a stinging the tail. Yeah. So well happy. So uh over the moon. So thanks for watching. Um we’ll come up with some more challenges and stuff. Um if you like watching the channel, click subscribe and like. Put some comments below. Uh, and I know some people have been saying they’ve been watching and not getting the updates. It’s to do with your notifications. It’s nothing to do with the channel. Yeah, it’s YouTube notifications. You have to go into your device apparently. Go into your settings on your phone or your tablet and go into notifications and you have to enable all settings for notifications from YouTube. So, if you do that, you should be getting the updates to the videos and we’ll keep them coming. So, yeah. Thanks for watching. Well done. Well done, Ken. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. So, well done. It’s time for time for food. It’s time for shower. Shower food. beer. Yeah. So, we What are you having? Brandy. Brandy. I’ll have a brandy. Yeah. So, it’s shower food. Brandy. Shower food beer. Yeah. See you later. Cheers, folks. Bye now.