Calder Divide Trail, calder divide trail, Overgate Hospice

What a brilliant weekend. So many different people on so many different bikes riding for so many different reasons and all happy they took the time to explore trails on the Calder Divide.

‘Community’ is an often used word but when an event like ours in memory of a friend and in aid of a local hospice can attract so many different riders and can count on the generosity of businesses in the valley then the thing we call ‘community’ really does mean something.

So thanks to Ed Oxley and brant of HebTroCo for believing in us, Steve Bate for his energy, Jon at RESTRAP, Katie at VOCATION, Anna and Ian at Blazing Saddles for the years of support, Chris and Laus of Moi Outside, Rob and Philip on the farm who always greet visitors with a smile and Alex of Crust n Crumb who delivered the goods at the camp site.

A massive thanks also needs to go out to a special group of people that make Bike Club worth its name. Paul and Jez on the starting line from 6am, Steve pulling an early shift to register riders and for those early bikepacking trips across the north of England. Ian and Geoff for practical guidance and unwavering support throughout the many years of Bike Club.

The hard graft of Nick G and Nick S who organised the camp site into a friendly environment needs a special mention and my two lads, Ben and Joe, for giving a hand. The event room was the hub for the two days and it wouldn’t have worked without Lee and Gareth doing the vital work of recording names and times as well as handing out the badges, Stuart meticulously sorting the raffle and Ricky fixing things.

Every event has a person who works tirelessly to get jobs done. We were lucky to have THREE. Helen for seeing the big picture and being there on all the bikepacking trips over the last 20 years that have evolved into this event. Melanie and Victoria in Event HQ who worked long hours on Saturday and Sunday to deliver plate after plate of food. More than this each of them took the time to chat to riders and ask that most basic of questions: ‘how do you feel’?

So thankyou to all the riders who came along to our two day event and embraced the trails. Our youngest rider was Dylan King (16 years old) who rode with his Dad, our local rider Ruben Chalmers who rode the 100 mile MTB route in one go in under 12 hours (something I’ve never done!), the four riders well into their 70’s, John Allen for setting the male FKT on the 172 mile route with 17 hours 26 minutes, Nicky Shaw for setting a female FKT on the 150 mile mtb with a time of 16 hours 22 minutes, Ruairi O’Driscoll who has set a blistering male FKT on the 150 mile ‘black’ mtb (which was a new route for 2024) of 14 hours and 40 minutes and the many riders who enjoyed the CDT last year and came back for more. Respect.

All your TLC made the weekend a success and along the way we raised £4,850 for the hospice (photo below). We’ll go again next year and make another ‘Will Norman Day’.

Adrian x

PS. Each riders time is recorded in the table at the foot of this page.