Mark and his daughter Wendy picked the hottest day of the year to sport their retro woolen jerseys. It was all in the line of duty for the Velo Retro, which is part of the Retro Rendevous weekend, a marvellous celebration of all things retro. As well as retro bicycles, the event also features retro cars and motorbikes. The centre of all this fun is in the market square of Ulverston, a small town in the Cumbrian lake district.
Mark said that the retro bicycle event “bills itself as a friendly ride, which it certainly is!”. “Rider numbers are limited to keep the event low key and manageable”. This kept congestion on the narrow roads to a minimum. He added it was “…a day out for old bikes, along the shores of Coniston water, with a few short sharp climbs along the way”
Mark added that “Since the temporary demise of the Eroica Brittania, this maybe a better substitute for that style of event. There are three main rides, ranging from 31 to 55 miles in length.”
“As it was our first go we chose the short ride known as the Loafeur. Bearing in mind we were on old racing bikes with quite high gears, this was a wise choice.”
The Loafeur ride packs in about as much Lake District-ness as is possible to do in just 50km. Mark said that ride “has an optional unsurfaced climb, of about a mile, to the Sir John Barrow monument.” Though this was up hill it rewarded Mark and Wendy with splendid views of Morecambe bay.
Mark pointed out that “A free beer and a chip butty awaits all finishers at the pub HQ!”
“It’s the Tenth edition next year. I think it’s the sort of event that the Willesden could excel on.”
Well done Mark and Wendy. Retro riding is now a cool thing, so perhaps those wool jerseys were just the job after all!
