Mike Hutchinson 100K Memorial Ride
/CTC Lancaster and South Lakes – Ride Report – Sunday 29th June 2025
The Mike Hutchinson Memorial 100km ride
Fair weather greeted an enthusiastic group of members of Lancaster and South Lakes CTC at Millennium Bridge for our inaugural ride in memory and celebration of Mike Hutchinson, for many years our Club Secretary. Mike was a keen organiser of Audax Rides which has helped to promote our club to other riders around the country. To make the ride as inclusive as possible, a fairly flat route was chosen down into the Fylde region.
Starting off on the Lune Cycle path to Conder Green, then skirting Glasson and on to Cockerham, we enjoyed the tranquil scenery and the usual cyclists’ chat. We took the short detour via Crimbles and Gulf Lanes to keep clear of the fast traffic on the A588. Our next detour was through Pilling village, then after another brief stretch on the A588, we turned into Preesall and along the quiet and narrow back lane, skirting Staynall to reach our morning coffee destination at the Lakeside Bistro at Brickhouse Farm, Hambleton. The weather was fine enough for us to sit outside and enjoy views of the lakes and some electricity engineers working high up on the pylons and travelling along the cables on what looked like a sort of cable car. Presumably the cables were not live!
Our onward route was on a series of little lanes towards Out Rawcliffe. Fortunately the leader had programmed the route into GPS, or there would have been a lot of stops at frequent road junctions to check the route. Eleven riders crossed the River Wyre at Cartford Bridge, paying the princely sum of 20p each at the toll house. We continued southwards from Great Eccleston, passing though Elswick and Wharles, then made a couple of crossings of the M55 to reach our lunchtime destination at Roots Café at Blackleach. Again the group chose to sit outside to have our convivial lunch, before turning our wheels northwards on the return route on small lanes via Catforth, then crossing over the A6, the Lancaster canal and the M6 all within a few hundred yards of each other at Bilsborow.
We cycled largely parallel to the M6 on quiet lanes, then crossing back to the west of the motorway near Barnacre church to reach our afternoon stop at Scorton Barn café, with most participants having an expensive ice cream treat and another chance to set the world to rights. The final leg home carried on northwards through Scorton, then up the steep, but brief climb to Cleveley Bank before returning to Millennium Bridge in Lancaster via the University, the canal towpath and past the train station.
An enjoyable day out, with 10 members completing their 100 kilometres challenge and a few others joining us for short sections of the route.
CTC Lancaster and South Lakes organise club rides every Thursday and Sunday, with shorter informal rides on Tuesday mornings. For more information please see our website: www.ctclancaster.org.uk
Mike Hutchinson in C.2017