…here’s our review of the day – we’d love to know what you thought too so please use the comment section at the end of the article to tell us.

Thanks to all those who supported us yesterday, riders and helpers alike

After an orderly registration of riders (thanks to our sponsors Big Storage and Peak Cyclesport for their excellent facilities), everyone was off for 9am. Quite a sight!

Conditions were excellent; not too hot, not too cold. Bone dry. Little or no wind. And mostly sunny.

All went well up to the feed (thanks to Pat Graves and the hospitality of the Hotel Rudyard). Did you spot our photographer Alex from teneight studios on Gun Hill?

A bit of confusion at the top of climb #6 (Rudyard) with a fair few riders missing the turn for the next loop (encompassing Mow Cop and Biddulph Moor) and dropping straight down to Rushton. Someone phoned us and we quickly sent a marshal up to make sure riders knew where they were going but by then it was too late for the quicker riders. The loops were both signposted but perhaps not well enough – some room for improvement on our part for next year…

Then one thing led to another and we ended up missing the faster riders who’d omitted the Mow Cop loop at the finish – they got there before us! So in the end we decided not to publish times as they wouldn’t have been comparable. And for some, it was a bit of an anticlimax not having a reception party at the finish. Most entrants finished, perhaps not the full distance, with only two riders swept up in the sag wagon (major mechanical for one, cramp for another).

Highlights for most were a great course (extensively tested by Andy and Jaime), great weather (we think of everything!), great views, excellent feedstation, friendly atmosphere and the massed start. A few areas to work on, such as making booking and registration easier, more visible signposting and end-of-ride facilities.

You’ve helped us raise over £2500 for our charities, thanks to you the riders – also a huge thanks to Andy and Jaime for keeping the show on the road, Simon and his team at the Buxton Round Table, Dave for the very long Saturday night in the Peak cyclesport signposting vehicle with Andy, Pam at Kidscan for her selfless support, Alex for his superb event photography (what a talent), Pat Graves for her meticulous running of the feedstation, our sponsors Big Storage and Peak cyclesport, the Hotel Rudyard for the kind use of their facilities, McGregors of Macclesfield for printing our entry forms for free, Dave Riley of the Polka Dot Spud Riley for all his advice and Accelerade for its nutrition products.

Looking forward to the next, improved Three Shires II next year – we’ll let you know the date as soon as we’ve arranged it.

Suggestions for improvement so far are:

• A better online booking process with immediate payment and confirmation
• More information, including a visual, printable route map available further in advance of the event
• Slightly larger more visible route signs, particularly at the Mow Cop loop
• Earlier manning of the finish
• Recorded and published tiems
• Refreshments and a finisher’s goody bag at the end

Is there anything else you would like to see? Please tell us and give us your reviews in the comments section below.

Thanks again to everyone for taking part from Buxton Round Table and Peak CycleSport

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