They called it Buxton to Broken before they knew how true that name would feel. Tom set out from Buxton with seven other riders for Ricky’s birthday — 55 miles across the Peak District in winter conditions, with 7,645 feet of climbing and more than eight hours in the saddle. Rough, exposed, steep up, steep down. The kind of ride that does not really care how prepared you think you are.
The miles soon became something bigger than distance. Gnarly descents, brutal climbs, cold weather, and a route that kept asking for more. By the time they reached Stanage Edge, Tom was burning through whatever sweets and food he had left every 10 or 15 minutes, just trying to keep the pedals turning.
“It was an epic. Not just because of the miles, but how we got each other through them.”
There are rides where the low point becomes the story. Out on the exposed edge, climbing higher into the weather, it felt less like a birthday ride and more like a descent into the underworld — except this time, nobody was going alone. Eight riders, each dragging the next one forward in whatever way they could.
Then came the reward. The gnarliest drops of the day — Jacob’s Ladder and Cave Dale — where tired legs had to switch back on and trust the bike. The kind of descents that demand focus, even when the body is already asking to be finished.
By the time they reached the pub, the ride had taken them down, emptied them out, and somehow brought them back again. More friends were waiting there, and the pat on the back from each other meant more than any finish line.
Tom wore the Poseidon Jacket, Shield Trousers, and Ajax Gloves. The Shield Trousers proved their worth over eight hours in the saddle, with the fit, flexibility, and quality holding up when it mattered. The Ajax Gloves were essential on the roughest descents, and out on the exposed climb near Stanage Edge, the Poseidon Jacket gave him the protection he needed as the weather closed in.
