I went and checked the route yesterday - it's still utterly gorgeous, and it was a decent day with light winds and only a couple of showers. Bloody hard work, though. The roads are a lot rougher, and I've tweaked the route in a couple of places to take this into account, but apart from a different finish it's mostly the same as last year: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27091715
It breaks down to an easy start and finish on mostly decent roads, with all of the hills in the 200 km from Boroughbridge. And such hills. It's a grand tour of the Dales and a brief hit of Cumbria and Teesdale.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/794/27145429178_24c9fd118d_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HmKqn1)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/808/26145939807_737994a264_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FQqLZD)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/785/41016604411_6abdf1c6f5_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25uuPuF)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/804/40123320665_fc558a7045_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/248yvmM)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/812/40974596852_992aaf851e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25qMw7q)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/815/40123371585_e26f1d7d5f_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/248yLuH)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/805/40307542854_59e5a84bb4_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/24pQGcq)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/814/40123475215_008ecc1e24_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/248ziir)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/810/40123465705_2fe83a5489_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/248zftt)
And it's BRM, for anyone looking to pre-qualify for next year's PBP.
PS I forgot to add the essential ride info - it's piss-easy to get to the start by train (direct trains to Northallerton and Thirsk from London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and lots of other places), and there's free* camping before and afters.
There's also food at the start and finish - Mike has threatened to get the barbecue out this year, and Roy has said he'll make his dhal soup again, which was gorgeous (and vegan - I doubt the BBQ will be). I'm working on arranging a cake mountain to dwarf last year's, and most importantly, if you're staying over, there's a massive after-ride party with lots of beer and music and I may even arrange some awards this year (if only to save me having to make a speech, which I apparently did last year).
* Free with the chance of me shaking a charity bucket at you, as Mike is letting us use his farm for nowt, in exchance for the proceeds from the event going to a charity of his choice - which is the Alzheimer's Society. But there's no obligation.