Newsletter 22 – Big Kev bike ride special
This newsletter is dedicated to one event which is always very special in the O2e calender. Big Kev’s Bike Ride started out in 2006 with a few mates cycling from the Metal Exchange in London through to Amsterdam. Since then it has grown to become an annual highlight with the rides being enjoyed by over 1,000 people in total. The event secures approximately 35-40% of our entire donations income so is a very valuable contributor to our fundraising efforts. But aside from the money, it is also a significant personal challenge for many less experienced raiders, as evidenced by our first item……
Rafe’s testimony
This is me back in 2011. I'd just arrived in Cologne having cycled 115 miles on an O2E charity ride.
The photo/memory mean a lot to me because it was at that very moment that I realised this uncoordinated, four-eyed, amongst-the-last-to-be-picked-for-any-team-game, almost-40-year-old… was actually good at a "sport"; well, I wasn't completely useless.
Not because I'd done 115 miles but because I realised I'd done it comfortably. If someone had told me it was actually 150 miles, I'd have quite happily got back on my bike and finished it.
And that felt amazing
Many O2e riders will know Rafe as the chap who plots the bike ride routes, but he does much more than this. He is also the chap who maintains the website and keeps the content up to date (with help from wifey Penny), he recruits lots of people for the bike ride (such as Mad John) and he is an all-round passionate supporter. Over the years he has plotted "vicious” and challenging routes all over Europe and Ireland (see below):
Thank you Rafe from all the riders who have “enjoyed” your routes over the years! Another chap to thank is Big Kev himself, who has spearheaded the whole event, despite a near-death experience in 2017, which left him as close to death as you can get (tea total) and from which he is still recovering. Kev, you are an inspiration to many
Bike ride 2019
Another spectacularly successful event with 94 cyclists and all riders back safe and well apart from Michael “far too nice” Phelan, who decided to recontour his thigh on the tarmac, but still finished the course, despite being stuck to his cycle shorts. Ewww. Michael, you can buy anti-cellulite creams in Aldi nowadays. Just sayin.
The 2019 route took the intrepid riders from Crystal Palace in London all the way to the centre of Paris; a distance of 175 miles over 2 days and making a total of 3,025 miles since 2007. There were many friendships made during the ride and many old friendships rekindled and we all finished in the centre of Paris, just south of the Seine. And with the usual brilliant support from a dedicated team of superheros who spared no efforts to ensure the event ran smoothly and safely and the signposting was up to the usual immaculate standards. Despite the attention of the gendarmes! Well done you lot, truly fabulous!
Far too many individual stories and anecdotes to include here, but just a couple of my favourites which typify O2e spirit:
- Mad John riding a phat bike all the way (in case you don’t know readers, it is designed for riding through sand)….
- Anthony Padgett cycling the whole way on a very heavy Boris bike with just 3 gears and the aerodynamic qualities of a tank (the bike, not Anthony)
- The ELHAP twins (Jess and Kelvin) riding in their second bike ride; Jess on a bike built for her by Mad John to replace the “bike” she cycled on last year.
- The oldest bike rider in the form of Howard Roadnight, who finished strongly at the tender age of 72. Fantastic effort Howard…. There is no truth in the vicious rumour that he was 64 when he started. Pictured here with the youngest rider, Sam Tuohy, a mere strippling at 20 on his fith ride.
- Toby Wynn, a Hooter from afar, who flew his family in from Adelaide for their annual holiday to coincide with the bike ride. Well done Toby
- One of our new riders achieved the third fastest fund raising on the entire Just Giving site during the month of September. I won’t embarrass him by revealing his name, but well done!!
Oh La La in sunny Paris
The traditional post-ride celebrations took place with a scenic boat ride up the Seine on the Saturday afternoon in glorious sunshine, and a damn good sing song all organised and orchestrated by Slatts. Some unusual fines and some heroic drinking of Lee McGinley’s “fine wine”, all paid for by the cyclists themselves. Even more terrific memories to add to the previous 13 years. And a commitment from all to bring along one friend next year to make the 2020 ride even bigger and better. Let’s smash through the 100 barrier.
Lastly, a point about the financials; Big Kev did a magnificent job in squeezing great value from the hotel and travel arrangements so the cheapest bike ride in memory delivered a great standard and still came in under budget by a few hundred pounds. Not one single penny of monies donated are spent in putting on the bike ride or on expenses during the bike ride. And speaking of donations, the total amount is over £40,000 and still climbing. So please, riders, get any remaining sponsorship collected and send out the final push emails to your contacts on social media. We are getting closer and closer to our target of £2.5m but we are not there yet.
Lots of love
Chairman DD Big Cheese xx
07764682332
dd@O2e.org.uk
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