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| The
Toby Cycle 500 2005
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| Seven
Bike Rides Totalling 500 Miles for Two Charities
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| Raising
funds for the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK in memory of two
very special people
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| The Toby Cycle 500 Rides
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15 May
The
Great Surrey Cycle
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Sunshine, blue sky and a light
breeze made for a perfect day's cycling for the first ride of the Toby
500. The 37 mile route, which was very hilly for the first 12
miles, followed lovely quiet country lanes and many tempting pubs! A
big thank you to Fred, Phill, Mark and Tony for joining me, and special
thanks to Fred for riding back to Horsham with me. Total distance was 52
miles after riding home.
Riders: Toby, Fred Bowker, Mark Fiddes, Phill Blanchard and Tony
Banbury.
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22 May
Anthony Nolan Downs
Link
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The Downs Link is always a nice route to do and the ride on 22 May, organised
by the Anthony Nolan Trust, was as good as could be hoped for. The weather
stayed fine for the second ride running and we got so warm we had to stop at
The Partridge to quench our thirsts. An ice cream van awaited us at the finish,
providing some sustenance for Kevin and myself for the ride back to Horsham.
Total distance was 52 miles (again!) after riding home. A big thank you to
my all my riding companions.
Riders: Toby, Kevin Moore, Gail Rogers, Nigel Painting, Maggie Allingham, Mark
Beasey and Simon Pringle.
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19 June
London
to Brighton
No, this is not me but none other than Scooby Doo on a bike!
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I was lucky to be in the first section to be started on the stroke of 6am.
A group of six of us decided to ride together and we made good time getting out
of London, stopping at our usual refreshment area after about 10 miles. Once
out of London and into more rural areas the ride became more enjoyable and our
early start meant that hills on narrow lanes were not too full of people
pushing their bikes, so our progress was good.
Our next target was the very good Scouts' refreshment area opposite the South
of England Show ground at Ardingly at a little over the 30 mile point. Before
getting there we kept seeing Scooby Doo on a bike - really! There was a rider
wearing a full, head-to-toe padded Scooby Doo costume, I can't begin to imagine
how hot he must have been, it was enough to be in a t-shirt and shorts. We
arrived at the Scouts' area at about 9am, just in time for a good breakfast and
after resting for about half an hour we set off again with Ditchling Beacon in
our sights.
For anyone who doesn't know about Ditchling Beacon, at 813 feet it is the third
highest point in the South Downs and was once the location of an Iron Age hill
fort. The narrow road climbs for about a mile with numerous bends adding
to the interest. I'm pleased to say that despite the heat all six of us
made it to the top, taking a well-earned rest by the refreshment tent and
watching scores of people either walking or riding up and yes, there was Scooby
Doo again, an amazing effort. More drinks and another application of sun screen
later we set off again, and it was literally down hill all the way to the sea
front on Brighton's Marine Parade.
Despite having completed this ride many times before, it is always a fantastic
feeling riding along Marine Parade being cheered on by the huge crowds of
people, knowing that you are about to cross the finish line.
After meeting up with some others from our team we rode back to Horsham
via the coastal path to Shoreham and then the Downs Link. I got home at 3pm
with another 80 miles under my belt, so that's 3 rides and 184 miles down, 4
rides and 316 miles to go.
Riders: Toby, Kevin Moore. (plus 26,998 others!)
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2-3 July
South
Downs Way
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Here's a write up of Kevin's solo attempt of the South Downs Way on 3-4 July.
With my leg in plaster for the rest of the summer I won't be going anywhere
near my bike, apart maybe from cleaning it. However, my friends are being
brilliant by rallying round and are determined that the rides will go ahead. On
the weekend of 3-4 July I was due to tackle the South Downs Way from Winchester
to Eastbourne with my good friend and fellow cyclist Kevin Moore. I wouldn't
have blamed him if he had decided to pull out rather than do the ride on his
own but, keen to stick to plans, he did not back out.
After setting off from Winchester at about 08:30, Kevin soon found that
Hampshire County Council do not look after their stretch of the route nearly as
well as the Sussex CC's do, and the lack of regular signs meant that he
went wrong on more than one occasion, losing over an hour in the process.
Punctures also proved a problem during the first 25 miles, with two conspiring
to slow his progress. However, despite these setbacks he kept going, encouraged
by the dry weather. After meeting up with my wife at Amberley for a food
stop at 5pm there were still 15 very hilly miles to go, and he got home at
about 8pm, with 35 miles to be tackled the following day.
Day two was also dry and after setting off he was soon into his rhythm
and, assisted by a helpful south-westerly he made better progress than anyone
expected. The lure of sandwiches and more refreshments meant he made
excellent time to Alfriston where he met up with my wife at 12 noon.
Suitably fed and rested, Kevin set off for Eastbourne with about 10 miles to
go, arriving at the finish at 3:45, just 7 hours after setting out.
The South Downs Way is a long, hard route for even the most seasoned rider, and
my sincere thanks go out to Kevin for tackling this on his own in order that
the Toby Cycle 500 can continue.
Riders: Kevin Moore.
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23-24 July
The Ridgeway
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Kevin successfully covered the
Ridgeway's 80 mile off road route, enjoying the wealth of
ancient monuments and landmarks along its length. Unfortunately the second day
was wet and he finished feeling like a drowned rat, and was very disappointed
that there were no shower facilities, having to endure the bus trip back to
Princes Risborough and his own drive home to Brighton in damp, muddy kit.
Riders: Kevin Moore.
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10-11 Sept
Devon Coast to Coast
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The weekend started with a bonus! Expecting to be
riding the route on their own, Mark and Kevin found that they were to be joined
by four other people, a guide and a backup van for the whole two days. Not only
was the van there to provide mechanical assistance, but it was also well
stocked with a plentiful supply of free sandwiches, fruit and drink; a real
bonus.
The forecast for Saturday had been for light showers and
sunny spells. It was wrong! The rain was moderate to heavy for most
of the day, ensuring that everyone was thoroughly soaked. Although
disappointing, this shouldn't have made the first day too difficult since, at
40 miles, it was the shorter of the two days. At one point the riders
found themselves a 10-minute ride away from a tor with an old church on
top. The guide suggested to Mark and Kevin that they might like to make a
small detour to take a look and to take in the views. Thinking this to be
a good idea the duo set off, intending to catch up with the other riders a
little later. They managed to find the church and the views were
certainly impressive.
After stopping to take some photos and finding their way
back to the route, they followed a sign for route 27. However, after a
while they sensed that they had gone wrong somewhere, and unfortunately their
intuition was right. Thanks to a poorly signed section they finally
arrived at the B&B at 7:30, 3 hours after the rest of the group, and had
covered at least an extra 15 miles on some tricky terrain including a very
steep section down a rock-strewn stream bed.
With 62 miles to go, day two saw the group set off at
about 8am after a good breakfast. The previous day's grey and wet cloak
gave way to some blue skies and sunshine, lifting the group's spirits.
Despite a few setbacks including some punctures, the whole group made good
progress, inspired by scenery including the stunning Woolacombe Bay. As
the day wore on, Mark and Kevin's preparation started to tell as they managed
to ride up hills that others in the group resorted to walking up. About
10 miles from the finish at Ilfracombe the guide gave everyone a choice of
routes, either a more direct but inland track or a scenic coastal one.
The coast won the vote and the group arrived at the finish at about 5pm.
The van didn't arrive back at the B&B at Okehampton
until after 7pm, so time was getting on by the time people had showered and
changed and had a quick farewell drink. Luckily for Mark, Kevin had
driven them down to Devon, so all he had to do was hold on for dear life while
Kevin sped them back to Brighton! Arriving back home at 1:30 on Monday
morning it had been a long, hard weekend, but for a good cause, and Mark has
even said he would consider doing it again! My thanks go out to the pair
of them, especially to Mark who stepped in and took up my place at short
notice.
Riders: Kevin Moore, Mark Fiddes
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25 Sept
Cancer
Research UK Downs Link Ride
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A very fitting finale to the Toby Cycle 500, this is the Downs Link ride
organised by Cancer Research UK who have been incredibly helpful in helping me
to arrange the whole event this year. Total distance 50 miles after riding
home.
Please see http://smallwoods.blogspot.com
for photos
Riders: Gail Rogers, Stuart King, Daniel King, Viv Carline, Nicky
Smallwood, Emma Smallwood, Nigel Painting, Mark Beasey, Sue Howard, Anita
Swetman, Val Annetts, Keith Allingham, Sue's sister Emma and her partner Matt.
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The Rides
Prize Draws My Progress
