Some of the Loughborough RAG Students having completed our July 2022 North Coast 500 Ride - Photo Credit: Unknown

University RAG Partnerships with Bike the UK for MS

Over the years, Bike the UK for MS has worked with many University RAG groups, having students from a number of different universities riding with us. Looking ahead to the 2024 Trips, we are excited to continue this fantastic partnership, working with RAG groups from Manchester, Nottingham, and Loughborough Universities. 

Some of the Loughborough RAG Students having completed our July 2022 North Coast 500 Ride – Photo Credit: Unknown

What is RAG?

But what is University RAG? RAG is an organisation through which students can discover and tackle amazing challenges whilst raising money for good causes. For example, the university RAG will often run RAG fairs with a number of challenges and causes represented. Ultimately, these fairs provide a place where students can take the opportunity to visit a number of different charity stands to discover the causes they could support and the adventures they could tackle. 

Manchester Get into Volunteering Fair

These RAG Fairs are a highlight of our off season, getting to travel out to different universities and meet some amazing people, looking to tackle the country by bike whilst raising money for Multiple Sclerosis Research and Awareness. This year we have been lucky enough to attend the Manchester Get into Volunteering fair, spending the day in the Student’s Union promoting our rides for 2024. It was great to see the interest across the board, from our 14 days of riding Land’s End to John O’Groats ride to our 3 day Sea to Sea trip.

The Bike the UK for MS stand at the Manchester RAG Fair – Photo Credit: Tommy Blake

Loughborough RAG

Looking ahead, we will be in Loughborough for the Loughborough University Unlock an Activity Night on the 9th October! This is a fantastic opportunity to share our new Loughborough RAG specific trip for 2024, that being the iconic London to Paris Route. After multiple years of students joining us on our NC500 trips, we can’t wait to tackle this new challenge with them! 

If any Loughborough students are interested please do come down and visit us. We’d love to share more information on the challenge with you, discuss bikes or even just say hello! 
If any university RAG groups or clubs are interested in partnering with us to have riders joining our trips, please do get in touch at info@biketheukforms.org, we’d love to hear from you.

Some of the amazing group from Robinson College, Cambridge who tackled our 2023 Sea to Sea trip – Photo Credit: Tommy Blake
Action from the Western Cyclo-cross League 2023/24 - Round 1 in Frome, Somerset.

Local Cyclocross Race donates to Bike the UK for MS

Bike the UK for MS was the official charity partner of Round 1 of the Western Cyclocross League on Sunday 24th September in Frome with organizer Avid Sport donating £1 per rider entry to Bike the UK for MS.

With 172 riders taking the start line across the day’s races, that means another £172 donated to support those fighting MS. The Western Cyclocross League continues through until January with the next Round where Bike the UK for MS is the charity partner taking place in Bradford on Avon on the 29th October. A huge thanks and congratulations to all the riders who took part in this British Cycling event and we hope your season has started well!

Action from the Western Cyclo-cross League 2023/24 – Round 1 in Frome, Somerset. Photo credit: Dave Dodge – Pelotonpix

This is the first time that a cyclocross race in the Western Cyclocross League has partnered with Bike the UK for MS to help raise funds but both the charity’s Founder James Whateley and Programme Manager Felix Young have raced in the league over the past ten years. Cyclocross is a sport where riders race on grass (and mud!) for up to an hour on a course that may force you to get off and carry your bike with things like steps and hurdles. The Western Cyclocross League features races from across North Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol and Gloucestershire with eleven races this season. The event in Frome was organized with the support of Frome Town Council, Frome Cricket Club and Frome and District Agricultural Society. If you are running an event and would like to partner up with Bike the UK for MS to help contribute to supporting those fighting MS then please get in touch via info@biketheukforms.org.