2024 has been a year of smaller teams but has given us some big memories. See below to read some of the best bits of our trips, both off and on the bike. Our Bike the UK for MS team recounts a summer of fun and unforgettable stories.
Game on!
Our coast to coast trip in August featured one of the most lopsided games of Irish Snap ever recorded. One half of the table were hardened veterans of the format whilst the other seemed to be playing a completely different game most of the time. The unintended consequence of this as the evening descended into farce was that we were stuck in a perpetual loop with the cards being passed around endlessly. Maybe don’t blame the game, blame the players – a game of Cheat also suffered the same absurd fate.
Whilst the evening card games (and the less said about our Route Leaders’ efforts at the pool table, the better…!) proved ridiculous, the riding provided the sublime. With perfect riding conditions, no-fuss riding from the team and some speedy legs to boot – the route leaders were kept on their toes for all the right reasons. This culminated in an earlier-than-expected arrival at the finish in Tynemouth. Rather than the usual leisurely set up and time spent watching the tracker anticipating the arrival of the riders, the route leading team were left running hill reps to and from the car park to get everything ready. Credit to the riders – it was only my oversized lunch stops that held them back at all!
“Bealach na Bà, that’s all you’ve got?”
Triston, Dan, Mandy and our Ride Leader Rosie took on the challenge of Applecross! On day 7 of NC500 we faced some serious weather conditions – and we made sure we were going to be there to support them every step of the way!
Our support vans got to the summit of Applecross, passing and cheering our riders up Bealach na Bà. We soon realised the elements were too harsh in such a high open space for our riders to stop. The rest van cheered them on, and the lead van continued. A lay-by was found on the decline where our pop-up café would be created. With some route leader resourcefulness we gathered supplies from the back of the van for our riders to enjoy whilst getting some warmth back in their fingers. Tommy made hot drinks to their request like a true café and the van seats were evacuated by the route leaders for some heated indoor seating. You’ve never seen faces so happy for a hot chocolate and a bin-linered seat!
Before leaving our final impromptu rest stop before camp, some fashionable riding choices were made. Rosie cycled the final 9 Miles to camp in her dry robe. Mandy sported a colourful waterproof poncho on top of all her cycling gear. Triston set his priorities in getting to Lochcarron as soon as possible making the quickest café stop of all and heading straight for a well-deserved pint before going to our camp of the evening.
These stories will be held by both riders and route leaders. Happy that it was made possible and proud that it was achieved. In Dan’s words – “Bealach na Bà, that’s all you’ve got?”. Well, it wasn’t enough to stop our riders.
No Shoe, No Problem!
Wales certainly lived up to its reputation with its rolling hills! There were a lot and some felt more than ‘rolling’! Each climb tested the team’s endurance, but they also brought a sense of accomplishment that was hard to match after making it to the summits. As we made our way to the top of each, we were rewarded with breath taking views of the stunning Welsh countryside stretching out around us. And not only did they conquer the hills, they also achieved some major bragging rights!
On the second day of our ride, John’s shoe decided it had seen better days! Only a few miles after the team had set off, the sole of John’s shoe completely fell apart, leaving him in a bit of a predicament. With plenty of miles still ahead of us, this could have been a real setback. But, in true team spirit, we quickly rallied together to find a bike shop to find some new cleats! Many cycle shop trips in the van and a few laughs later, John was back on his bike, making the best of the situation in good spirits. It’s moments like these that proves just how valuable teamwork and our route leaders are as without it poor John could have been stuck!
From Rider to Route Leader
A defining part of the 2024 Land’s End to John O’ Groats trip was the flourishing of one of our stalwart route leaders into a leadership role where she successfully navigated all the pitfalls that an adventure from one end of the UK to the other can throw up. Joanna is an alumni of the charity, first taking part in the 2017 LEJOG ride and has also been a huge contributor over the years as a volunteer route leader. This year’s trip drew on all of that experience and expertise and she was up to the challenge!
It is a testament to her development as a young person and her resilience that she was able to step beyond her normal comfort zone; Joanna would say herself that she feels that confidence and belief in herself as a leader have not come naturally to her in the past. The two weeks this summer proved otherwise. She showed not only the authority and composure to successfully support the team of riders across the country but also the agility and adaptability to help solve problems when things looked like they may start to go wrong.
As a result, despite the daunting challenges across the UK facing the riders – from weather, to climbs via mechanical maladies – they were able to complete the challenge of a lifetime successfully and that is what a trip like LEJOG is all about. Riding from the extreme ends of the UK is a hard task to take on but with a Bike the UK for MS route leading team supporting you, and especially someone like Joanna, then you can feel ready to tackle it and complete the challenge.
L2P -
Carnet Stress
Bike the UK for MS made its first foray overseas in September for a cross-channel challenge from London to Paris with Loughborough Students’ Union. Whilst any new adventure requires extra layers of planning, Felix was confident that his GCSE French would stand him in good stead. However, the intricacies of the post-Brexit customs policies are not included in the GCSE curriculum and so the task was undertaken to ensure that no bikes were in jeopardy from being mis-identified as black market exports.
The groan that emerged from both the British customs officers and the French Douane staff at both border crossings translated across flawlessly. The checks and stamps were going to delay the end of their shift (not to mention the entire queue of campervans and cars behind us).
Everything was taken in good spirits though and once the initial bout of anxiety for Felix was overcome in Newhaven (mitigated by the prompt and efficient efforts by all the riders on their journey to the port – Felix is still appreciative!) everything went as smoothly as one could wish. I’m not sure the goodwill of the camp would have lasted for many more mentions of “the form” from our erstwhile route leader though.
