This is to be held on 3 August 2003 and is to Southport and back. We would like as many riders as possible to attend, the motto being "The more riders - the more sponsors - the more cash". We have the capacity for 19 tandems to be out. Tandem pairs can consist of a front and rear rider as normal and also two sighted front riders. The important thing is that we get the maximum number of riders possible. Beryl is to invite the Mayor to start us off, as in 2001 and a sponsorship form is included with this issue of Spoke. Please collect as many sponsors as you can.
This raised the tidy sum of £703.71 which will keep us solvent for a while longer - but note the next paragraph! Thanks to Peter Carr for organising it and for all those who gave up their Saturday to take part.
Dave, our mechanic, has expressed concern at the number of tyres and innertubes. which he is having to replace of late. Please bear in mind that the cost of each innertube is £4 and each tyre costs £17. The damage seems to be caused principally by broken glass and potholes, so, would front riders please keep a reasonable distance from the gutter (the areas round pubs being particularly prone for broken glass) and keep a wide eye open for potholes (which nip the innertube). After all, you don't want to be the person at the AGM who's presented with the prize for the Highest Puncture Award! Thank you.
Would every rider please check as thoroughly as possible your availability for all rides on each runs list before phoning them through to Derek. Compiling a runs list in Braille is difficult enough in itself, but when people phone after the runs list is complete to change their availability, the chaos caused is considerable and some rear rider may have to stay at home on Sunday unnecessarily (emergencies, illness and family crises, of course, cannot be foreseen).
The hostel was roomy, the food was plentiful and good, the warden co-operative and the weather appalling! It was, on the whole, a success and many people have requested that we do the same again next year.
The next Walk and Ride Weekend will be on the above dates, but at an alternative location. Details will be available shortly.
Ross recently took part in a 106-mile sponsored ride from Wythenshawe Park, Manchester, to the NEC, Birmingham and raised £70 for the British Heart Foundation. He says it was the hardest 100-mile ride he has ever done, due to a strong southwest wind all the way. It took nine hours to complete, instead of the expected seven. The previous week, a friend of his died of a heart attack while riding his bike and he wore a black armband in memory.
This is an annual event for visually impaired cyclists organised by Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD) and takes place in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Dave Jones and Carole Berry took part, after travelling down with Dorothy and Mike. Fifty competitors started. The distance travelled is exactly one marathon, 26.2 miles. Dave and Carole came in 20th overall in a time of one hour 26 minutes 17 seconds (the winning time being one hour 10 minutes 57 seconds). In the veteran class, however (each individual rider has to be over 40), they roared into second place. Interested parties can book in their diary 24 April 2004 for next year's event.
This is payable on 14 October 2003, and our membership secretary will state the actual premiums due and the last date for payment in the next issue of Spoke.
The greatest mileage amassed in a cycle tour was more than 402,000 miles by the itinerant lecturer Walter Stolle (born 1926) from 24 January 1959 to 12 December 1976. He started from Romford in Essex and visited 159 countries.