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Charity Cycle Tips
| petal1752 | 10 Jan 05:19 |
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Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 1 Bike: | Hi Everyone, I am a 29 year old male who is new to this site and in fact, new to cycling in general. I bought my first road bike yesterday which won't be ready until March. The reason I have joined this site is because I need help in planning a charity cycle ride. In may 2012, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, unfortunately I was also told that it appeared I had been suffering the illness for approximately 6 years and it was too late to treat with medication and unless I undertook emergency surgery, I had 24 hours to live. Obviously I undertook the surgery and had my large bowel removed, leaving me with an illeostomy bag. I was hoping that would be the end of the matter and it would be a pretty quick recovery, unfortunately I suffered complications after surgery and as a result, I undertook 3 emergency operations within 2 weeks, spent 2 occasions in intensive care, once in a 24 hour coma and I also required 3 blood transfusions, as a result I ended up with a 2nd illeostomy bag and 8 months recovering in hospital. I had to get married in hospital as I was too ill to attend my wedding and I also became a dad for the 1st time and have spent most of my early days of fatherhood seeing my son for a few hours a day in hospital. I am now home and have just undertaken another operation to have one of my illeostomy bags reversed. I can hopefully have the 2nd illeostomy reversed in January 2014. Basically, as a result, I have decided to complete a charity cycle ride to raise money for the colorectal surgical department and ward that kept me alve when things weren't looking good. I have not ridden a bike since I was at school and I have never ridden a road bike before. I am getting a few friends on board so I am not doing this alone as I am not sure my health will hold out for the entire ride, although it isn't until December to give me chance to train and also get back to some sort of good health. I am planning on cycling from Aberdeen Football Club to Southampton Football Club over a 7 day period. Unfortunately I do not have any experience in any of this and I don't even know where to start when it comes to planning a route, most sites I've visited won't plan a route as the distance is too big and asking a few friends they say you have to plan each road specifically but surely that will take longer than the actual ride itself? Can anyone with any experience in planning long distance cycle rides please get in touch with any hints and tips available. I am dreading all this planning more than the grueling ride itself. Simon |
rustyspoke 
| 10 Jan 15:56 |
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Joined: 28 Aug 2011 Posts: 244 Bike: My Profile | Well first thing to say is good luck and i wish you a speedy recovery. I have organised long distance charity rides and posted many a reply on here Its about planning and preparation. As i read your post it looks as though you say your going to do it in December in 2014 to do any long distance ride in winter is not really wise as you have limited daylight and the weather can cause no end of problems. Routes can be worked out from CTC web page (cyclist touring club) you can also look for post on here about various routes. You need to work out first of all how many miles a day you can do then the following need to be considered. Accomodation Back up crew and a vehicle or vehicles for them Getting sponsors Publicity Number of people doing the ride Do you need insurance of any kind First Aid Cover part of your route could be remote from towns! I could do a list as long as your arm but these things can be done you just have to decided when and then go for it . good luck. |
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chipmunk
| 11 Jan 15:48 |
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Joined: 09 Nov 2012 Posts: 13 Bike: My Profile | hi fistly wishing you a speedy recovery -its sounds like you have really been through the mill !! rusty is dead right about doing a ride like this in the winter period and is the perfect person to get advice from - my only input would be from the fundraising side of things ( i have some experience at this) is that you will have big problems covering your costs -as a rough guide doing a 600 mile ride after recovering from a major operation would take longer than 7 days- you say you have friends to ride with and this can help but it can also complicate things IE for 6 riders you will need support vehicles such as a motorhome and a van to store the bikes in when you sleep- that means 2 drivers as well - you will need the vehicles to follow you which means high fuel costs etc. -getting money from firms to sponsor is getting nigh on impossible unless you have a contact in an organisation or can get radio or tv cover - once you leave your home area local companies would not get any advantage as they would not be known . if you are going to raise money as you ride such as the chucking money in a bucket you will need more people and therefore more vehicles in the current economic climate there are too many people trying too similar ways of raising money- do the ride with friends as an achievment with friends and take your time and good luck happy cycling hope all goes well for you in the future |
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