74 cyclists from a whole host of triathlon clubs set out to record as many indoor miles as they can through the month of May.
Richard Knox, a member of the New2Tri triathlon team, decided to raise funds for the NHS whilst also helping club members who have missed out of events this year due to the impact of COVID-19.
Simon Warwick, the club’s director, said: “Due to the lockdown restrictions at the start of May we decided to stick to indoor cycling and avoid long periods of time out on the roads, plus avoiding any potential accidents that could occur and put pressure on our emergence services and the NHS.”
Above: Abigail Megan-Symons putting in some miles.
The fundraiser challenged club members to ride as many indoor miles as possible throughout the month of May. Entry was a £5 donation to the NHS charities and family and friends could sponsor riders throughout the month.
Warwick said: “The challenge was fairly simple, there were 74 cyclists competing, many from Team New2tri, Stafford Tri Club and Telford Tri. But we also had some from further afield, including Team New2tri members from the USA, Australia, and South Africa.”
In total, the participants travelled an incredible distance of 24,187 miles over the month. The top rider, Karen Conde from Cannock, finished with an impressive 1,581 miles on the clock.
Conde said: “This has been a real, ‘encourage each other challenge’, that we have all rose to and it’s got us talking and riding together, so fantastic achievement all round. A big thank you to Simon Warwick and Richard Knox for all your hard work behind the scenes.”
The challenge’s 2nd place, Ken Barcham-Bool from Norwich, wasn’t too far from Conde’s total, finishing with 1,479 miles. The 3rd place effort from Richie Whitefoot from Stoke-on-Trent recorded 1,041 miles.
Barcham-Bool also completed Lands’ End to John O’Groats over the bank holiday weekend for another charity challenge, making for a busy month for the Norwich-based triathlete.
Above: Ken Barcham-Bool training from home.
More feats were achieved over the month, with the awards for the most rides completed of over 10 miles or more was Abigail Symons from Suffolk, with an amazing 75 rides throughout the month.
Clubs members had a great time putting in their miles across the month, with Terry Maywood from Kettering saying: “621 miles was a good achievement, for me, and has really upped my fitness and I thoroughly enjoyed taking part. A very big well done to all but especially the ‘winners’ and those hitting 1,000 plus miles. Thanks for organising and the administration of posting daily charts!”
The community spirit of the club really shone through during the challenge and members have been enjoying training virtually through Zwift.
Diane Redford, who finished in 10th place, said: “Well done everyone! My initial aim was to complete 300 miles as I’ve done no cycling, then it was to stay on the first page. So, to get in the top ten when I usually flounder towards the bottom of these things has been a big achievement for me. I’ve really enjoyed pootling around Zwift, and plan to do the whole 67 routes (Monica’s quest) when I get my smart trainer Ride On!”
The challenge was enjoyed by a wide range of ability, with people joining in to support the charities and keep fit during the lockdown.
Warwick concluded: “We set a target of £1,000, not quite Captain Tom but every penny counts. However, we were delighted to hit this target before mid-May and the challenge has now finished, with £1794 raised and donations still coming in.”
