Can we do adventurous cycle rides without them been for charity?

[Sore Thumb]

I was asked by a colleague at work to do a organised cycle ride. It would be just over 100 miles with food on arrival and transport back home.

I said I would be up for this and he would provide me more details.

So why am I not doing it? The ride is for charity and I have to find a minimum of £70 of sponsorship to take part.

I want to pay a realistic entry free for an event and do it because I love cycling not because I am doing it for charity.

I have nothing against people doing a charity events but there seems to be more and more events organised now with charity sponsorship required.

Even at work, when I tell them I am looking forward to my long ride at the weekend, they will ask what charity am I doing it for.

Can we not enjoy cycling because we enjoy cycling. Or do none cyclists see cycling as a something you would only be stupid enough to do if only you are doing it for charity?

 

[coffeejo]

On the other hand, doing something for charity is a GOOD thing, n'est-ce pas? Nothing to stop anyone from getting out there on the bike and doing a 10, 100 or 1000 mile ride, but - my other devil's advocate card - if the "charity card" also gets non-cyclists off their butts and onto their bikes, surely that counts as another good thing? Win-win?

 

[Sore Thumb]

On the other hand, doing something for charity is a GOOD thing, n'est-ce pas? Nothing to stop anyone from getting out there on the bike and doing a 10, 100 or 1000 mile ride, but - my other devil's advocate card - if the "charity card" also gets non-cyclists off their butts and onto their bikes, surely that counts as another good thing? Win-win?

You do have a point, however as a keen cyclist I would like to do a friendly cycling event near me without having to keep on asking staff and friends to sponsor me, so I can enter the event. I cannot really afford £70 out of my own pocket each time.

 

[coffeejo]

Fair enough. This any good to you?

 

[col]

I agree its good when done for charity, but god forbid some do it so they get all costs covered from the charity collected to do something they would like to?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

audax, sportives, FNRttC, SMRbtH all fit the bill...

 

[ufkacbln]

Along with othes we worked with a number of Councils (Gosport, Fareham, Portsmouth, Havant) and developed a 30 odd mile ride round Portsmouth Harbour.

It was a success as part of Bike Week and the numbers built up over a few years, until the British Heart Foundation took over.

It is now a Charity Ride only and excludes all the people that the original design was meant to include.

 

[HLaB]

You can pay through the nose for an adventure holiday with some one like saddle skedaddle.

 

[jdtate101]

Every year I do a 100 mile trip down to Bristol to see a friend (by bike that is of course). Food on arrival, few beers then train back to Birmingham. It's not expensive if you book your seat on the train well in advance, just remember to book a bike spot too. Always book with the train vendor direct not via someone like trainline, as the bike booking systems always seem to screw up.

Last time I got down and back for the sum of £15, if you had others for company on the way (doing something similar in your area) it would be a great day out.

 

[MrJamie]

I have a few friends i cycle with for weekend rides, but theres always been an appeal for experiencing a big event with a lot of cyclists of which the sponsorship side of im not interested in. I dont mind paying a fair price to make my presence profitable, or to add a small donation on top of enterance - but im not up for asking people for sponsorship everytime I want to do one of these events. I also run regularly and a fair number of running events ask for charity sponsorship and famous marathons aside a lot of running events dont get near max capacity.

How many people typically ride one of these audax rides? Although oddly there dont seem to be any within 50 miles of Milton Keynes.

Along with othes we worked with a number of Councils (Gosport, Fareham, Portsmouth, Havant) and developed a 30 odd mile ride round Portsmouth Harbour.

It was a success as part of Bike Week and the numbers built up over a few years, until the British Heart Foundation took over.

It is now a Charity Ride only and excludes all the people that the original design was meant to include.

Im sure id heard something similar about them doing that to a running event too. I emailed the BHF a year or two ago asking if sponsorship was compulsory for a 5k run they were doing, since id already done 2 sponsored runs that summer was rather rudely told that the £20 enterance fee didnt even cover costs as if i was trying to rip them off - despite their jacked up price being double that of similar events in the same location and not even reaching half capacity. I tend to steer clear of any BHF events since then.

 

[screenman]

I like the BHF events £10 entry, well organised, nice people and never once found that I was being pushed for sponsorship money. I do however donate freely from my own pocket as I feel it is a deserving cause.

 

[Ian H]

There are several keen audax cyclists in Milton Keynes. They quite often organise their own 'DIY' events, though mostly of longer distance. They have had considerable success in encouraging novices through their first 600km rode. I can put you in touch if you wish. There are also rides from Stevenage and Hertford among others.

 

[the_mikey]

I ride sportives mostly, they may be a bit expensive but they're generally accessible, charity rides seems to ask too much, one local ride coming up was asking for £250 worth of sponsorship as a condition for riding the route. I can't get to grips with audax.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

i was looking at london to paris but the £1400 minimum sponsorship put me off (along with the £99 entrance fee)

im diy'ing a route with a similar distance but for the cost of 1 nights b&b and the petrol for my car! bristol to lands end via my inlaws! i will do things for charity but really dont like the "you must raise this much to cover our costs" id rather they told you how much it was up front so you pay that then any money raised goes to the cause

 

[Camrider]

There are plenty of audax rides in or near Staffordshire why not give one of those a go?