Charity Ride 2010 - Idea's/Help

[Wigsie]

This may or may not be the right place for this but am trying to plan a charity ride for spring/summer next year as I want to raise money for a charity that is personal to myself (the SANDS charity).

So I was thinking of something along the lines of a loop from Folkestone - Portsmouth - Cherbourg - le Havre - Calais - Folkestone.
or
Folkestone - Calais - Somewhere in Holland - Harwich - Folkestone.

Approx 450 - 500 miles I would think. I would love to attempt Andy ILB distances but with a young family I cant really justify taking 3 weeks away. 5 - 7 days would be max really.

Do these sound feasable and are they pleasant routes? has anyone done anything similar?

Have you any other idea's?

Do you want to help me organise/join me?

 

[Aperitif]

That's only a couple of days riding Wigsie + one day for the drink up on the ferry... are you going to do it blindfold?

 

[Wigsie]

That's only a couple of days riding Wigsie + one day for the drink up on the ferry... are you going to do it blindfold?

I was going to do it blindfolded and drunk....

What would be a decent 4-5 days riding? I want something pretty challenging but also realistic, bearing in mind I can't train massively for it, and due to time away from home I dont want to travel a day or two to get to and from the start/finish points (which is why a LEJOG is not on the cards), I live 20 minutes ride to/from eurotunnel hence the european aspect.

Come on then give me some inspiration oh great mouseketeer!

 

[Aperitif]

Hmmmm....

How about get across the channel and head North, take a ferry back to Englishland, Northern section and pootle back down to the sensible bit?

Don't know offhand but bung your request in Tours and Expeditions as there are some really interesting, experienced and inspiring writers in there - not the run of the mill chancers like me. richp is one - although I think he's on holiday at the mo'...

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm a bit puzzled by this. I think nice rides and charity rides are different things. Charity rides capture the imagination. Folkestone - Calais - Somewhere in Holland - Harwich - Folkestone may be a nice ride, but it doesn't stir the imagination. And, if it's going to be a 5 day ride you could do Folkestone to John O'Groats

London to Paris, and Lands End to John O'Groats aren't neccessarily great rides, but they have an appeal.

I'll offer another thought. Do the nice ride, but make the charity ride seperate.

My last thought. This month's FNRttC will be met in Arundel by a man who works for a charity as a fundraiser. He's looking at (say) taking 50 places on an FNRttC, or runnning the same ride himself, but with help. Why not organise a charity ride? The chances are that the take will be greater, because you'll tap in to more potential donors. I think 50 people riding for one day will raise more money than one person riding for five days.

 

[Wigsie]

I'm a bit puzzled by this. I think nice rides and charity rides are different things. Charity rides capture the imagination. Folkestone - Calais - Somewhere in Holland - Harwich - Folkestone may be a nice ride, but it doesn't stir the imagination. And, if it's going to be a 5 day ride you could do Folkestone to John O'Groats

London to Paris, and Lands End to John O'Groats aren't neccessarily great rides, but they have an appeal.

I'll offer another thought. Do the nice ride, but make the charity ride seperate.

My last thought. This month's FNRttC will be met in Arundel by a man who works for a charity as a fundraiser. He's looking at (say) taking 50 places on an FNRttC, or runnning the same ride himself, but with help. Why not organise a charity ride? The chances are that the take will be greater, because you'll tap in to more potential donors. I think 50 people riding for one day will raise more money than one person riding for five days.

As always most of the time, the voice of reason Dell. I have been thinking on this and do believe I need some sort of 'thing' (didn't want to say gimmick) that can capture the imagination of sponsors etc I was looking at riding to a town on each day that makes up his first name (BODHI) although not his full name or I would be riding for a few weeks. think I have mapped a route of around 680 miles. That's about as creative as I can be at the moment.

I have also been talking to the charity I would like to donate to and they have mentioned the whole '50 riders will raise more than my lonely cyclist' point too. Although actually organising an event does seem slightly daunting and I would not have a clue where to start?

Surely oranised events need support vehicles/mechanics? refreshment stations, Marshalls etc especially if you make it a family style fun cycle event to attract more to. Also the charity is not exactly a household name so support from people that have not been directly affected are very unlikely to even be aware it exists.

As you have said you are puzzled by this... as am I (hence the post), I know I want to do something next year for this, its just what? and of course how....

 

[montage]

Wigsie's den - portsmouth - paris - eurotunnel - wigsie's den.

No idea what distance that maps out as .... but at least that way there is a free drink waiting for you in portsmouth. Perhaps pick a route hilly enough to say you have done the equivilent of climbing mount everest aswell?

Or just go up Ventoux

 

[HelenD123]

Wigsie - I did a charity ride to Amsterdam and back earlier this year with CharityAdventure. The guys organise the rides in their spare time and do a great job. Craz on the forum is one of the people behind them and might be able to give you some pointers.

 

[Arch]

Surely oranised events need support vehicles/mechanics? refreshment stations, Marshalls etc especially if you make it a family style fun cycle event to attract more to....

Only if you promise that sort of thing.

Some of us just did a sportive from Beverley - not a charity ride, but organised. There was a fair bit of stuff set up at the start, timing, catering and so on, but no marshalls on route (although there were arrows to show the route), and one feedstation, which was a van in a layby with a garden gazebo set up and loads of cake/biscuits/water/squash on trestle tables. We were told that there was one support vehicle, at the feedstation, which could be called if necessary. Not so difficult to arrange. Now, admittedly, the participants will all have been fairly self sufficient in cycling terms, so it will depend a bit on the type of participants you aim for.

I've worked for a company running holidays, and we led rides daily, of different lengths - we were always able to call up a vehicle if needed, but it wasn't often needed in several years.

If you go for a single day event, and work out circular routes you can get keep everything within a certain radius - you can even have different lengths by having a 'clover leaf' for the longer routes, so hat you bring them all by the same feedstation at some stage. Or just make it clear that people need to be as self sufficient as possible.