RECYCLE-A-BIKE 2010 NEWSPAGE
.LONDON BIKEATHON - 27TH JUNE 2010
In June the RAB team took part in the 2010 London Bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma research. We made up 7 of the many thousands of cyclists on the day and rode the 26 mile route starting off at Chelsea & Westminster hospital passing by many of London’s great and historical landmarks.
As you can imagine the bikes took priority on the day with the car traffic having to be stopped by the Bikeathon volunteers on several occasions. Luckily it was a beautiful sunny day and everyone was in good spirits with drivers honking their horns along the way; mostly this was in support of us cyclists though occasionally we think they may have been in a bit of a hurry!
Between us we raised over £500 for the charity which was a great effort. We are planning to ride the longer 52 mile route in 2011.
http://www.beatbloodcancers.org/london-bikeathon
FASSNIDGE PARTY IN THE PARK – 4TH SEPTEMBER 2010
On 4th September we ran a Dr. Bike session at the Fassnidge Party In The Park, close to Uxbridge town centre. Here we provided our mechanics' services free of charge to those who came along with their poorly bikes. It was also a great opportunity for us to meet members of the local community and to promote healthy living and safe cycling.
BRUNEL UNIVERSITY Over the last year we have formed close links with Brunel University, setting up a stall at the Fresher’s fair and having a presence at their Environmental Day and Green Week where students and staff would appear with their cycles in need of repair and we would work on them without costing them a penny!! We also ran a maintenance course one afternoon where we passed on some important ‘on the road’ skills to students, such as fixing punctures and repairing brakes. Brunel students and staff receive special rates for parts and servicing from Recycle-A-Bike.
NICK AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT CYCLE FESTIVAL– 26TH SEPTEMBER 2010
"On Sunday 26th September 2010, a very cold and windy morning, David and I left our hotel for the 70 mile Isle of Wight cycle ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation. There were around 700 participants, some riding a shorter route of 25 miles which seemed quite appealing on the day given the conditions but we stuck to our guns and chose the full 70 mile route.
Starting in Ryde, we travelled in a clockwise direction around the island along coastal roads and paths, turning inland every so often through country lanes, passing through farms and between beautiful thatched cottages. At one time we thought we had gone back in time when we stumbled across a ploughing competition seemingly in the middle of nowhere!! Around thirty tractors of various sizes ploughing through their set plots each with their own judge watching their every move! This source of entertainment gave us a good excuse for a well earned break. We like our cycling but we like the breaks too!!
We managed to complete the route in 5hrs 24 minutes which we were quite happy with, given the undulating route. Overall we were glad that we made it to the event and had the opportunity to see beautiful parts of the island, much of which was inaccessible to cars."
Nick Gore, Project Manager
ANNUAL XMAS MEAL– 16TH DECEMBER 2010
This year we held our annual Xmas meal at Nando’s in Uxbridge on 16th December. Here’s a picture of the team minus a few volunteers who unfortunately weren’t feeling too well at the time. They were, of course, in our thoughts as we tucked into our chicken and Peri-Peri chips......and olives.....and corn.....and spicy mixed nuts! Luckily the walk back to the workshop was downhill.
As you can see, the snow greeted us early this year!
SATURDAY CYCLE RIDES
Every Saturday the RAB team meet at the workshop at 9.00am to explore the local trails and pathways. We aim to leave around 9.30 and to return at 12.00pm. The route is usually 10-15 miles in length and comprises a mixture of road, cycle paths and off-road terrain. Some of our favourite routes encompass Denham Country Park, Black Park and out through Denham towards Amersham.
Of course this is for fun as well as exercise so we stop off en-route for a well earned break and refreshments!!
We are planning to hold some rides in central London and to explore new areas this year. If you are interested in joining us on any of the rides, contact us via the Contact Us page or give us a call.
This page was last updated on Februrary 27th 2011