Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Brains
06-11-02, 05:49 PM
The Tour de France for beginners
I just thought I share this one with you lot, worth reading even if you don't want to contibute - He should be talking to the lonley goathead about now as I think they started today.
read on ...
> LIONS RIDE 2002
> A CHARITY BIKE RIDE IN AID OF LEUKA 2000
> From Val D'Isere to Cannes.
>
>
> I've made a foolish mistake and I need your help... It seems I've been
> coerced into taking part in a 400 mile alpine cycle race in less than
> a week's time and the toughest ride I've done is the daunting
> hill-climb that is Queensgate.
>
> You can help fight leukemia by sponsoring me for the 2002 Leuka ride
> to Cannes. This year, the ride starts in Val d'Isere on 10th June and
> arrives in Cannes on Thursday 20th, although if I haven't arrived by
> the following Sunday, then send out a search party...
>
> I agreed to do the ride when I thought it was going to be downhill all
> the way to the coast and had images of myself freewheeling down the
> mountains on my old push-bike with a friendly marmot and a dozen
> scotch-eggs in the basket. Unfortunately which ever way you look at
> it, this is not the case; it isn't ambling through the countryside
> yodelling back at lonely goatherds; it's a full-on section of the Tour
> de France. For some reason, most of the journey seems to be hills
> that are so steep that only mountain goats would consider going up
> them without an engine - and then when you get to the top, oh, there's
> another one. The other thing is, that although it's not billed as a
> race, of course it will end up being one - and the other 10 entrants
> are aerodynamically perfect cyclists, with a drag-coefficient of
> something very streamlined, who take this sort of thing very seriously
> indeed... They've been in training all year for this moment, cycling
> into work every day, from Brighton - except they've actually given up
> work to train. There are even some who have stopped drinking, for
> goodness sake.
>
> So, the handlebar streamers are coming off, I'm ditching the baby
> seat, the Noddy bell and the basket. Every bit of weight counts, so my
> water bottles will be filled with cabbage soup - This is the only plan
> I have, and it's not a good one I'd admit - but a bit of extra
> windpower could make the difference between last place and being left
> in the mountains to rot.
>
> By the way, if I look slightly different when we come down from the
> hills, it won't be because I've paid someone (say, Lance Armstrong) to
> take my place, although that did cross my mind; it will be because I
> will have no bum left and the legs of a racehorse, but mostly I'll be
> so amazed that I've made it and we're actually making a difference to
> peoples' lives.
>
> I have to raise a minimum of £3,000, although I'd love to get nearer
> to £8,000 - every penny of which will be passed directly to the
> charity... Last year 5 riders raised a phenomenal £40,000. This year
> there are 11 of us, so hopefully we can more than double that amount.
> The money is going towards the £1.2m the Hospital urgently needs to
> equip the new research and treatment centre in Hammersmith with state
> of the art machinery. When last year's team met the professor last
> year he was enthusiastic that within 2-3 years a cure would be found
> for leukaemia (the most common form of cancer) and as a result it
> wouldn't be long after that cures for all cancers could be found.
>
> Cycling the alps will be tough, but anyone suffering from leukaemia
> has a far harder uphill struggle - so please dig deep... Needless to
> say, anything you can do on a personal or company level will be hugely
> appreciated and if I don't make it (a rather worrying possibility I
> have to say) or I'm caught flagging down an old 2CV and bunging the
> bike into the back, you don't have to pay a thing.
>
> The website is: http://www.leuka2000.org.uk It's The Hammersmith
> Hospital site and if you enter Events you'll see the Lions ride from
> last year with info. and a video calendar. I've also attached the
> planned itinerary for your amusement. The registered charity number
> is 286231. All cheques should be made out to Leuka 2000 (Lions Ride
> 2002)... Receipts from the charity can be given for larger donations.
>
>
> If you'd like to help, please pledge an amount now - however small (or
> large!), and hit return, or mailto:charlie@roguefilms.co.uk
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Charlie Crompton
>
I just thought I share this one with you lot, worth reading even if you don't want to contibute - He should be talking to the lonley goathead about now as I think they started today.
read on ...
> LIONS RIDE 2002
> A CHARITY BIKE RIDE IN AID OF LEUKA 2000
> From Val D'Isere to Cannes.
>
>
> I've made a foolish mistake and I need your help... It seems I've been
> coerced into taking part in a 400 mile alpine cycle race in less than
> a week's time and the toughest ride I've done is the daunting
> hill-climb that is Queensgate.
>
> You can help fight leukemia by sponsoring me for the 2002 Leuka ride
> to Cannes. This year, the ride starts in Val d'Isere on 10th June and
> arrives in Cannes on Thursday 20th, although if I haven't arrived by
> the following Sunday, then send out a search party...
>
> I agreed to do the ride when I thought it was going to be downhill all
> the way to the coast and had images of myself freewheeling down the
> mountains on my old push-bike with a friendly marmot and a dozen
> scotch-eggs in the basket. Unfortunately which ever way you look at
> it, this is not the case; it isn't ambling through the countryside
> yodelling back at lonely goatherds; it's a full-on section of the Tour
> de France. For some reason, most of the journey seems to be hills
> that are so steep that only mountain goats would consider going up
> them without an engine - and then when you get to the top, oh, there's
> another one. The other thing is, that although it's not billed as a
> race, of course it will end up being one - and the other 10 entrants
> are aerodynamically perfect cyclists, with a drag-coefficient of
> something very streamlined, who take this sort of thing very seriously
> indeed... They've been in training all year for this moment, cycling
> into work every day, from Brighton - except they've actually given up
> work to train. There are even some who have stopped drinking, for
> goodness sake.
>
> So, the handlebar streamers are coming off, I'm ditching the baby
> seat, the Noddy bell and the basket. Every bit of weight counts, so my
> water bottles will be filled with cabbage soup - This is the only plan
> I have, and it's not a good one I'd admit - but a bit of extra
> windpower could make the difference between last place and being left
> in the mountains to rot.
>
> By the way, if I look slightly different when we come down from the
> hills, it won't be because I've paid someone (say, Lance Armstrong) to
> take my place, although that did cross my mind; it will be because I
> will have no bum left and the legs of a racehorse, but mostly I'll be
> so amazed that I've made it and we're actually making a difference to
> peoples' lives.
>
> I have to raise a minimum of £3,000, although I'd love to get nearer
> to £8,000 - every penny of which will be passed directly to the
> charity... Last year 5 riders raised a phenomenal £40,000. This year
> there are 11 of us, so hopefully we can more than double that amount.
> The money is going towards the £1.2m the Hospital urgently needs to
> equip the new research and treatment centre in Hammersmith with state
> of the art machinery. When last year's team met the professor last
> year he was enthusiastic that within 2-3 years a cure would be found
> for leukaemia (the most common form of cancer) and as a result it
> wouldn't be long after that cures for all cancers could be found.
>
> Cycling the alps will be tough, but anyone suffering from leukaemia
> has a far harder uphill struggle - so please dig deep... Needless to
> say, anything you can do on a personal or company level will be hugely
> appreciated and if I don't make it (a rather worrying possibility I
> have to say) or I'm caught flagging down an old 2CV and bunging the
> bike into the back, you don't have to pay a thing.
>
> The website is: http://www.leuka2000.org.uk It's The Hammersmith
> Hospital site and if you enter Events you'll see the Lions ride from
> last year with info. and a video calendar. I've also attached the
> planned itinerary for your amusement. The registered charity number
> is 286231. All cheques should be made out to Leuka 2000 (Lions Ride
> 2002)... Receipts from the charity can be given for larger donations.
>
>
> If you'd like to help, please pledge an amount now - however small (or
> large!), and hit return, or mailto:charlie@roguefilms.co.uk
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Charlie Crompton
>