The latest news from the official Paris To Hayling Charity Cycle Ride website.http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.ukWed, 10 Mar 10 02:32:47 +0000144144http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.ukhttp://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/images/news/thumbnails/Cycle Hayling cropped_250x250.jpghttp://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/first-cycle-hayling-meeting-30.htmlMon, 08 Mar 2010 0:00:00 GMT
"Dear Friend

Cycle Hayling is a new community movement to improve and promote cycling opportunities on Hayling Island.

We want to build a community coalition to campaign for better cycling infrastructure and for improvements to the Hayling Billy Leisure Trail.

After our first successful gathering at the opening of the new stretch of cycle path on the 26th Feb, (where we met with David Willetts and representatives from Sustrans and Havant Borough Council), we would now like to have an informal meeting to look at where the group can go from here.

We would like it if you would come along, please follow the link below to let us know which day and time would best suit you:

http://doodle.com/y7iv5qu8uifty8da

We look forward to meeting you,

Lesley Berry (a fair-weather cyclist & co-founder of Cycle Hayling along with Sue Underwood - also a Hayling resident but with hardier cycling credentials!)"

It would be good if Paris to Hayling cylists came to this meeting. Please visit the website link above to register your interest
]]>http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/cycle-hayling-group-29.htmlFri, 05 Feb 2010 0:00:00 GMT
Cycle Hayling now has its own page on our website - see tab to the left

We have a new group of cyclists forming on Hayling Island, following the recent Hayling Island Residents’ Association’s (HIRA) public meeting, which highlighted the opportunities (and lost opportunities!) available to cyclists in and around the Island.

The meeting included presentations by Nick Farthing, Sustrans Regional Manager for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Paul Fisher, Chairman of HIRA, who highlighted the need for a safe leisure bridge crossing over Langstone Harbour and the upgrade of the Island section of the Billy Trail.

The group is led by Islander Sue Underwood and she is initially spearheading the campaign to get as many cyclists as possible to attend the opening of the new Langstone bit of the Billy trail, from Mill Lane to opposite the Ship, on Friday 26th February, attended by David Willetts, MP for Havant and Simon Pratt, Regional Director for Sustrans. The idea is to let those present know the importance of and how strongly we feel about the way the southern next part of the National Cycling Route should be developed.

It would be very helpful if as many Paris to Hayling riders attended as possible.

Visit the Facebook link:

http://tinyurl.com/cyclehayling
]]>http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/bike-ride-christmas-card-28.htmlTue, 17 Nov 2009 0:00:00 GMT
The photo on the front will be the one illustrated and we trust you will find it adequately ‘Chistmassy’. The card is a smallish one - 5½” x 3¼”

There is a serious side to this, too, as all profits from the sale of this card will go to MacMillan Cancer Support, in memory of Meryl Browne, popular and much missed Paris to Hayling rider and Deputy Chairman, who sadly passed away in October 2009.

It’s on sale now @ £1.25 per card or £12 for a pack of ten, including envelopes. If you want your order posted to you, please add 50p for P&P. You can also pick up cards from Pete & Maryon McQuade, 384C Seafront (Tel 9246-3049 or 07825-363076) or Rick Hutchings at Loat Opticians, 42 Elm Grove, HI (Tel 9246-8555)

The photo was taken by rider and last year’s support crew member, Richard Boswell.

Cheques to ‘Paris to Hayling’ – send with your order and return address (inc 50p P&P), to Christmas Cards, PO Box 30, Hayling Island, Hants, PO11 9UD.

Don’t miss our annual Santa Ride (20th December).
]]>http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/meryl-browne-memorial-service-27.htmlMon, 19 Oct 2009 0:00:00 GMTThe memorial service for the dear departed, highly-valued Deputy Chairman, Meryl Browne, takes place at St Mary's Church, Hayling Island on Tuesday 20th October at 11.30am. All those connected with the Bike Ride are welcome]]>http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/bike-ride-reunion-%26-agm-2009-at-the-newtown-26.htmlSun, 04 Oct 2009 0:00:00 GMT
PRE-REUNION RIDER GET-TOGETHER

As part of the process of eventually allowing others to take over the organization and management of the Paris to Hayling event, after next year’s historic 25th year, we are inviting riders to come along to the Newtown on Saturday 24th October, so that we can explain what is involved and to invite participation in what will effectively be a ‘shadow committee’ for the next year. We hope that there will be some enthusiastic and capable volunteers!

FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE

We are compiling the feedback from riders via a questionnaire, which are overwhelmingly positive and will publish the results next month. It was as a result of this that we were able to decide that next year’s ride will return to the Loire Valley, as in the last two years, rather than to Paris, which had symbolic and sentimental attractions, since the majority were in favour of our new route.

25th RIDE 2010 – ‘LE TOUR D’ARGENT’ (THE SILVER RIDE)

We have been overwhelmed by interest in participation in next year’s historic ride – the last of the modern era, but not the last ride! We now have over 150 paid reservations for places - absolutely unprecedented nine months in advance, as we don’t normally receive any before November. So if you want to avoid disappointment, it is best to download a reservation form from the website and send it in with the £100 reservation fee. It looks like we shall have to be managing reserve lists again, quite soon!
]]>http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk/news/le-tour-de-tours-ii-25.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2009 0:00:00 GMT
This year’s ride took the same general route as last year’s groundbreaking challenge, but with some new ‘tweakings’ e.g. a new route for the second half of the first day for the 6-Dayers, from Dingé to Rennes and a new route from Vitré to Laval on the second day, as this year we didn’t divert on the punishing route via Gorron. This resulted in three 50 miles or so days in succession, which was welcomed by some, but not so much by the keener riders! However, the morning route to Chateau Gontier, where the 3½-Dayers joined us, couldn’t have been criticized for its lack of hills!

The weather on the first three days was just lovely for cycling – not too hot and little wind – but that was all to change over the next three days. The flat 80 miles from Angers to Tours on the fourth day, along the Loire valley (with no-one getting lost this year), was absolutely beautiful again, but baking, with the temperature reaching 105F (35C I think!). In the middle of the afternoon, I had to look after a cyclist who came off her bike on a curbstone, with some abrasions and concussion and our group had to endure waiting for an hour for the Sapeurs Pompiers to arrive and treat her, in the heat, with water running low. The support was stretched a bit, so 17 miles later, with no bars in between, I was able to replenish my water and given a cold gin and tonic from Pete Alloway’s support van, to calm me down!

As we started to go north for our last couple of days, the predicted weather forecast of poor weather came true and we had wind and showers on a regular basis, making it a bit of a struggle at times. The 95 miles from Tours to Alencon on the Friday tested most of us and we were glad to get in. Saturday, the final day, was Fancy Dress Day and the outfits, worn by at least half of the riders, one way or another, were great fun. There were the Hell’s Belles, the House of Cards, coincidentally joined by the Four Aces, the Busy Bees, the Lady Birds and many more, but our favourites were the Morris Men, led by Hayling’s Dr Turner. We had an extra few miles, making it a 75 mile day to Caen, because a new motorway was being driven through our route, fortunately foreseen by our final recce three weeks before the ride.

So, after a few celebratory drinks as we reached Caen, it was up to the Castle, in what finery we could muster, for the last night dinner party and dancing until too late!. Next morning, after a committee meeting to decide the awards, we all cycled the 12 miles or so to the Ouistreham ferryport, via Madame Gondrée’s café, to board the Seacat and a rather tempestuous crossing back home. The Bike Ride Awards were presented to those deserving with great acclaim and we were treated to an Ode to ‘Tour de Tours Nights’ by Magnus MacFarlane.

We emerged from the ferry, now all dressed in our new T-Shirts, on the back celebrating Mike Burras’s ‘30 Years in the Hole’, to cycle to the Hayling Ferry, with a wait for many as we were shuttled across. A welcome at Hayling College awaited us, hosted by HUFC, as we met up with our loved ones and collected our bags, glad to be home, but having memories of a great ride, yet again.

Now, guess what? We are planning next year’s 25th ride, which looks like a sell-out, especially as it is rumoured, without foundation, that it is the last ride! The debate is whether to go back to Paris, for symbolic and sentimental reasons, or to return to the beautiful Loire Valley, but with a 5 day ride for all. We shall be consulting riders, paying special attention to those who have cycled both routes, before we make a decision. So watch this space for Ride 2010!

A Bike Ride First!

Freddy Houghton-Connell, a member of the 38-strong Ditcham Park Team (21 young riders and 17 mums, dads and friends), encountered a cow crossing the road at the bottom of a descent and his bike was totalled, but both he and the cow emerged unscathed! Freddie was obviously shaken up and was transported in a van for the rest of the day, but was back on a borrowed bike next day. A new chapter in the annals of the Bike Ride!

Fundraising

Over £50,000 was pledged by riders in sponsorship, but we confidently anticipate this rising as the money comes, perhaps taking us to over £1,200,000, accumulated over the years of the Ride.

Thanks to the superb support crew:

Pete Alloway (Leader)
Ann Borton
Richard Boswell
Mike Harrington
Lynne Harris
Tony Hart
Joy Hayward
Rick Hutchings
Kev Knight
Jo Macey
Sue Morton
Sylvia Randall
Jon Tawse
Fay Turner
Richard Willis

Thanks to sponsors and suppliers:

Barclays Bank
Reg Beacher
Brittany Ferries
Brit-net
Burras Ltd
C.J. Driscoll Chartered Accountant
Gable UK
Gridleys
Hayden Vehicle Rentals
Hayling United FC
Hayling Ferry
Hayling Property Management
Hayling Window Centre
Heidi’s Patisserie
Hobbs Pharmacy
Jean Simpson Agency
Kuehne & Nagel
Large and Gibson
Morris Crocker
P. M. Leisure Homes Ltd
Qlik View
R.J. Morris Jewellers
Ship & Castle
Verisona
Woods Travel

Bike Ride Awards 2009

Rachel Loveridge - Most Impressive Newcomer - McQuade Cup
Rachael Lamont – Most Improved Rider - Eberhardt Signs Trophy
The Morris Men (CALM) – Best Group – Bavent Cup
Debbie Marks – Proof That You Can – Oracle Shield
Charlie Pickett – Special Award - Reg Beacher Trophy
Ron Spencer – Veteran Rider – Montfort Cup
Dan Pfaff – Young Rider of the Year – Les Trois Pics Cup
Mike Harrington – Support Crew Award – Judy Dyer Trophy
Magnus MacFarlane – Character Award – Value Added Trophy
Pete Alloway - Committee Member Award - Qlik Tech Cup
Mary Burras - Rear of the Year
Matthew Wragg - CB Award
Best Fancy Dress - The Cards
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