Ex Banker back home after bike ride

publication date: Jun 20, 2008

Pedalling to Paris for charity.

I have always enjoyed a good challenge and the thought of cycling from London to Paris in aid of the Variety Club seemed a splendid idea. Prior to commencing the journey we were advised to train but nothing could have prepared us for what was to come on the first two days.

We set off from Blackheath at 06.30 on a fresh sunny morning and within minutes we were experiencing some gentle suburban hills as we left London to the noise of hooting road raged drivers. As we entered the Kent countryside the terrain became like a continuous switch back as we entered a labyrinth of small country lanes. This was seriously hilly and by the time we reached Dover we had all been beaten into a submissive state. The Channel was like a mill pond as the ferry gave us some respite from our punishing ordeal.

After a night in Calais we set off for Abbeyville through a series of pretty French villages set in beautiful countryside. The trail for us all to follow was marked out with orange arrows that were then collected by the support vehicle. Some bright spark removed the arrows in one of the villages that we passed through and for about one hour there was great consternation as the cyclists were scattered far and wide. With this frustration and peddling effort the exhaustion level was at an all time high by the time we reached Abbeyville for the night.

Next day we set out for Beauvais on what all thought was going to be an easy ride. There are clearly no easy rides. The hills were beginning to tell by now as all began to struggle to get to the top. The country at this point, however, was particularly beautiful.  It was verdant with crops of different grain and vegetables providing a green patchwork quilt as far as the eye could see in all directions. Beauvais we had been told was a particularly attractive town which on arrival we were all to tired to explore.

The next day was the one where we struck out for Paris. As we neared the Paris suburbs we knew we were near a big City because you could not only see Paris but smell it as well. The “”piece de resistance on this final day was the participation in a group of 160 bikes moving down the Champs Elyses to the accompaniment of a cacophony of sound from car horns and the applause of pedestrians. No road rage here!

Champagne was the order of the day on arrival at the final stop, the Eiffel Tower.

It had been an amazing experience and raised money that would help disabled and disadvantaged children back in the UK.

I am pleased to record that we did not have to bike back home, this was carried out in a nice comfortable seat on Eurostar.

Last month, FX&MM covered John's charity ride, read it here.