About
Ride Your Bike Cycle Challenges is a family run cycle challenge company. We organise events for everyday people, whether you are new to cycling or a seasoned road warrior. Our routes are predominantly set on quiet roads taking in our spectacular countryside.
We offer a portfolio of rides covering short to mid range loops (circa 30-40 miles) through to 100 mile Century Rides and multi day events to distant locations. We even organise Family cycle challenges which look to engage young children in the joys of 2 (or 3) wheeled machines.
Whilst you may choose to see how fast you can navigate the route and turn those pedals over, our challenges are not a race. We totally encourage our riders to enjoy the scenery, savour the day and make new friends.
By taking part in one of our events, you’ll be taken care of with training support, nutritional advice and plenty of cheery encouragement on the day.
Each of our rides is linked to carefully selected charities. We hope that by taking part in an event you’ll be able to raise much needed funds for a worthy cause. You’ll be amazed as to how easy and rewarding fundraising can be if you apply yourself. We’re sure you’ll have plenty of creative ideas yourself but referring to our Fundraising Hot Tips should give you some simple and workable ideas to kick start you.
Finally, we hope to you see you on one of our rides soon and look forward to your call. In the meantime, have fun and RIDE YOUR BIKE!
Meet the Team
Position: Event Director
Nick Name: The Tank (his riding style)
Favourite Cyclist: Carlos Sastre
Riding Style: Explosive downhill, implosive uphill
Miles has had a lifelong passion for sport and cycling in particular. Educationally he has a Sports Science Degree and professionally works at TeamBath at the University of Bath. This is a World Class sporting environment that engages young children in their first steps in sport right through to nurturing Olympic Champions.
Whilst riding his bike every day for commuting, leisure and fitness, he is a veteran of many cycle challenges and has raised thousands of pounds for charity in the process.
Miles stresses that taking part in our rides is not just a physical challenge but is emotionally rewarding too. Whilst raising money for good causes you are also reducing your carbon footprint and supporting the environment. Throw in the extra health benefits you’ll experience and you’ll see you have a winning formula. Life just doesn’t get any better than this when you RIDE YOUR BIKE!
Position: Event Coordinator
Nick name: Lala
Favourite Cyclist: Red Rum (does that count?)
Riding Style: Side Saddle
If the name of the company has been left to Alison it would probably would have been ‘Ride Your Horse’. This is a nod to Alison’s ‘sporting’ past which involved hooves rather than tyres. However, with a cycling mad husband she is slowly being led down the cycling path and has pledged to take part in challenges in the future.
Professionally Alison has had years of experience in the world of customer service and to this end she is passionate about ensuring our riders have an unrivalled experience both in the build up to the ride and on the big day itself. If you take part in one of our challenges, she would love to hear from you about how it could have been improved. We’re good but not perfect…not yet anyway!
Position: Race Director
Nick name: BigBoy (his South African physique)
Favourite Cyclist: Thor Hushovd
Riding Style: Low and slow into the wind
It is difficult for Wayne to remember when he first became interested in cycling. Learning to ride a bike is one of those milestones that we all face early on in life along with swimming and that first kiss. He does however remember very clearly when he became passionate about cycling (and kissing although that is another story)! In 2006 Wayne rode the 300 miles from London to Paris to raise money for Dorothy House Hospice and Ugandaid. The first discovery was that the ride over 4 days was only a small part of the experience. There was the 3 months training riding through the Somerset countryside in rain, sleet and at times brilliant and unforgettable summer sunshine. The feelings of satisfaction, relief and pleasure on reaching the Eiffel Tower realising that not only had he achieved something very few people had, but that he had also raised £2500 for two charities which Wayne knew would value the extra money to continue their invaluable work.
Three years later and Wayne’s association and work for these two charities continues with his role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Dorothy House Hospice and his support for and correspondence with Ugandaid and the young man he helped to sponsor through college. Wayne’s passion is to see ordinary people feel the satisfaction, the relief and the pleasure that he did and he wants good charities to continue making a difference. This is why he helped found “Ride Your Bike Cycle Challenges”. So go on, dust off an old two wheeled friend in the shed and “Ride Your Bike” for a good cause.
Position: Event coordinator
Nick name: Caros
Favourite Cyclist: Dorothy Blackie (Caroline’s best friend who rowed at 4 Olympics)
Riding Style: Calm and steady with a lot of laughter
Caroline came into cycling late having completed her first charity event only last year (2009). Being a busy Mum to 3 young children it was difficult to fit in the training for the Fromerang, yet Caroline not only completed the event but did so having fun and making new friends on the way. Obviously being married to Wayne means Caroline is now working in the business too and will be available on the open evenings to talk through registration queries and is also master of the food station and part of the superb back up support on the bike challenge days.
Caroline is an ex-Accident and Emergency nurse and also our “First Aider” and has a calm way of managing all sorts of crises from bruised bodies to aching bottoms. She may be married to Wayne but is also sister to Miles so uses family leverage to keep them working hard and on track ensuring they continue to deliver the high level of cycle challenge that has become synonymous with Ride Your Bike Cycle Challenges.
