Lands End to John O\'Groats Charity Ride
 

In August (either the first or third week) i am attempting to ride the length of the country end to end in a day on a Multistrada to raise money for the following charities.

Francis House Hospice for Children in Manchester
Charity number 294354

and

Motor Neurone Disease Association
Charity number 328659

My company will cover the running costs so all proceeds will be split evenly between the charities. In addition to help stimulate interest from all my clients and suppliers i'm also offering a free meal for 2 at a top restaurant (upto £200) for the person who guessses the actual distance i actually ride from end to end.

I realise that we are all bombarded with charitable requests on a regular basis but if anyone in the club would like to make a donation or wants to win a meal (not neccesarily in Manchester) i would be very grateful.

If you want to contribute I need the follwing info:

NAME/COMPANY NAME
TELEPHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL
MILEAGE ESTIMATE
PLEDGE/DONATION

either by fax to 0161 872 4440
email: shaun@speedcouriers.co.uk or
smerrick@fsbdial.co.uk

or post to Speed Couriers (Charity Ride)
54 Westbrook Road
Trafford Park
Manchester
M17 1AY

or pay directly onto this bank account

ACCOUNT NAME: LANDS END TO JOHN O'GROATS CHARITY
RIDE.
NAT WEST
TRAFFORD PARK BRANCH
THIRD AVENUE
TRAFFORD PARK
MANCHESTER
M17 1NW

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 56003900
SORT CODE 01-08-81

Obviously i appreciate most people will prefer to pay after the event but i'm only supplying these details now too try and reduce some of the administration.

MANY THANKS

p.s. I would just like to say a big thank you to Woods Motorcycles, Ducati UK, and JHP/Ducati Coventry for their assistance.;)

[Edited on 26-7-2004 by BDG]

[Edited on 7-9-2004 by BDG]

When you know the route you're taking and any idea of where you might be at what time stick it on here so a few of us can join in for a bit if they fancy it.

A cheque will be in the post next month.

Well done and good luck with it all BigCharitableGeordie.;)

Thanks Steve,

exact date is subject to weather forecast for those 2 weeks and 1 specific project (new software which is very hard for a dunderhead like me, i can't even downsize my own avatar on my own!) at work. The trip to the start and back from the end will be leisurely but obviously the actual end to end in one day if possible, will just be a bit of a slog using motorway to try and get it done in a day.

i will post the timings and route just prior to departure, but i aim to do it during the week rather than at weekend, just an excuse ti skive of work really:lol:



[Edited on 26-7-2004 by BDG]

Boing,

I'll make no excuse for keeping this one active for a while especially as access to the board has been iffy over the last few days

BDG's big daft trip

any chance the webteam could make this one "sticky" untill after the event?:sing:

Geordie, Well done Mate Ill put a Cheque in the post as promised , Keep us informed . Regards 4D

Shaun,

Nice one Mate...

I did it a few years ago on a push-bike, albeit not in one day I hasten to add. Tis one helluva journey whichever route you take...

Hope it all goes well.

Keep us 'posted' on your progress (we expect updates en-route :P )


Guido

BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PLEDGED SUPPORT

:o

What's up, Big Daft G?

Nowt, just pinging it back on the board to drive people mad:lol:

:lol:

Not so daft after all :)

Hmmm - Very worthwhile and something I've always fancied doing by either bike or godforbid bicycle (but I fear it would take me two weeks to do it !!!)

Good old Autoroute says 850.8 miles for its optimised route, doing that milage in 24 hrs = an average of 35 mph, which I bet is a whole lot harder than it sounds.

Care for some Duke company along the way BDG? or is it better to travel in stealth mode??

Good luck either way - Frank

Evening Frank
 

I've had a couple of enquiries about people coming along, or to stop off to meet people along the way, both of which sound really nice and it would be great to meet people off the board, but without sounding antisocial there is an old adage "he who travels alone , travels quickest" and if i'm going to do it in a day i've got to crack on. (the exception being one of my mates from The Alternative Tour de France posting who has suggested he may come but we've done a couple of 1000 mile days coming back from St Tropez and Barcelona in one hit before)

A bike cop friend from North Yorks police wanted to either accompany me the whole way or arrange various police escorts all the way in conjunction with the Bike Safe programme, but the Chief Constable wasn't keen on the idea so that got binned.

Another thought that has occurred is that there is always the ride to the start before i begin, and back after i've finished if someone really fancies it.

I'm putting my self up to knocked down by saying i want to do it in a day, but i think its a bit more of a challenge and may catch peoples imagination a bit more thereby raising a bit more money which is what its all about.

It would be great to have abit of company if someone wants to follow along for 50 miles or so but the logistics of it would mean that peeps would have to stand around for a while waiting for me to go by, then i'd feel obliged/want to stop and chat which would screw the schedule.

Please don't think i'm being ignorant, i like meeting and talking to people, but doing it in a day isn't the right time.

cheers for the thought. ;)

[Edited on 30-7-2004 by BDG]

Shaun,

Well done that man...............& a cheque will be in the post this week depending on the proceeds of
The Elton John Garage Sale

:lol::lol::lol:

Been in serious training for this.

Put load of stinging nettles in some barbed wire undies to get my bum acclimatised for week commencing August 16th.

lets hope the monsoon season is finished by then:lol:

Thanks a lot, saw your post about routes but i'm just taking the boring but quick route.

You've still got a good days ride to that in a day, enjoy yourself

Shaun

We have been to the pub, and things like this get decided in the pub!

Throughout the trip we are going to post updates of how things are going. BDG will text me with any news and where he is and I will put it on the board. Sounds easy, but with BigDaftGeordie and LittleDaftPotter doing it who know what might happen!:sing:

Well done M8 and good luck.

Any chance of the webteam putting this on the home page for everyone to read?

I think i'll do the ride next time Sunderland play just to avoid watching anything like Saturday nights fiasco:flame::flame:

Oh dear................not so good Shaun.

I had totally forgotten that the football season started on Saturday and went off, in the heat, to the Mad Stad.

Ha, ha, ha.............what a start,

1-0 to Brighton after 17 seconds :o
1-1 60 seconds later :o:o

Right result though at the end. Don't expect all matches in the hokey cokey chumpionship to be so exciting.

And, I've got the Blues to look forward to this Sunday, live on the box, shooting down the gooners I don't think.

On the assumption that the Monsoon season finishes it's on for next week

:ninja::borg::biaggi::rolleye:

bet you're all sick of seeing this one yet again, sorry if its getting annoying.

Not at all, BDG.
There's nothing like the sight of a Geordie up to his neck in water to set me right for the day!
:D

:lol::lol::lol: Like wise Loz make me chuckle ever time. I all ways wonder whether he made it across or ended up swimming the rest of the way:lol: 4D

[Edited on 14-8-2004 by Fordie]

I did actually make it but Dez our resident Otter went for a swim ( bike and rider completely underwater, hilarious!) and we spent ages draining the bike and had to send some one to get some oil and change the oil in the middle of nowhere before we could run it again.

Any date yet? Or is it Imminent?
Looks like Hurricane Charley could be sending a couple of clouds over this week, so what's the current prediction?

Alan,

should be this week but i keep checking various long term weather forecasts (conflicting reports) but as you say it looks like bad weather for this week, so it may become next week. I'm getting impatient now, might be quicker by canoe.

yep. the forcast is CRAP again.:(

Only since Labour got in.
Never had weather like this when tories were in power (so my dad tells me)

Can't be loosing this thread, even if the weather is **** poor ,in my day i would have doned the Belfast and went for it . The Youth of today dont no there born :lol: 4D

4D,

you can give me as much abuse as you want as long as you keep on calling me "youth"

i love it:lol:

Next weeks forecast looks bad for wimps like me so it may be the second week in September when i get back from family holiday, who knows.

Anyone got a canoe or jatski i can borrow to do it:lol:

If it's the second (or third) week in September I'll be on hols, so won't be able to put the journey updates on the board:(
but as I will be in Devon (Dawlish) you could pop along for a cream tea.:)

STEVE M
Devon,really,is that a good idea? Hasn't the weather been abit iffy down there? Make sure you've got some waterproofs!!:D

I'ts ok they have put flood defences in place now - see guest1 post:lol:

Doing it at last
 

I was beginning to feel like a false alarm on this, but after the wettest August for 50 Years it looks as if i have the magical combination of some good weather and the chance to skive from work so i'm off in the morning.

SteveM had volunteered to update a progress report post but he's off on holiday so i'll be texting guest1 with a few updates for anyone interested.

Shaun,

Big up to ya big man...................... I've sent you a U2U.

Shaun,

Good luck on the ride.

I have zapped 25 quid into your bank account as per the details at the top of this page. Might take 3 days to reach you....good old Bank of Scotland....

Go safe mate.

Regards

ScottyB