Northampton to Paris Ride For Hope

At the end of our last update, we mentioned we were getting ready for a charity cycle event for the Hope Centre, our local homeless centre which we have supported since 2016.

We are happy to say we completed the challenge of cycling to Paris over the first weekend in October. Colin cycled 330 miles over 4 days from Northampton and I cycled 240 miles over 3 days from Richmond.  There were 43 cyclists and 6 people in the travelling support crew, as well as a support team coordinating the publicity at the Hope Centre.

A big thank you for all the support and sponsorship we received. We did have a couple of anonymous sponsors, so apologies if we haven’t been able to thank you personally, but we really appreciate it.

Here are some photos and videos of the trip.

Day One – Departure from the Hope Centre in Northampton to Richmond – 90 miles

The 4 day cyclists gathered at the Mercure Hotel in Northampton, dropping bags off with the support vehicles and having press photos taken before the grand depart. After the biblical rain of the previous few days everyone was relieved that at last we had some bright sunny weather.  They then cycled to the Hope Centre's main building in another part of the town centre for the true start of the tour. 

Their first pit stop was at Robert Whittle’s (the head organiser of these tours) café (The Hub and Spoke Café) in Bedfordshire.

I had nervously watched my bike being loaded into the support vehicle, underneath a pile of bags. 

I was very kindly picked up later in the day and driven to Richmond by Gareth (who was a pathfinder in my group) and his partner Lisa, along with Dusty who was also doing the 3 day route.  Shortly after we arrived at the Travelodge in Richmond the first cyclist groups started to arrive. The groups were split based on expected average speeds and each given a colour as the team name. Colin was in the Yellow group (15 mph) and I was in Team Blue expected to do a steady 12-13 mph. Team Rose, the speediest group, contained the former director of Rugby at Northampton Saints (Jim Mallinder) and former Saints and England rugby union player Nick Beal. Needless to day, Blue group didn't see much of this group on the road during the tour - just a blur as they flashed past us.

The arriving cyclists looked relieved to have made it safely through the London traffic.  After they had a quick shower and change of clothes we all headed to a local pub for dinner.  There was a definite buzz of excitement in the air for what lay ahead over the next three days.

Day Two – Richmond to Portsmouth - 80 miles

Being in the ‘steady’ blue group meant we always had to be the first off in the morning. We visited a local Pret at 6.30 for coffee and a snack and were then on the bikes for a 7.15 start.

It was a cool misty morning, and we climbed up to a viewpoint over Richmond Park and the Thames only to see mist.  The traffic was a little daunting getting out of London, but we soon reached the nicer rolling countryside of Surrey.

22 miles into the ride we had a welcome coffee stop at the beautiful village of Shere.  Colin’s sister Sara, who sadly had to pull out of the ride due to a shoulder injury, met us there with a Ride for Hope sign (which continued with us for the rest of the trip) and some sweeties.

We then had another 37 miles to cycle to our lunch stop in West Sussex. Blue team had a short break for a puncture to be fixed en route. The name of the village for the lunch stop (Steep) should have given us a clue of things to come. The fantastic Rapid Relief Team were set up serving hot food and refreshments. This organisation delivers hope and food across the world, with homelessness, poverty and hardship being a main sector they support, including the organisations supporting people in this area i.e the Hope Centre. They have been there for our cycle events in the UK and in Europe. When my team arrived Colin’s group were already on their second round of burgers.

We only had around 20 miles to cycle into Portsmouth and we were promised it was largely downhill from here. It soon became obvious this was not true as we struggled up a couple of very punchy hills.  My team passed Colin’s Yellow team enjoying a pint in a pub a few miles short of Portsmouth, however we were keen to get to the Harvester where we were having dinner before it got dark, where Gareth and I were hoping to get our e-bikes charged before boarding the ferry that night.  Colin’s brother-in-law, Tony, had joined us for the ride all the way from Texas, and although he had put in a lot of training miles in the heat of Houston, he had not managed to get any hill training done, so today had been really tough for him.  He had also discovered his gears weren’t all working (he hadn’t needed these gears for the flats of Texas), so a team set about getting this resolved.

In the Harvester, Dusty produced a handheld massager and offered her services to ease aching shoulders and legs.  She had lots of takers.

If you're wondering why a lady was taking a photo of Chris's backside below, we had a bar code on our cycle shirts that would take people through to the Hope sponsorship page, and we had been challenged to ask as many strangers as possible.

We were booked on the overnight ferry to Caen in Northern France.  We had to cycle onto the ferry, but as it had arrived late, we had what seemed an eternal wait in the cold to get through passport control and board.  Everyone was very keen to get a hot shower and to bed ready for another early start in the morning – disembarkation at 6am French time.

Day 3 – Caen to Le Nourboug – 72 miles

We had a breakfast buffet booked at a local restaurant near the ferry terminal which gave everyone a chance to put overnight bags back in the support vehicles and get kit ready for the ride that day.  As Blue team set off first, the sun was only just rising.  It looked stunning with the mist over the river and fields.  We had a brief stop to look at the nearby Pegasus Bridge which runs over the Caen canal. In 1944 an English battalion glider regiment successfully took command of this and another bridge in the area, limiting a counterattack by German forces.

The countryside really was stunning in this part of France and with the sun shining and much better roads all our aches and pains were forgotten about. After 33 miles we had a coffee stop in the attractive town of Liseux.  The town was very busy with everyone visiting the shops before they closed for the weekend.

It was about another 30 miles pedalling to our lunch stop. The landscape flattened out, but we also had a bit of a headwind to contend with.  The last 15 miles after lunch felt a long way, so there was much relief as we rolled up at our hotel on the edges of Le Nourboug.  We had tables booked that evening in a restaurant a 15-minute walk away where we all enjoyed a fabulous meal.  We all needed to get good night’s sleep ready for our final onslaught into Paris. 

Day 4 – Le Nourboug to Paris (The Eiffel Tower) – 92 miles

No let up for the Blue team who were on the road at 7 a.m in the dark. The first section was down a path running alongside a river, which must have been very scenic in daylight, but was a slightly terrifying if not exhilarating ride in the pitch dark. After 24 miles, having ridden a long but gentle gradient hill, we arrived at a small town with a coffee shop and patisserie.  Our luck with the weather had run out today with a constant mizzle, but it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.  

From here we cycled past the site of Monet’s gardens, but we had no time to stop with a lunch awaiting us at the 54-mile point.

We were cycling along the banks of the Seine now, so Paris was very much in our sights. Blue group missed the turn off to the restaurant in the small town of Mantes La Jolie, but we were one of the first groups to arrive.  Colin’s team were nowhere to be seen, but we were told they had been plagued with punctures (three) since the coffee stop.  We had a three-course lunch booked here, but feeling anxious about the last 35 miles into Paris my appetite had gone (ok, maybe not enough to stop me wolfing down a tarte tatin).  Colin’s poor group rolled in looking damp and bedraggled. Little did they know what laid ahead.

Blue group had to push on, as all teams needed to rendezvous at a point on the edges of central Paris where we would split into smaller groups for the last 13 miles to the Eiffel Tower, with some taking in the Arc De Triomphe first.

Blue group did have a bit of drama on this section when the Garmin (sat-nav) took us onto a French motorway.   By the time we’d realised our mistake it was too late to turn back and the traffic which had initially been going quite slowly started to get faster and more dangerous. We could see French car passengers filming this crazy bunch of English cyclists. We all had our heads down concentrating hard to keep as near to the side of the road as possible. Thankfully some quick thinking by Robert and Alex (the Hope CEO) led them to stop and tell us to get off the bikes and we were to lift them and ourselves up a steep banking at the side of the motorway. 

All I can remember was my heavy bike being thrown up the banking with me being pushed up behind it (I will be forever grateful to Alex and the other guys).  We all found ourselves in a small woodland area in a bit of a state of shock.  Next issue – how do we get out of the wooded area? – there was a high fence around it. Thankfully one of the team had gone on ahead to do a recce and there was a gap in the fence – phew.  We pushed the bikes through the undergrowth onto a quiet road. Before we could proceed Tony’s bike needed a puncture repair. It had actually punctured just as we got onto the motorway, so goodness knows what must have been going through Tony’s mind when he realised the situation we were in.

Thankfully the bridge over the motorway took us back on track with the planned route and we finally made it to the rendezvous point where the other teams were enjoying liquid refreshments. There was no sign of Colin’s Yellow team though, who eventually arrived having had yet another puncture to fix – actually it was a bit more serious as the whole tyre had shredded in this instance and they had to wait for the support vehicle with the spare tyre to come back and find them.

It had gone 5pm by the time we set off on the final section, so it was going to be a stretch to reach the Eiffel Tower in daylight.  Good old Garmin made it challenging to find the right route through. Blue group were heading straight to the Eiffel Tower as we weren’t keen to tackle the cobbles and mad Parisien traffic around the Champs Elysees.  Colin’s team were doing the iconic Tour de France route past the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysees then on to the Eiffel Tower.

We crossed through parks and along busy roads and there seemed to be no sign of the Eiffel Tower. Finally it came into view, but we then ran into Police road blocks. OMG - were we not going to reach it? Colin's sister Louise and niece Madeline had been waiting there for us to arrive for a couple of hours and Tony was getting impatient messages about where the heck were we. They had resorted to several Aperol spritz's to pass the time.

Finally we were there! Our group and the stragglers we'd picked up stopped for a photo on a terrace above the tower. A tourist kindly took this great shot.

We fought our way down through the throngs of tourists to the base of the tower where we met up with Louise and Madeline, and all the other groups who'd now made it from the Arc De Triomphe - only Colin's group were missing. It was quite an emotional moment for everyone realising we'd all reached our destination with the help of our teams and the support team. Louise and Madeline hit the spot handing out cups of prosecco which everyone really appreciated. Being dark now it wasn't easy to get a photo of the whole group. Still no sign of Colin's group - I'd had a call to say they'd had more punctures but they were still aiming to get to the Tower.

It was a four mile cycle back to the hotel. The support team said we'd missed our dinner reservation time and weren't sure if they'd be able to push it back. I was going to wait for Colin to arrive but was told he may end up going straight back to the hotel, so should go back with the rest of the groups. It felt the longest four miles I think I've ever cycled in the dark and trafficked streets of central Paris. Keeping everyone together when traffic lights changed whilst concentrating on not hitting curbs on cycle lanes was pretty stressful.

Once we reached the hotel we were told dinner was on at a local restaurant, so everyone rushed off to get showered and changed. I still wan't sure what was happening with Colin and his group, but finally we managed to speak and he said they had fianllly reached the Eiffel Tower and were now being transferred back to the hotel by the support team and he'd meet us all at the restaurant later.

The restaurant was buzzing with tired happy cyclists by the time Louise, Tony and I arrived. Colin finally arrived about half and hour later, having gone past wanting to eat anything, but he did manage a couple of glasses of wine.

At this point I will put in Colin's account of his teams last day cycling into Paris which he presented at a local Rotary Club meeting the week after we returned, with the purpose of showing appreciation for the superb and important job the support team do for us cyclists.

''I was a pathfinder along with Matt for the Yellow group obviously we were the 'elite' Team - I mean cyclist- Paris - Yellow - it says it all - a group of finely tuned athletes - that was us!

I would describe the nine of us as experienced cyclists and experienced in Life. Thanks to Matt and I, the average age of the group came down to 65.

I am just going to run you thorough my experience of the final days ride into Paris.

Liz was up first as her group were to be first off. As I climbed out from under the duvet, putting my legs on the ground they reminded me that they had already cycled 250 miles in the last three days and as I headed towards the bathroom, I was also reminded that my bottom was resembling something that a baboon would be proud of.

Downstairs, I waved Liz and her Blue Team off in the pitch black and then join the rest of Yellow Team in the breakfast room where there was a buzz of excitement about the day ahead.

We planned our assault on Paris much like the Pro Teams would do on the final stage of the Tour de France. Expected weather - Rain! - Terrain - Downhill all the way! - Feed stops – Flapjack & Jellybeans organised!

Planned speed - We were looking to average 15 miles an hour so that meant allowing for our "experienced bladders" we needed to ride at around 17.5miles an hour to have time to "water the hedges".

We set off at 8 a.m. and soon our well-oiled machine formed into a peloton, with one rider on the front and everybody else tucked in behind sheltering from the wind. The lead rider shouting out the signals of stopping, left, right, clear and 'pee stop'.

Our first stop after 18 miles was at the top of a "non- existent hill" where Richard and Robin were stood in the rain as they offered flapjack and jellybeans and smiled as they lied and said there was no more hills.

As we arrived at the coffee stop, Bill congratulated the team as we had arrived 2 minutes ahead of schedule. Two of the group went off to get the custard tarts, a couple of others went off to get a round of coffees, the rest of us queued for the toilet.

We were damp but felt good - the first 24 miles had gone well and only 66 to go.

Refreshed and slightly concerned about the effect of the weight of the custard tarts we headed back to the bikes only for that dreaded cry "puncture" shouted from Chris. However, thanks to Alan and Julia who were parked close by in the Hope van, Alan pulled out a track pump which enabled us to fix it quickly and Julia took a photo when we were ready to set off.

Later in the morning there was another cry of puncture from Chris.

This time without the support vehicle we had the chance to play with our new gadgets - John's Plastic tyre Glider and Bill's USB chargeable pump. As you can see, we were all very excited!

Our 3rd Puncture of the day was the courtesy of Matt. But on a positive note, due to the rain and cold it gave all of us a chance for a hedge watering session.

Now running late for lunch, we got a move on - We couldn't have appreciated the support team more - each member was stationed at a different corner on entering the town directing us straight to the restaurant.

We walked into the warm, damp and humid restaurant to be greeted with a round of applause - there was a buzz of excitement, less than 40 miles to Paris.

Back on the road again there was that familiar shout from Chris "Puncture" This time it was a bit more serious the tyre was beyond repair. It was Julia and Alan who turned around and came to our aid with a replacement tyre. As you can see from the photo Matt and I got side tracked by our new addiction of flapjacks.

We were now running well behind schedule having lost nearly an hour replacing the tyre when I helped the cause by shouting puncture!

We arrived at the rendezvous point well late delaying everyone. We then split into smaller groups to negotiate the Paris traffic.

Just after the 5 of us set off Martin hit a kerb when getting onto the cycle path and landed on his hand and elbow but got up and carried on, asking none of us to mention this to his wife as she may stop him going to Mallorca next year.

We cycled into the centre of Paris through a park on a gravel path when I shout puncture again!

By this time the light was fading, and the other half of our group were busy celebrating at the Eiffel Tower.

We continued and could see the Arc de Triomphe ahead and were now on the cobbles when I shouted stopping and didn't get any response from behind, looking over me should there wasn't anyone there I doubled back to find them repairing Iain's puncture.

We then took our life into our hands and cycled around the Arc de Triomphe on to the Champs - Elysee. Halfway down there was the cry from Paul "puncture."

We repaired the tube with our last patch took a photo with the Arc de Triomphe in the background when I looked down to see I that I had my third Puncture of the day - we were all distraught.

With nothing left to repair it with, we all agreed to walk the final 1.5 miles to the Eiffel Tower.

We finally arrived and got a tourist to take a photo of us.

In the day we had 9 punctures in total with 4 occurring in the last 13 miles and Martin didn't come off his bike.

The Support Team of Richard, Paul and Robin came back to pick us up and took us to the Hotel. We got our second round of applause of the day as we eventually joined the rest of the group in a local restaurant.

The Yellow team wouldn't have been able to complete the ride into Paris without the help of the Support Team. In fact, everyone that cycled Ride 4 Hope will always say that the support Team of Rotary club volunteers played a massive part in us all being able to complete the Challenge and raise the money for the Hope Centre.

So, a big Thank You from all of us to the Rotary club support team in getting everyone safely to Paris.''

After a late night, we had yet another early morning start. We had to have our bikes loaded on a lorry, bags on the support vehicles and be checked out by 7am. Colin still had his puncture to fix so he could ride his bike onto the ferry at Calais, and he also gave Amanda a Masterclass in how to fix a puncture on her bike.

It was a gentle coach ride to Calais with people dozing and being interviewed by Adrian and local radio back in Northampton. We retrieved our bikes outside the hotel we'd stayed on our final night of last years challenge and all cycled the short distance onto the ferry that took us back to Dover. We cycled off the ferry and loaded the bikes onto another lorry and from here we had a slow journey on the M20, M25 and M1 to reach the Mercure hotel where we were greeted by friends and family.

I'm sure Robert and all the support crew breathed a sigh of relief that they had got everyone home safely. The logistics and planning for this trip has been a mammoth task - all us cyclists had to do was to turn up and pedal, while the unflappable Julia and the rotary support team, who are all volunteers, had to heard us cats and answer the same questions multiple times.

From top left: Julia - supreme logistics manager; Robin, Paul & Richard - Rotary support drivers; Alan - Rotary van driver; Jane - Rotary vehicle navigator;

Bottom right - Robert Whittle - co founder and driving force behind Ride for Hope since 2014 with Adrian (middle); Alex - Hope's current CEO and fellow Blue team member.

We had a post ride celebration this week at the Hope Centre and had the incredible news that the event has raised a staggering £77,000 for the charity. This takes the total raised since 2014 to over £400,000. Whilst we were all patting ourselves on the back for this achievement, we were reminded that the number of people currently using the centre is at an all time high and it costs around £1,000 per day to run the centre, so the Ride for Hope will continue to be a crucial part of the charity's fundraising moving forward.

This was our sixth rally with them and one of the best yet. The camaraderie of everyone involved is what brings us back to it each year and we are proud to support such a worthy local enterprise. We even made the BBC headlines - see attached link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8x4j30kggo