With the Tour De France starting last Sunday and 176 riders from around the world embarking on a mammoth journey, we had 4 riders of our own from Essex taking part in their own monumental challenge just over a month ago. Labelled our ‘School Cycling Champions’, four Essex teachers took part in the annual mass participation event, aiming to inspire students in their schools to cycle more, raise the profile of the two wheeled activity and of course, achieve something amazing. After taking some time for a well-earned rest and to tell the story of their day to their classes, we caught up with the teachers around their experience and the challenges they faced on the closed Essex roads.
Taking part in his second consecutive Ford RideLondon-Essex 100 event, Duncan Rayney, Head of PE at the Stewards Academy in Harlow, was excited to be given the opportunity to ride the route again as a School Cycling Champion for Active Essex. En-route to his 7:00am start time, Duncan got chatting to the other cyclists on the train, all sharing the same goal of completing the challenge as well as being appropriately dressed for the wet weather! As he arrived at the start line, he dispensed some of his outer clothing used to keep warm, and donated them to the Salvation Army ready to pass onto those in need.
Duncan said; “Having completed the route before, I was really looking forward to joining like-minded individuals and ride on the closed roads. I had decided to split the route up and stop at the Welfare stations on the route this time, as my training this year had been hampered due to an injury. I was delighted to meet my wife at the 25 mile mark in Epping, where she had a cup of coffee and a piece of cake waiting for me, to help me onto my next stop at Felsted.”
As Duncan headed into Essex, Alex Burden, Principal at the Flitch Green Academy, ride was just beginning. Like Duncan, Alex also enjoyed chatting to fellow cyclists on the train on the way into the city and also stopped to help someone with a puncture on route to the start line. Paul White and Russell Davies were the other two School Cycling Champions who were taking on the challenge and using the experience to inspire their schools to get cycling and to encourage active travel methods.
Despite what could be described as adverse weather conditions at points throughout the ride, all School Cycling Champions praised the organisation of the event and its efforts to ensure the route was as safe as possible for all riders. Information was sent out a day ahead of the event around the expected weather, explaining how to make their bikes safer to ride and how to be best prepared for the conditions. The closed roads throughout the route also proved popular amongst the riders, with all four teachers feeling safe and enjoying the freedom of being able to ride on main roads like the A12, and also passing through beautiful scenic villages in a one-off experience.
Having past the halfway mark and heading towards Ongar, Duncan began struggling with the headwind, as up until this point, participants were enjoying a tail wind pushing them out of London and through Essex. However, he said the reception he received as he entered Ongar was arguably the loudest on the course, as it appeared that the whole town had come out to show their support along the High Street. Duncan also met some of his students there, who were enjoying the activation zone and gave him the motivation to keep going and fight towards the end.
Woodville Deputy Head, Paul White was also blown away by the amount of support he received along the route. The cheers, clapping and bells throughout the ride helped keep his morale high, however the biggest challenge Paul faced was Buckhurst Hill at the 85-mile mark. The hill which has an average climb gradient of over 4% for more than half a mile, is one of the most physically and mentally challenging sections of the ride, and the noises Paul’s gearing was system was starting to make, only added to the pain. However, he didn’t want to give up and let his pupils down, so carried on.
Paul mentioned; “I hope my ongoing enthusiasm for cycling will continue to inspire more of our children to cycle (or scoot) to/from school on a regular basis, and/or cycle for fun and leisure at the weekends with their friends and families.”
The biggest challenge that Alex faced during the ride was witnessing a bad accident, which took the rhythm out of his sails for some time. The sight of an ambulance was a stark reminder of the immense challenge that he was trying to complete, as well as cycling so close to others, also proved daunting for the Dunmow based Principal.
Like all our School Cycling Champions, Doddinghurst Church of England Junior School Headteacher, Russell, found the weather conditions tough along the way.
Russell said; “Arriving in London in the early hours amidst darkness and rain initially seemed daunting. However, seeing so many cyclists with their RideLondon-Essex numbers immediately lifted my spirits, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and excitement. One of the highlights was cycling up Buckhurst Hill and passing the legendary Paula Radcliffe, who was also participating in the event. This unexpected encounter added an extra layer of inspiration to the ride!”
Despite the challenges faced, all School Cycling Champions considered the support along the route to be a key factor in them being able to reach the finish line. Russell explained that the sense of community amongst riders helped him keep pedalling when times got tough, as well as stopping to see his family for a boost of encouragement. Alex sought after support from his family as well, as he stopped to say hello to his wife and brother-in-law in Writtle and managed to source a much-needed sandwich ahead of the Welfare Stop in Felsted, where he took on board a banana and a snack there too.
The last part of the course was here, over 90 miles in the saddle and just 13 more to go (yes Ford RideLondon-Essex 100 is actually 103 miles long!). As each teacher joined the highway, they knew there was only one more turn left before they were on Tower Bridge and the final straight towards the finish line. The bridge is a wonderful place to take in the last cheers, reflect on the incredible challenge you’ve just undertaken and all the hard work that it took in completing over 100 miles. All School Cycling Champions felt an overwhelming sense of achievement at the end of the ride, stating that it was one of the most fulfilling experiences.
Following the ride, the teachers told us how they planned to keep the momentum from this event going, by continuing to promote the benefits of cycling and other forms of physical activity at school.
Russell said; “We are organising regular cycling events and encouraging students to participate in local rides to help maintain high levels of engagement and physical activity. Ford RideLondon-Essex has been a great intervention that has positively impacted our school community and will continue to do so in the future.”
Duncan stated “I may have been an hour slower this year, but it is a ride and not a race and hopefully I have inspired my students to get on their bikes now that the weather is slowly improving and use them to get out and explore the great Essex countryside. They have enjoyed getting on board designing a banner and the flags I gave them to support me along the way.”
Paul commented; “I will be sharing my experiences from the ride with all our children (including my medal, finish time and photos) to show how enjoyable and rewarding riding your bike can be. Thanks again to the Active Essex team for all their support during the build up to the event and during the event itself – I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!”
Despite the tough climbs, challenging head winds and torrential rain, the four School Cycling Champions expressed how they would love to take part in the ride again. We hope that their enthusiasm and dedication helps to inspire the next generation of eager cyclists, as well as prove that you can achieve any challenge that you put your mind to.
