Here are the entries to the WillCycle Adventure Fund. For obvious reasons, I’ve removed people’s names from the entries. Voting is now open, and on the 9th of May I’ll announce the winner.
I will never repeat the WillCycle Adventure Fund, as entry numbers were disappointingly low. Still, we have a total of £95 raised to give to a lucky winner.
To vote, please leave a comment on this post, saying “Entry X”, or simply “X” (obviously, substituting “x” for your preferred entry). Comments will not be published.
Entry A
This year I will be riding to Cornwall on the solstice, 250 miles in a day. Then a couple of days later returning over three days. It will be a sponsored ride to raise money for the charity Mind. The money would help with B&B costs and the huge amount of food I’ll likely be eating. And anything left over will go to the charity.
Entry B
I would like to do King Alfred’s way but would need a suitable tent. This is what I would spend any winning on.
Entry C
I’d really like to take my Brompton on a long overdue day trip adventure on the train to the North Wales Coastline. I’d love to show how a folding bike can be used for more than just a commute and I’d love to share the beautiful 20 mile coastal route from Colwyn Bay to Prestatyn.
My plan would be to set off at the crack of dawn and cycle to my local railway station down near Southampton and catch all the different trains up through the midlands and across to the northern tip of Wales. At around midday I’d set off from Colwyn Bay and cycle along the seaside promenades of Llandudno and Rhyl- maybe having an ice cream and some fish and chips. Then at around 5pm I’d catch all the trains back to my local station before cycling the last 3 mile stretch just before midnight.
It would be the perfect combination of folding bike, train travel, seaside, ice cream and adventure!
Entry D
I am cycling from John O Groats to Portpatrick with my 10 year old son in August. We are planning to wild camp and do the 444 mile journey over 6 to 10 days.
We are raising money for mental health and I will be making a mini documentary to show the similarities between the physical ups and downs of an endurance ride, and the ups and downs that sadly so many people feel they can’t talk about. By raising awareness I hope to teach my kids that it’s OK to admit you are struggling, that it is normal to feel overwhelmed, and that speaking out and getting help can make all the difference.
Dominic, my son, will be the youngest person, we believe, to complete the diagonal crossing of Scotland.
Entry E
You want to give me the 💸. (Other than last week) my most recent 100k ride was almost 2 years ago, yet in June I’ll be taking on the TransAm Bike Race, aiming for ~200miles/day, really Couch2TABR. I’ll be writing up 1 word from A-Z for each day of cycling, for the most thoroughly concise trip essay possible. 🚴🏻
Entry F
For a lot of people here, my ride won’t be an adventure… Wow, it’s stupidly hard to type this. I used to love cycling but life changed, I learned how to drive, went to university, got a job. Bikes fell to the wayside. Fast forward a decade or so, everything was fine except my mental health. Long story short, I no longer have all my original parts. Fast forward to today, I’m immunosuppressed, chronically shy and have re-discovered cycling. Zwift has been a life-saver both figuratively and literally.
Where is the adventure I hear you ask? Well, for you it’s probably akin to a Sunday recovery ride. For me, it’s a venture into the unknown.
On Sunday 19 June I will be riding the BHF London to Brighton.
I know it isn’t a long or particularly adventurous ride but for me, it will be so much more.
For so many years I’ve been told what I can or can’t do and for once I’m going to change that.
To be honest, it doesn’t matter if I win or not, preparing for this ride has already changed my life and I will keep going on.