Archive for August 2011
Leaders cycle length of Britain for charity.
Tuesday 30th August 2011Two Explorer Scout Leaders from Sidcup’s K2 Unit, Kevin Tilney and Andrew Goulding, who are also members of the Downe Activity Centre 1st Weekend Crew, have completed a charity fund raising cycle ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End. The 1,021 mile journey took 15 days and raised over £2,800 for the Alzheimer’s Society and Parkinson’s UK.
Andy and Kev didn’t cycle state-of-the-art touring bikes; instead ‘fixed wheel’ bikes with no gears or brakes were used. So to come to a halt, you stop peddling.
Hills become more difficult because there are no gears to help ease the ascent, furthermore you must also peddle downhill. Given that 8.3 miles of the trip were uphill and a further 8.4 miles downhill, this is quite a remarkable achievement.
More impressively, Andy and Kev had no support team following them, so they had to carry 8 kilos of equipment on their bikes. The ride was hard work but good fun, with only one major incident. Just a few days into their journey on route to Stirling disaster struck as Kev’s handle bar snapped! This is where the Scouting skill of pioneering came in useful. A branch was found, whittled down to fit inside the handle bar and made secure with two jubilee clips and a D-lock. With the nearest bike shop 27 miles away, the repair held up.
But where did they get their energy from? By eating between 6,000 and 8,000 calories a day, the same as 16 Big Macs and a medium coke! Finally, what are Andy and Kev’s plans for the future? “Rest and recover! We’ve got an Explorer Scout Unit to run next week!”
Details of the rest of their route can be found at: mapmytracks.com/andrewjgoulding.
To donate, please visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/andyandkev .
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