Cycling Around the World, to Reach the Centre of the Earth

For the second year, Enduro-fever took hold. Only this year, it wasn’t just Birmingham. It was Sydney, Bangalore, Hook, Gloucester and Glasgow as well.

From the turn of the year, we had a belief that we could entice other sites to join in with what we started last year and help us evolve it into something really special. We knew they wouldn’t disappoint and they didn’t. Enduro captures the imagination like nothing else.

Joe and Lyndsey at Gloucester, Kini and Neelesh in Bangalore, David, Nicky and Leanne over in Sydney, Richard and Matt in Hook and not forgetting Gillian and the “Posh Champion” up in Glasgow . . . each site’s captains didn’t want to just join in the Enduro party, they wanted to help us shape the event. Gloucester set up a Time-Trial style platform to launch each rider, Bangalore sent each rider on their way with a chequered flag . . . there was fancy dress, barbecues, marquees, music, torrential rain and awesome backdrops including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

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But first, let’s get back to basics. What is Enduro?

  • A 10 mile well-lit road circuit
  • 24 hours of relay cycling, one timed rider on circuit at all times.
  • A team of riders (approximately 7-12).
  • A Rider Control team to provide timing, lap logging and all-important comedy.
  • The rest? As always, made up as we went along . . .

Enduro isn’t like any other event. Endurance events are the fastest growing sports of the last decade with huge attendances and support for Le Mans, Sebring, Bathurst and other venues across the world for GT, Moto GP and Mountain Bike racing. Triathlons are taking over from marathons as participants want to test themselves over longer distances and timeframes with the focus being on consistency, reliability and longevity as opposed to speed. For Enduro, having to control your body to produce the energy you need at the time you need it by consistently lapping, eating and resting is something that is hard to explain, but no small feat to achieve.

We’re sure that that it is this absorbing notion that drew in over 90 riders and 30 controllers across the globe. We set a target of collectively riding “to the centre of the earth”, just under 4,000 miles, and the stage was set. Imagination captured.

To ensure the right attendance and response, Sydney staged their Enduro on Tuesday 25th June, the rest of the teams collectively started at 3:00pm on Friday 28th June. Some sites elected to do a joint start with several riders, Birmingham had elected 3 teams and so their captains Axle, Wheelz and Foz hit the bricks together. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter how we all started it. This was our event, so it was our rules. Enduro has a “gang mentality” and it always will have.

Our game, our rules.

After such an extensive build-up, only an event such as this could give you that feeling that once the clock started there was no stopping it and riders had to shift their focus to team strategy. The sense of urgency was palpable.

As the big day began, each site supported their riders in a number of different ways. Cake, savouries and samosa sales, guess the miles, guess the number of sweets, bring-and-buy sales, cash collections, sponsor forms . . .

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Then suddenly, and almost without warning, it was 3:00pm . . .

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So, finally, with the events under way, what followed was the quickest 24 hours imaginable and included a whole host of memories . . .

  • The “Marathon Man” turned his talents to riding in Bangalore.
  • “Foz” punctured on the First lap in Birmingham.
  • Rich at Gloucester had to apologise to an old couple for cutting them up on the swing bridge whilst trying to get the support car out to a puncture on circuit.
  • Some of the team chose to sleep in the car at Hook as it “sounded comfier”.
  • Back in Birmingham, “The Drive” forgot how his pedals worked at a set of traffic lights, and they bit him  #firstblood

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  • Sydney rode in almost constant rain, but it never wiped the grin from the teams’ faces.
  • Rider Control lost “Freddy Spaghetti” just prior to one of his laps in Hook, and subsequently found him under a desk!?
  • Payam “Pie and Ham” totalled his bike in a collision in Birmingham and spent most of Saturday getting checked out at hospital. Gladly he was given a clean bill of health and has already booked his place for next year!
  • Enduro Cake and Enduro Lollies(?!) at Gloucester.
  • 30 riders in Bangalore racking up over 700 miles!

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  • “Blow-Up” took the scenic route in Birmingham, marring his first lap time adding 3 miles. “Slasher” attempted the same later in the ride.
  • Down at Hook, a search party had to be sent out for Nora when Endomondo (GPS tracking) stopped working . . . all good in the end, though.
  • Riders in Glasgow had to thread their way through “Bams”  #askalan
  •  “Professionals” at Hook, with one of the Fusion riders showing up with shaven legs.

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  • A fancy dress lap at Gloucester including Superman, Batman and Scooby-Doo!
  • “Rocket Raymondo” snoring in the main entrance at the Glasgow Access office . .
  • “Cheesy” forgot to unclip . . . twice in the same lap  #ouch
  • “Guess the rear-end” competition on Twitter.
  • “The Hammer” from BMC went the wrong way in Hook  #schoolboyerror
  •  “Spender” showed up in her pyjamas in Brum!
  • Some quality posing for photographs in Glasgow  #zoolander
  • “Shazzamataz” entertained the Hook team by giving everyone nicknames (including Sibbles, Freddy Spaghetti and Hookster) and enjoyed herself so much she forgot to go home after her shift.
  • A Guard of Honour for the final handful of riders crossing the line in Birmingham.

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The list is endless, as we’ve said . . . so many memories.

The 24th hour ticked over and widened grins crossed the line on bikes of all shapes, styles and sizes. This was a massive achievement across the globe that none of us would forget in a hurry.

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Medals were dished out to all the riders after the flag was dropped and as fast as it had all begun . . . it was over for another year.

 

Everyone took a collective breath and then slowly breathed out knowing that, for the first time in 24 hours, they didn’t have to check the orientation for their next sign-on. They didn’t have to calculate how much sleep they needed to get in. They didn’t have to almost force feed themselves to ensure that they had energy to burn at the right time. It was time to stand down and look back at a job well done.

Very well done. How about just over 3,780 collective miles? Better still, how about £8,000 raised for Whizz-Kidz as a conservative estimate (most of which happened in the last two weeks)?

So . . . one more time . . . what is Enduro?

 WE are Enduro.

See you next year.

#keepyourtoein