vote for Sustrans Connect 2 in the peoples lottery £50 million pound give away

Regular readers know I am a mega keen cyclist well this has come to my attention . Even if you don't vote for this vote to say how £50 million yes £50 million will go in a one payment only to a charity.

In case you didn't know, Sustrans has the opportunity to win £50m of lottery money to support 79 local projects around the UK. It's a public vote, so the more of us that vote the better! See below for more information from Richard Sanders of Sustrans.

I'm writing to ask you to help sustainable transport charity Sustrans win £50 million from the Big Lottery Fund to invest in 79 communities UK-wide.

In this winner-takes-all contest Sustrans' Connect2 project is up against 3 other organisations - the Eden Project: The Edge, Black Country Urban Park, and Sherwood: The Living Legend, with the winner to be decided by public vote over the coming weeks.

We’re supporting Sustrans' Connect2 because it will transform local travel in towns, cities and villages throughout the UK. By building new bridges and crossings over busy roads, railways and rivers, and linking these into networks of paths, Connect2 will make it much easier for people to get where they want to go under their own steam. So whether children are going to school, people to work and the shops, or friends and family to visit each other, they'll be able to walk or cycle for many more journeys.

As many as 6 million people live within a mile of a proposed Connect2 scheme, and 1 million children go to school within a mile of a scheme. It is calculated that over 60 million active, low carbon journeys will be made each year on the Connect2 routes, potentially saving 79,000 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of emissions from 79,000 people's annual car use.

If you'd like to know more about Connect2 before making up your mind take a look at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk

To make Connect2 happen we now really need your support and just a few moments of your time could make all the difference. We need your vote and the votes of as many people as you know.

There are three opportunities to vote - online, from a landline and by mobile.

Online voting began at 9am on Monday 26th November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk with phone voting starting at 9am on Friday 7th December. All voting concludes at 12 noon on Monday 10th December.

If you want to be sent a reminder to vote please register at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk or text 'Connect2' to 80010.

If you do vote for Sustrans' Connect2 (and I really hope you do!), many thanks and please do forward to your own contacts and urge them to vote too

Doing the Double !!

Some of my regular readers will know that I am a bit of a cyclist well I love my bike!!!! So excuse non technology post

For the last few years I have done the infamous Dunwich Dynamo see info here a mere 193 kilometres from London to Dunwich through the night in 2006 a similar event was formed the Exmouth Exodus link here it's a little shorter than the Dynamo but its much hillier. Guess what next year I plan to do both !!

So the key facts
Dates
Exmouth Exodus 2008 14^th 15^{th June}

Dunwich Dynamo 2008 19^th 20^th July

Distance
E&E 100 miles
D&D 120 miles

The FAQs of E&E make interesting reading

Yes and no. It's inspired by the DD, and there are plenty of obvious similarities, like the riding through the night to the seaside part. But it's different too. For a start, it's smaller - a lot smaller. We had 60 riders for 2007, as opposed to the Dynamo's 700. It's hillier - a lot hillier - too, so it's a bit harder, even though it's a little shorter.

The route profile shows the hills

So guess what I intend to do both!! With a six week gap between them no worries!!
The quote best describes the feelings

Words from the 24 hours of Moab dirt bike race in the USA describe whats its like ....

"Somewhere during the night you will hear a voice say, "Why am I doing this? I am never doing this again!" Look forward to this voice. Welcome it. Laugh at it. Embrace it. Look forward to hearing it again next year. Just know that it will come and that you will ride past it and be stronger when it fades into the shadows."

-- Chris Tirpak, 4x Sufferer of Canaan and Moab

I've heard those voices and learnt to laugh oh so loud at them for the joy of being alive!!

By the way Exmouth Exodus is looking for some small scale cash help any sponsdors out there maybe a mobile company some great stuff and publicty to be done with geotagged images from thosde mobile phones etc

Dunwich Dynamo something for the weekend ! Plus update

Well when your all asleep in your beds Saturday I am doing the Dunwich Dynamo again !
Its 200km bike ride through the night from London to Dunwich . It isnt for the faint hearted it is for the slightly mad !

http://www.londonschoolofcycling.co.uk/dunwich.html

a quote that describes it thought not from me

"Somewhere during the night you will hear a voice say, "Why am I doing this? I am never doing this again!" Look forward to this voice. Welcome it. Laugh at it. Embrace it. Look forward to hearing it again next year. Just know that it will come and that you will ride past it and be stronger when it fades into the shadows."

-- Chris Tirpak,


I have heard the voice I have laughed at it and I am back for the 5th time and weather forecast is for rain in the early hours.

"No sleep till the coast"

Dunwich Dynamo 2007 survivor

116 miles in the rain for all but the last hour and what rain ! 9hrs 12 minutes on the bike 12.86 miles an hour . Good pace 12.8 for first 64 then a bit faster but under 13.00 for last 52. The food non stop well I did 5 cups of tea coffee with sugar to aviod the hypothermia setting ( no I am not kidding).

See the photostream

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Great to arrive at the Suffolk coast in proper sunshine. Trainee dynamo rider Linden aged 8 did last two miles . followed by a breakfast ( full English of course ) and a swim .

The most challenging yet ? Will I be back ?




I heard those voices mentioned at the earlier quote I laughed at them as the true imposters they are !!

BTW did the ride on my only bike a Dawes discovery 301 steel framed workhorse which I love. Should I go for a new bike next year or should I keep with tradition !

Answer to both questions YES ! See you at the dynamo 18th July 2008