Huge congratulations to our intrepid team of tandem riders —Victoria and Andrew, Nayoung and Toby— who successfully completed the Ford Ride London-Essex 100 on Sunday, 26th May and, in so doing, raised over £3,000 for MSSC. This exceeds the original target of £2,500, so we have more than enough to purchase a new Orbit Velocity tandem which will no doubt be enjoyed by many of our stokers and pilots for years to come.
Well done Victoria, Andrew, Nayoung and Toby, and thank you for your amazing, mammoth effort on behalf of the club.
Many thanks also to our magnificent maintenance volunteers who ensured the tandems were in good working order and fit for the ride, and thank you to everybody who donated so generously!
Nayoung wrote a few words about her experience.
It was a truly unforgettable experience to be part of the great event for cyclists from all walks of life. I was overwhelmed by thousands of enthusiastic cyclists around me and lots of cheerleaders from the start all the way to the finish line. My pilot, Toby gratefully accommodated me at his house as I couldn’t get to London in good time due to Sunday train service. He even cooked fantastic breakfast for us to fuel up as much energy as we can for the day. We enjoyed fresh peaceful morning on the way to the start line and made a good start with many good wishes.
The bike couldn’t be better thanks to those who checked and oiled our bike on the previous day. We smoothly cycled through East London to Epping and further into Essex. We had all sorts of weather condition on the way, beautiful sunshine, harsh rain and strong headwind. It was so wonderful feeling when we crossed over the finishing line with lots of cheers and music. Tired and aching body couldn’t prevail the delight of achievement. I was so much encouraged thanks to support I received from my pilot and MSSC, which enabled me to enjoy cycling and take part in this phenomenal cycling day. Now I am so happy that my enjoyment could be of a little help getting another tandem bike for more pilots and visually impaired stokers to enjoy cycling.
Nayoung Lee, May 2024