Club Challenge Rides 2023 – Rider Guide
Welcome to your 2023 Rider Guide
Thank you for participating and we hope you have an enjoyable day.
Your 2023 Rider Guide comes in two flavours:
- you can download your own copy from here
- you can read all about it on this page
You can do both of them of course 🙂
The guide contains everything you need to know to be ready to rise to your chosen challenge. Inside and below you’ll find information and links to all the routes and venues, plus instructions about what to do on the day.
Ride Start Times
100 miles start between 07:15 and 08:00
60 miles start between 09:30 and 10:30
40 miles start between 10:30 and 11:30
You will have received an email confirming your exact start time. Please remember to be ready to ride at least 10 minutes before your allocated start time.
Start/Finish/Control/ICE
Mike Walsh 07486 599031
Fiona Walsh 07486 599030
Chris Bishop 07877 889730
Remember
- Wheel Easy Challenge Rides are not races. They are purely social events and any mention of ‘groups’ or ‘teams’ is just for fun;
- The refreshments at the finish are not just to revitalise tired riders – they are part of the social nature of the event, so please join us if you can.
We look forward to seeing you on the ride, and for food and drinks afterwards where we can all share our Challenge Ride tales!
Have a great ride and be safe,
Mike Walsh, Fiona Walsh, Tim Swanwick, John Carey, Vince Grealy and James Grimshaw
Section 1 – Routes
Follow the link below to view and download all routes
Section 2 – Venues
Follow the link below to view full details of all venues including maps, links to each venue’s web site
Aldborough Village Hall is at 18 miles for both 60 milers and 100 milers.
Hosts: Steve Wright & Ian Newall.
Refreshments: coffee & cake
Please do not enter the main hall area wearing cleated cycling shoes because you might damage the floor.
You will still have access to WC facilities within the building of course.
Marton-le-Moor Meeting Room at 39 miles for 60 milers and 20 miles for 40 milers
Hosts: Peter Lawley & Justin Locke.
Refreshments: sandwich, pork pie and cake
In addition to our own volunteers, local residents have also offered to assist with providing refreshments.
E-bike battery charging available for 60 milers. You must provide your own charger. Please see below for all the details.
Snape Village Institute at 52 and 73 miles for 100 milers
Hosts: Navah Langmeyer & Roger Davies
Refreshments: sandwich, pork pie and cake for lunch; afternoon tea and cake on second visit
E-bike battery charging available here. You must provide your own charger. Please see below for all the details.
Section 3 – General and Safety
E-biker Rider Support
For the first time this year we are able to provide additional support for e-bike riders who want to undertake the 60 or 100 mile rides.
Pre-ride
To alleviate any ‘range anxiety’ you can leave your charger with the registration team at the Hockey Club at the start of the event and it will be taken by one of our volunteers to either Marton-le-Moor for the 60 mile riders or Snape for the 100 mile riders. Once you arrive at either feed station you’ll be able to plug in and top-up your battery either inside or outside of the venue.
Please make sure you mark your charger clearly with your name and ride mileage so it gets to the right place for you.
Post-ride
Our volunteers will return your charger to the Hockey Club after the Snape and Marton feed stations have each closed at 14:30 ready for you to pick up on your return.
Remember
Mark your charger clearly with your name and ride mileage because failing to do that will mean our volunteers will not know where to take it so it will be left at the Hockey Club.
Start and Finish
The event will start and finish at Harrogate Hockey Club, adjacent to Harrogate High School on Ainsty Road, off Claro Road, HG1 4AP.
There is car parking space at the club, if required. We have been asked not to park in the grounds of the High School.
Free pizza awaits you at the finish, and the bar of the Hockey Club will be open to riders and supporters throughout the afternoon (payment by card only).
Groups
Each rider will have been allocated to a group, either by request or, as far as possible, on the basis of matching pace.
We are not providing group leaders so groups are more than welcome to make their own leadership/back-marking and navigational arrangements.
Should any group split, perhaps for reason of pace, please report the change at the next feed station.
Essential Equipment
- Helmet
- Basic tools, inner tubes and pump
- Drink bottle(s)
- Basic first aid kit (recommended) and mobile phone
- Lights and high visibility clothing (on days where fog or rain is forecast or where light is likely to be reduced)
Support, Safety and Etiquette
Please carry a fully charged mobile phone to which you have added the event contact numbers you can find below.
In case of an emergency (ICE) please carry with you your ICE contact’s name and phone number in an easily accessible place.
For safety reasons please make sure you report to an organiser at each feed station, and at the finish, so they can record your arrival.
If you need assistance, whether for a mechanical problem or retirement from the ride, please telephone either control or one of the support cars using the numbers on the next page.
To ensure your own safety that of other riders and road users, and pedestrians please ride within the Wheel Easy guidance provided on our website at Wheel Easy Guides
If the weather is forecast to be hot and sunny, please make sure you wear sunscreen and drink plenty of fluids throughout your ride. We have some very useful guidelines on our website at Protection from the Sun and Cycling UK offer general guidance for cycling in hot weather here.
Please Note
The routes will not be signposted so you will need to make sure you have some way of navigating (eg GPS unit and even paper maps!).
Contact Numbers and ICE
Event Contact Numbers
Please add these to your mobile phone before you ride.
Carry a fully charged mobile phone with you on the ride.
Start/Finish/Control/ICE
Mike Walsh 07486 599031
Fiona Walsh 07486 599030
Chris Bishop 07877 889730
Ride Support Volunteers
Hockey Club
Mike Walsh 07486 599031
Car Reg FE67XDG
Snape
Phil Ward 07790 493963
Car Reg YA55NCC
Please bear in mind that the ride support car may be on the road when you call.
If no one answers straightaway please leave a voice message and your call will be returned.
If you do need assistance from one of our support volunteers please make sure you and your bike are safely off the carriageway and you know how to use your mobile phone’s map to pinpoint your location
We recommend using the what3words app as used by the emergency services.
ICE (In Case of Emergency)
Whilst we hope the event will be accident free, if there is an accident then please use your normal cyclist’s common sense and, if it is serious:
- ensure someone in your group takes charge;
- ensure the casualty is safe, comfortable and kept warm;
- if required, call 999;
- manage the traffic and clear the carriageway if possible;
- call the rider’s emergency contact (ICE) and advise what has happened.
It’s also very useful if someone can make notes as to what happened (either at the time or after the event whilst it is still fresh in their mind), take photos, and take the names of group riders and any other witnesses.
Please have someone report the details to the Control/ICE number above as soon as possible, and provide an update on their return to the Hockey Club.
Before setting off, please also look at the item on our website First Aid for Cyclists
What3Words
If you don’t yet have the What3Words app to pinpoint your location should you need to call the emergency services, we recommend you download it on to your phone and acquaint yourself with how it works before the ride as it’s highly likely they will ask you for your what3words location.
