Graham Liver's Sport Relief

 

This isn’t the first huge challenge that Graham has completed with our help, back in 2010 we organised, rode along with and supported Graham and John as they completed the widely publicised Children in Need Tower to Tower ride.

 

 

This ride started at the Eiffel Tower and finished a week later at Blackpool Tower, even Pudsey Bear came along for the ride! Although that challenge was on a normal road bike, not a tandem!

 

Planning the Route

Riding a tandem is a challenge on its own, so when planning the route we need to bear in mind how suitable and wide the cycle paths are, as well as ensuring we have all the tools and spares required to carry out maintenance. Each day will see a different ‘Star’ ride along with Graham, and will help him tackle the day’s miles in style. Graham will be presenting his daily Breakfast Show, from 6am-9am at the various stops on route, to keep all of his listeners up to date with his progress along the ride. North West Tonight will also be meeting up with the riders and crew to film along the route at certain points too, to keep viewers updated on the progress of their favourite evening news presenters!

 

 

Supporting the Ride

 
Along with planning the route that Graham and the gang will be taking, we also have our very own Director Mark Sandamas (shown right) riding along all week. A cyclist since he was in his teens, Mark has covered most of the country on his bike and brings this vast experience and knowledge of suitable routes to ride to plan this. Mark has taken part in numerous long distance cycle events and tours, including twice completing the single-day 150 mile Tour of Flanders sportive. He rode with Graham and John all the way in 2010 when we organised the Children in Need Tower to Tower ride, and for Radio Lincolnshire with their Neustadt to Lincoln Children in Need ride in 2011.

 

Running the support operation is one of the most experienced Support Crew Mick Cowgill driving our Company van. A core part of the Tower to Tower ride, this time too his role is much more than just driving; Mick will be acting as mechanic, technician, motivator, assistant to the cameraman as well as sound engineer and attending to all the little things necessary to keep the show on the road. Mick will also jump ahead of the riders and ensure that the route ahead is clear and safe. Our van will not only carry all tools and spares that may be required to keep the bikes happy, but will carry all refreshments and equipment for the riders, keeping the riders both  fed, watered, warm and dry, and the pedals spinning!

 

Whilst multi - day cross country rides can be challenging, to both organise and ride, this is something that we thrive on and we are excited to be part it.
 
Anyone can sponsor Graham by visiting his Just Giving website:
http://my.sportrelief.com/sponsor/prestonpedal

EEven though this is our first event in aid of Sport Relief, this is added to a long line of charitable events which we are involved with. 
 

 

Other Charitable Events

IIn 2010 we rode along with and supported Graham Liver and the BBC as they completed their massive task or riding from the Eiffel Tower to Blackpool Tower, in aid of Children in Need. We completed a similar ride in 2011, again in aid of Children in Need, with the crew from Radio Lincolnshire, who bravely rode 600 miles all the way from Neustadt in Germany to Lincoln!
 
2011 saw us complete our first Midnight Bike Ride. This was from Manchester to Blackpool and happily the rainy late night & early morning wasn’t enough to put people off taking part. There was no shortage of hi-viz clad riders taking part and raising money for the British Heart Foundations Mending Broken Hearts appeal. The BBC’s very own Graham Liver, who is a regular at many of our charity events, came along and got involved, without a bike this time, to take his place with a microphone in hand to become the start and finish commentator, in typical Graham style! The ride was such a big success that not only will we be organising it again this September, but we are also taking on the huge London to Brighton route in May, again through the night and on behalf of British Heart Foundation’s Mending Broken Hearts appeal.
 
2012 is the 3rd consecutive year that we have organised the Beach to Beach bike ride, on behalf of Asthma UK. This event sees riders start from AFC Bournemouth, have an overnight camp at Meon Springs, then on to the finish at Brighton Promenade. Yes, we did say overnight camp, and arranging tents, showers and other provisions for over 250 riders and staff is interesting....the only thing we can’t do just yet is guarantee the sunshine, although we are looking forward to sleeping under the stars!

 

Our Other Events

 
HHere at Pennine Events it is not only cycling events that we are involved with. 2010 and 2011 saw us involved with the Bradford Half Marathon & City Run, which we organised on behalf of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Hundreds of runners took to the roads of Bradford and enjoyed taking part in a mass event with the experience of running on fully closed roads.

Our annual Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool bike ride is our longest running event-with this year being its 19th year. We are expected over 2,800 riders to take part in this unique experience of riding for nearly 3 miles underneath the River Mersey and through the Birkenhead Tunnel. Don’t worry though, the Birkenhead Tunnel will be closed to all other traffic for the duration of the event. Claire House Children’s Hospice has been the official event charity for 2 years this year, and last year our wonderful riders raised over £20,000 for Claire House.

 
The Scottish Bike Show Sportive is brand new event this year. This ride has two routes for riders to choose from, a 100mile and a 65mile ride. Whilst enjoying the stunning scenery that Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond has to offer, riders can also raise money for Prostate Cancer.

 
Scottland’s biggest bike ride, Pedal for Scotland, is the largest event that we currently organise, and this will be the 5th year that we are involved with this ride. With Maggies being the official event charity for the 2nd year, we are all looking forward to welcoming over 9,000 riders to the start line in September, to ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

Every event that we are involved with, whether its old or new, large or small, comes with its own challenges. Here at Pennine Events we are fortunate to have a wealth of staff that have vast knowledge and experience in all different aspects of Event Management, which enables us to deliver highly successful and memorable events nationwide.