Grimsby Blood Cancer Charity Ride 2024
Sunday 12th May 2024
A variety of options were taken up by Cycling UK Louth members with some choosing to attend the Lincoln Grand Prix and others taking part in the Grimsby Blood Cancer Charity Ride from East Ravendale. Sven Livesey had devised a special route to celebrate his Birthday.
More on the Lincoln Grand Prix attended by Paul Linder and Alan Hockham and Sven’s ride at a future date whilst this post reflects on the Grimsby Blood Cancer 28 mile ride completed by John Rickett, Rob Cook and Tim Newbery.
Waking up to thick fog in Louth at 6 am, fortuitously skies turned sunny by 8 am for a departure from Louth’s Leisure Centre to East Ravendale. We’d been promised a fine day with temperatures of 20 Degrees Celsius (and a very warm 24 in Lincoln).
Tim arrived at Blood Cancer HQ at 09.15 with time to register as over a hundred participants gathered at the start. John was near the front on departure and disappeared with the early leaders. He would indeed go on to achieve a very respectable time of 1 hour and 50 minutes for the ride and thoroughly enjoyed the day in gorgeous weather. Rob and Tim rode at a steadier pace but all benefited from some splendid scenery as we passed through the Lincolncolshire Wolds, initially to Great Tows, the ‘Switchback’ and Binbrook. A ride full of unexpected occurrence as within a few miles there were two ‘incidents’ immediately in front of Rob and Tim.
At the halfway point just beyond Orford Bridge, free refreshments were available from a charity volunteer and it was good to take a breather. We noted that there were a number of marshals at junctions with several motorbikes patrolling the route. All seemed well organised.
At this point we were accompanied by Ty Harness (Low Carbon Louth) and continued to the ancient village of Stainton-le-Vale, the name deriving from Old Norse meaning ‘stoney’ or rocky. By the farm on a particularly potholed and ‘stoney’ bend we found a rider who had fallen very heavily. With no phone signal, between ourselves and a Blood Cancer motorcyclist an ambulance was eventually arranged. Using the ‘what3words’ app an accurate location was passed onto the emergency services and it’s good to know that this facility works even when you don’t have a mobile signal.
Onwards and upwards noting a Sustrans Millennium Marker near Claxby and this would be our highest altitude of the day at 150 m (490 FT). An ‘undulating’ route would now take us to Rothwell, Swallow and the attractive village of Hatcliffe where a chalk stream runs idyllically along the high street.
A last section along the Wanderlust Way which has a couple of cattle grids and we were back at HQ by 12.15 pm. 28 miles with about 1000 FT of climbing. Medals all round! For tea and cake however we’d depart and relocate at the Wold Newton Village Hall and managed to grab almost the last remaining slices of cake. Delicious they were too. We also had the company of Chris and Ying who had been for a bike ride. Great to have had a chat.
The Louth contingent would eventually clock up 100 km (62 miles), Tim’s longest ride of the year.
Relive 'Fly Through' video: