Bombay Bicycle Club's fundraising page

  [lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Well folks we did it!!! The Bombay Bicycle Club cycled all the way from Belmont Circle in Harrow, through London and into the heart of Paris.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]The 1st day to Newhaven was particularly challenging for the group, being the longest distance on a single trip, not to mention the infamous hills of Surrey & Sussex.  It was also the most dramatic of the 4 day trip:  Anish went over a pot hole and ended up face first in a ditch full of stinging nettles!!...luckily his face and helmet absorbed the fall!! Jigs suffered a puncture and Alpesh fell off his bike (damn clippies!) snapping the rear derailleur hanger.  The 2 spare bikes we took as back-up were both already in use!  Our trusted support guys, Harish and Manoj, did a terrific job of finding the parts and arranging for repair.  By the evening the spare bikes were placed firmly back in the van.  With 4 to 5 hours to spare before the ferry left for Dieppe, there was only one thing to do….crack open the tins![/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Day 2, sleep deprived and cold, we tuned our bikes and set-off from Dieppe at 5am.  The group rode 2 hours in the dark.  The longest 2 hours of our lives: pitch black in some parts, freezing fog/cold, tired, and unprepared.  It didn't take long for 'things' to go numb and motivation was waning. It's the support of nice people like you that kept us going. The flat cycle ride on Avenue Verte (a disused railway, fully tarmac'd) for the remainder of the 2[sup]nd[/sup] leg was a welcome relief.  Reaching our first hotel in France by early afternoon gave us time for a rest before we kicked off the evening with beer, bourbon and banter in full flow.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Day 3 started well following a good breakfast.  It wasn't long before that changed; the headwinds picked up and the heavens opened as soon as we had set-off on our bikes. We spent 6 hours cycling, climbing some mammoth hills, altogether making this one of the most challenging legs of the journey.  Arriving in Cergy soaked to the bone, we checked into our budget hotel which I can only describe as being modelled after a prison.  Saying that, we were just relieved to have hot shower, get into dry clothes and find a place to eat nearby.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Day 4 – The weather forecast had more heavy rain and winds in store for us, so we agreed to abandon our ride into Versailles and head straight to the Eiffel Tower.  Excited with the anticipation of getting there, we upped the pace and rode like the wind.  The bus lanes in Paris city centre made the journey very pleasant and safe.  Just as we pulled up to our destination with big smiles on our faces, the sun came out in all it's glory, adding to the sense of achievement and jubilation.  High 5’s all round, photo-shoot and then to the hotel to change for a night of celebrations.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]The camaraderie within the Bombay Bicycle Club was brilliant throughout and this goes down in memory as our Summer of 2014.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Personal achievement aside, the Bombay Bicycle Club is very thankful for the donation and support from each one of you. [/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]The fundraising thermometer is nearly to the top.  If anyone has not yet donated, but would like to raise the bar, we'd be very delighted to hear from you.[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]Thank you[/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;] [/span] [p] [/p][lt]p style="text-align: justify;"[gt][span=font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;]The Bombay Bicycle Club[/span] [p] [/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p][/p]