In the autumn of 1999 the founder of the company, Dennis Carver, came up with the idea of a marathon event, one that was physically demanding and deserving of the description ‘challenge’. He wanted to do something worthwhile to remember in his old age, which seemed to be getting ever closer with each passing day. Realising that the older he got, the less likely it was that he would be in any fit state to undertake such a challenge, he began to examine the alternatives in earnest.
He couldn't sail single-handedly around the world, he didn't have the funds or the experience. He couldn't climb the Himalaya, he didn't have the expertise or the time. What he did have were the usual trappings of anyone going into what was probably his mid-life crisis – family, full-time job, mortgage - and this limited his options. In the end he decided on what was the mother of all bike rides, Rome to the Dome (of St Paul’s Cathedral). Having arrived at this momentous decision, he thought about raising money at the same time. He realised that it might appeal to a limited number of like-minded people, and the more who came along the more money could be raised. This turned a solo, DIY effort, into an organised event involving more than 40 people, most of them cyclists, but well supported by others without whom the ride could not have taken place.
In all, the team raised more than £64,000 for the charity, Leukaemia Busters, and for many of the cyclists it was a life changing and life fulfilling event. The ride was repeated two years later, with a 10th anniversary ride taking place in 2013. Some of the cyclists have remained friends to this day, and a number regrouped to take on the 2023 challenge to help raise more than £34,000 Why not make 2024 a year to remember?
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