It’s not every day you will see such a sight of a quartet of not-so-small-gentlemen in full bright yellow Lycra.
That will be the case this Wednesday when friends Tom, Louis, Rory, and Nathan set off from London on an epic cycling challenge to Paris.
The University rugby teammates will be undertaking the 270 miles ride which will entail riding from London to Calais on day one, to Arras on day two, into Compiègne on day three, then a finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on day four.
For Geography student Tom it is a personal quest as his girlfriend Lizzie suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. A condition recognised but not widely understood or known about by many.
“I have mates in Uni who have come to me to ask about Cystic Fibrosis because they have heard about the name but don’t know what it is,” explained Tom. It was the same for me when I met Lizzie, my girlfriend.
“She had told me, and I had to ask her. I knew it was an issue with the lungs but nothing else. Raising awareness is really important for us.”
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It affects more than 10,800 people in the UK. One in 25 carry the faulty gene that causes it, usually without knowing.
The condition comes with challenges, affecting physical health, mental wellbeing and way of living.
Tom and his friends are determined to educate others about the role the Cystic Fibrosis Trust plays as a charity uniting people with the condition and the support, treatment and care they need.
They feel by undertaking something a bit different they can draw attention to themselves and get their message across to the public.
“We have had so many people reach out that have Cystic Fibrosis,” said Louis. There is a community of people that suffer from it that is hidden.
“People have spoken about it and have said they have family members and friends who have it and see the benefits the trust does.
“Money from the fundraising is going to be key for the trust and what they do but for us raising awareness is crucial to a condition that is lesser known.”
After deliberation, Louis came up with the idea for a Quad Tandem ride after speaking to his fireman dad Anthony who had been involved in a children’s charity event riding one in the past.
After a few calls the bike was located.
“My dad worked in the fire service for 30-odd years,” continued Louis. His mate decided to make one because they were doing a charity event for a children’s hospital in Liverpool.
“They were doing Liverpool to London, and it was made specifically for that, so I think that is why no one has ever heard of it.
“We were talking about doing something for Cystic Fibrosis as it is a personal thing for us and Tom especially and Lizzie his girlfriend who is close mates with all of us.
“We were looking for something different to do that would be memorable, so I messaged my dad to see if he still had the bike.
“We chased a trail a bit and it was in someone’s garage, and it had been hardly used. We managed to get it back and have had some work done to it by getting a new chain and sorting the brakes out.”
With the bike customised to fit the four of them, Tom explains that despite not having a cycling background and having not ridden together on the tandem yet, all four guys are ready for the challenge.
“We have been training by all going out on our normal bikes to get the fitness in.
“We are all relatively fit. We are coming towards the end of pre-season with Uni, it is just getting used to being constantly on a bike, we’re not too worried about the lungs or anything like that.
“None of us are cyclists in the slightest and we have all managed to find a bike from family or friends. We are all based in different locations and have been doing our own rides.
“It’s going to be a bit of a work in progress because with a tandem you only have two of you.
“With a four-seater and with none of us lads being particularly small we’ve ended up putting a motorbike tire on the front with a motorbike brake.
“All the chains have needed to be tightened with all the slack taken out of them because they used to come loose quite a bit of the time.
“We have got about 500kg when everyone is on it. We’re all rugby players – Louis is a prop, I’m a back but am 6ft 4, Rory is 6ft 5 and Brooksy is a big second-row and about 6ft 7.
“There has been an issue with the bike, so we haven’t been able to train together but we are going to meet two days before the ride to get used to it.”
When times are tough over the four days, the friends say they will be thinking about the bigger picture of the cause to get them through the pain barrier.
“We know it is going to be a long way and you get physically tired,” says Tom. Things will annoy you by being on the bike all day and every day.
“On day three when we are not even in Paris and the excitement and adrenaline from the start is gone, that is when the mental resilience we have will kick in.
“It will be a slog, and I think it is helpful that we’re on the same bike and going through the same thing and that will help us that we are doing it for each other.
“When we’re a bit down, Rory will come up with some awful joke that will inspire us.
“But what mostly for us will keep us going is the motivation of the cause. It will be the trigger to get back on the bike in the mornings.
“Loads of people have donated to the trust. Also, for me, thinking about my girlfriend and people like her who have real life-long struggles our four days are nothing in comparison.
“We want to finish along the Champs-Élysées and almost do a tourist-style bike ride past the Eiffel Tower.
“Hopefully, we can catch the eye of the media and tourists with four big blokes in bright yellow on a 12-foot bright yellow bike and they’ll ask us what it’s all about.”
If you would like to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, click here to access the guys justgiving page.
[Lead image: Tom Allen]
