“NOTHING in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty,” someone once said.
And that was certainly the mantra for the 40 or so hardy souls who donned their lycra in the name of charity this weekend.
Among their ranks for the Fat Lads and Phat Lasses Whitby to Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium ride was Ali Brownlee, the BBC Tees presenter more used to being behind a mike than on a bike.
Freely admitting he had never been on two wheels for the best part of 40 years, he nevertheless accepted the near 40-mile challenge in aid of James Cook University Hospital’s Ward 14.
He was certainly not alone, for while there were plenty of keen cyclists, and a couple of former footballers in ex-Boro stars Neil Maddison and Phil Stamp, there were also those for whom cycling was something of a lost art.
ON THE UP: Neil Maddison on Lythe Bank.
While the ride out of Whitby was somewhat gentle there was a shock around the corner in the shape of Lythe Bank and its 25 per cent gradient.
After surviving this and the just as arduous Boulby Bank, Brownlee said: “You go up and down these banks in the car and you think ‘that’s easy’ but on a bike it takes forever. But when you feel like flagging there’s always someone there willing you to the top.
“There were a lot of people shouting things, some with words of encouragement, some less so, but it’s all brilliant and it’s for a great cause.”
Catching his breath, he added: “When I spoke with Neal (Bullock, event organiser) about doing this I said ‘look, I probably qualify as a Fat Lad, but not on a bike. I’ve not ridden one for 40 years. He promised that we would just go slow and get there in the end and so I said if that’s the deal I would give it a go.”
ALL SMILES: Two of the Phat Lasses take a breather.
The knowledge people were raising thousands to make seriously patients’ stay in hospital a little more bearable spurred people on and it was good to see that, despite a few minor incidents here and there, as the course levelled out towards Redcar everyone was still together.
ON THE WAY DOWN: Phil Stamp, right.
Maddison, who had taken part in a ride from London to Amsterdam the previous weekend, said events such as this were as much about the head as the body.
“When I did the ride last week, I did 85 miles in the first day and it tests you, it tests you mentally,” he said. “We have hit a few hills here and you start talking to yourself, you start thinking ‘C’mon, start pedalling, get in the low gear, make sure you hit the top of the hill’. When you get there, you can relax and go at your own pace for a bit and then pick it up again.”
The final leg to the Riverside was largely flat, but there were more than a few who were glad to see the Riverside Stadium loom into sight.
Speaking at the end, Bullock said the day had been a great success.
SETTING OFF: Ali Brownlee at Whitby.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more. At the start, I thought Lythe Bank could have finished a few riders off, me included, but if you are going to challenge yourself you need to challenge hard,” he said. “It was a real team effort today, but that’s what we are all about at the Fat Lads and Phat Lasses.
“We are a charity in waiting and I think we are just going to go from strength to strength. We have 40 people here now and next year I think you could double or treble the number of people taking part.”
To donate towards the cause visit www.gofundme.com/fatladsphatlasses. For more details on the Phat lads visit www.fatladsonbikes.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel