Starting on Saturday 29th June at 10.00am at the Ponderosa Café, in the Horseshoe Pass near Wrexham, two teddy bears will begin a journey that will take them all over mainland UK.
They will be transferred in relay style to a series of motorcycle riders. The trip will take 14 days, riding 24 hours a day and include 237 relay riders who will take the bears on a sponsored journey covering 7,861 miles. The culmination of this trip – which takes a rough figure of eight route around the UK, will be at the Squires Café Bar just off the A1 near Leeds at about 11.00am on Saturday 13th July.
This relay has become an annual event and is in its fifth year. So far over £41,000 has been raised for various charities and a total of over 20,000 miles has already been covered. It just keeps getting bigger every year.
The chosen charity this year is DocBike, the first road riding trauma Doctor on a marked response motorcycle. Their aim is to reduce rider deaths and serious injuries through education & roadside trauma care. They are a non-profit organisation.
Founded in 2014, the Relay Riders encourage everyone on a motorbike to get involved. It’s a great way for bikers to meet like-minded riders whilst raising money for a fantastic cause.
237 handovers and 7,800 miles! All of the route details can be seen by clicking here.
Over the course of two weeks at the end of June and start of July, riders will carry the mascot teddy bears in a continuous relay, riding through day and night over 15 days, with 237 handovers and covering 7,800 miles.
Those carrying the mascots have paid to do so, money which gets donated to the DocBike charity. Whilst riders who will actually carry the bears have now been assigned, support riders can still sign up, riding alongside the mascot carrier and helping to raise money by donating £10. To sign up to be a support rider,
donate your £10 here DONATE
and then register. REGISTER
How the motorcycle relay works
-
A mascot (usually a cuddly toy) is carried by volunteer motorcycle riders in order to raise funds for the DocBike charity.
-
The mascot is transferred from rider to rider at 237 handover points around the UK on a pre-set route.
-
The relay is non-stop, so different legs of the journey will take place during the day and night until the mascot completes the final leg of the relay.
-
In order to carry the mascot (& therefore guarantee that the relay will travel through their local area), riders have registered & paid a riders fee as a donation to the DocBike charity.
-
All routes are 125cc friendly.
-
Wherever possible it is policy to ensure that all Relay Riders have support riders with them on their leg of the journey to ensure everyone’s safety, and as a back-up, if the allocated carrier is unable to ride on the day for whatever reason.
-
At each handover point, the rider fills out the paperwork that accompanies the mascot, takes a few photos and (most importantly) lets a member of the Admin team know they have arrived so that we can keep everyone up-to-date on the mascot’s progress.
Anyone can sign up to help raise money for the DocBike charity and meet a great bunch of people. To take part, use the buttons below to:
Make your £10 donation DONATE
Register to take part as a support rider REGISTER
I have leg 69 on Wednesday 3rd July – this is due to leave the Texaco 24 hour filling station in Thatcham on the A4 (postcode RG18 4LQ) and travel to Jane Austen’s House Museum (postcode GU34 1SD) in Chawton (just down the road from Alton).
The luck of the draw has not been kind to me – I have 0400hrs – so it will be an early start.
Being a numpty – I have offered myself as a support rider for the *previous* leg 68 which starts at the Kings Arms in Whitchurch (postcode RG28 7AB) and this starts at 0225hrs
As the sun rises at 04:47 on the day I ride (Wednesday 3rd July) I shall stay on and follow legs 70, 71 and 72 which will see me go first to Farnham (70), then to Waterlooville (71) and finally to Ascot Racecourse (72) by about 0905hrs.
If I feel awake and brave, I will continue – which will see us at the D-Day museum at Gosport (73) by 1110hrs and Porchester Castle (74) by 1400hrs. It would at least mean a welcome lunch in Port Solent. That would have meant over 12 hours in the saddle – 14 hours in total because I still have to drive home.
Health and safety are considered – we have support riders – and there is a 20-minute break after each leg for food, drink and a leg stretch.
I have already donated in order to take part – that part was pain-free. If you choose to donate on my behalf then help yourselves by clicking here – remembering to do the gift-aid thing. DONATE
If you choose to put my name and leg number (69) into the message box then feel free – but it is not a competition and not at all mandatory - the donation is the important item! 😊
I am doing this to enjoy myself just as much as doing it for charity. If you have a bike – why not come along as a support rider?
I thank you.