Congratulations to vet Ian Killian, who completed the Manchester to London Bike Ride In A Day this month, in aid of the charity Ambitious About Autism.
2 years ago, Ian Killian, one of our senior vets, completed the Lands End to John O’Groats bike ride, in aid of charity. This time, he’s been on a single day challenge, cycling 220 miles in a single day!
Here’s is Ian’s account of the day:
I just thought that I would update you all on the outcome of the endurance bike ride from Manchester to London which I participated in on Sunday. I completed the 220 miles (355km) in a total of 16h 15mins including some leisurely stops for food, with an actual pedalling time 13h 50mins at an average speed of 16mph.
I was lucky enough to team up with 3 other riders of similar ability to me shortly after the start, at 6am, and we rode the rest of the way together, to finish in the dark at the Olympic Park Velodrome at 10.15pm. Having company on long rides like this does definitely help the time pass more quickly. The time just seemed to fly by. Luckily I didn’t have any major problems and was able to ride steadily to the end.
The event was very well organised with 4 food stops along the way. The variety of food was just what was needed for an endurance event, including sausage rolls, pies, jacket potatoes, sandwiches as well as multiple other sweet and savoury treats.
The weather was kind to us, dry all the way but a bit warm in the early afternoon. There was a brisk head wind all the way which did slow us down but also helped to keep us cool during the heat of the day. One of my companions was unfortunate enough to acquire 2 punctures on route resulting in a couple of enforced stops while they were repaired. Extra stops to top up empty water bottles were also needed during the heat of the day.
There were a total of 152 nutters attempting the challenge, about 15 of which were only doing the shorter 80 mile route. On the eve of the event the charity, Ambitious About Autism, was on target with their fund raising goal having already raised almost £200k and they were expecting a further surge in income over the next few weeks as potential sponsors donated to riders upon completion of the event.
I just want to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to everyone for your support and sponsorship. I really do appreciate everybody’s generosity and I’m sure that Ambitious About Autism are truly grateful and will put it to very good use.
My Virgin Money Giving page will remain open for a few more weeks if anyone would still like to make a donation. Once I have closed the fundraising page I will post an update on the final figure raised.
Here is the link to my Virgin Money page:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund…/showROFundraiserPage…
Thank you again.
Ian Killian
Please do call us on 01435 864422 for more info – or of course if you need advice, or help with your pet’s health.
