Hi – we hope this seasons offering finds you and yours enjoying some outdoor rides in good weather – while carrying your waterproof jacket “just in case” 😊
News from the front –
The big news is that The Ride to the Lakes Sportive on 17 August 25 will be the final event we will be organising.
Chris and Lynn are retiring and intend to focus on our own challenges and adventures after this final big day out.
Our hope is that the rides, we have all worked so hard to establish, will continue, run either by a local charity to fundraise, or another reputable events company.
So, if you have always said, “maybe next year”, please don’t put it off any longer – get signed up and help us go out with a bang on 17 August!!
Looking back –
Running these sportives from scratch has been the hardest and at times the most rewarding thing we have ever done.
Over the last few years, we have had to deal with mountains of admin, meetings with local authorities, last minute road closures, unfriendly locals, signs being removed, Covid 19, biblical weather forecasts and actual conditions, riders going home and riding extra hills without telling us, retrieving broken bikes and riders, we could write a book.
But every event day, the very fact that people turn up from all over the country to ride and enjoy our local roads, makes all the effort behind the scenes more than worthwhile.
While being among such nice, awesome and friendly fellow bike riders and sometimes their families, is something that we will always treasure.
News from The Team –
The fact that thus far all our events have run so smoothly and been incident / accident free is mainly down to our amazing event day team.
One of the best outcomes of running these events has been the friendships everyone has built up with some old mates and some folk no one knew before.
Here are some reflections from the team –
Bex – A lovely resident gentleman brought me a cup of coffee whilst marshalling in Staveley a couple of years ago. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I don’t drink coffee as it gives me the jitters… I was bouncing around all over the village afterwards
Steve – I went to sweep up a guy on route to find he was two pints in and getting a lift home from one of the pubs on the Forest of Bowland trough route. Good pub, can’t remember the name somewhere near Slaidburn, just after the big Waddington Fell hill climb. It was a beautiful day; I didn’t blame him for quitting!!
Tim – Then there was the two guys I picked up when one of them had a mechanical and the other decided to dip out as well, after getting to the top of the Coal Road in The Yorkshire Dales. One slept all the way back. The other insisted on having the heater on full all the way home and kept complaining he was cold despite it being reasonable sunny weather.
When Steve and I did a recce of the 100+ mile Beast route. We probably hold the record for the slowest riders ever, as we spent more time in Cafes than cycling. We did two cafes en route as well as The Old School Brewery in Warton. A good day drinking with a bit of cycling in between stops.
Martin – not enough time on the front line for me to have accrued any funnies really. Although I did recover a rider last year and had to tread that fine line between having the windows open for enough fresh air to breathe, without making it too obvious that they were quite sweaty, being some 50 km in. We probably all smell like that to some degree when riding, and have I been more self-aware since that day, especially in cafes!!
Chris – Soooo many memories stand out for me, the chap on a Brompton riding The Ram in The Dales. Several couples on tandems, a 12-year-old lass riding a hard route with dad, Kendal Cycle Clubs own rising star, Henry Hunter blasting round a route in one of the fastest ever times at 15. Seeing the unstoppable 80+ year old Violet Dean at practically every event, just being part of the cycling events that me, Lynn and the team would like to enter and enjoy.
And I suppose a final source of personal satisfaction has been finally, after years of trying, finding a way of providing riders with hot drinks en route, thereby answering the only criticism / bad review we ever received. By finding portable gas fired Burco water boilers (that are no longer available!) along with brilliant people to transport them into the middle of nowhere and make brews – thanks guys.
We will be pushing the boundaries in August one last time by making our sandwiches for this last event!!
Lynn – My enduring memories of the event days have to be of driving round the various routes in the early mornings to check the signs are intact. Seeing owls, foxes, deer and cloud inversions while being out in remote places and stopping to see the sunrise on another day.
Then being back in the thick of the action at the finish line in the afternoon. To see so many happy faces and hearing from riders who entered an event further than they had ever ridden before. But they got round successfully and now have confidence to do lots more big rides. Along with folk blown away by the beautiful areas we ride all the time and probably take a bit for granted TBH.
Ben (AKA Coaches Corner) – has been studying for a Sports Science degree at Loughborough University for the last few years, while still finding time to send regular contributions to our newsletters. He has recently passed all his final exams and now has his degree as well has his existing Cycling Coaching Awards .
Congratulations Ben from all @ Top Dog Events and best wishes for your future endeavors.
Looking forward –
Rather than see all our hard work go to waste and another great sportive disappear from the calendar of events – TOP DOG EVENTS LIMITED is up for sale after 17 August 2025.
Ideally, we would like to handover an “oven ready” cycle event to someone who will keep it going and growing.
Every sign, route map new and old, risk assessment, table, gazebo, water boiler, spreadsheet, website, Hi Viz vest, event medal ect ect is included, along with Chris’s advice to help set up 1st event with new organizer.
If you have ever thought “I could do that” but not taken the first step, this is a unique opportunity for a keen cyclist, local club or charity fundraiser – to get several years ahead of the game – by not making the same mistakes we have, you just need to pick a date, or several, next season and off you go.
Thanks to everyone who has supported our various events over the years, especially all at 3-1-5 Health Club Lancaster, without whom there would have been no events.
All who have entered, ridden and marshalled, visited the website or followed on Facebook, given feedback or a good review. We love you all to be honest and hope to see you out on the road and trails, give us a wave.
NEWSLETTER No 32 – Summer 2025
