Born to ride, pensively prepared for pain – a sponsored bike ride.

Last Updated on February 19, 2023

Mark Schorah and Andrew Laws get saddle-sore for charity.

Mark and I are band mates in a band called ‘These Are End Times‘; I play bass and Mark plays trumpet (because he is a real musician).  Last year one of the string-flingers (guitarists) in our band (a fella called Martyn Peck) impressed us by doing a proper long stroll to raise cash for The Red Cross. 

At the end of his epic walk Mark and I met Martyn in the pub to offer congratulations (and beer).  Last year Martyn walked from The Dove Street Inn in Ipswich to Felixstowe and back again, this year he’s upping the ante somewhat by walking from Haverhill to The Nelson in Ipswich, which is a sole-destroying forty five miles!

Mark and I were so inspired by Martyn’s pluck that we decided to do something similar to raise a some cash for Red Cross.

At first our plans involved only the pub part of at the end of Martyn’ sponsored strut, but finding people to sponsor Mark and I to drink beer in a pub would be a non-starter because we often do that for free.  We soon realised that we should exploit the fact that our friends like to see us suffer, and therefore should attempt some sort of physical feat in order to encourage friends and family to pony up the dough, and that’s when we came up with….

Mark and Andrew’s bad idea bike ride

On the 3rd May 2011 at the same time in the morning that Martyn leaves Haverhill Mark and I will leave The Nelson on our bikes, we will attempt to ride to Martyn’s starting point in Haverhill, and then (and this is where the ‘blowout’ part is likely to happen) we’re going to try and ride all the way back to The Nelson in Ipswich – that’s ninety miles!

In preparation for this foolish feat I have started training on my mountain bike (to increase my saddle stamina), and Mark has prepared by fitted a brake to his single-gear racer (a bike that is older than he is).

I don’t think I need too tell you why The Red Cross needs more money than ever before, and if you sponsor this mad bike ride you will be doing a truly great thing.  Please take a moment to dontate; even tiny amounts make a huge difference to those in need.

Update – 04/05/11

We did it! Read the ride report…