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I got the idea at a Leeds Palestinian Film Festival event - why not do a virtual ride to Gaza? Leeds to Gaza is 3431 miles, so I thought, well, 10 miles a day, if I start in January, I'll finish in December, just riding around locally. I've done long rides before - in 2015, I rode 927 miles over three months, to remember the British and Empire dead of WW1. Since 2021, each year, I have done a four or five day ride, 200 to 300 miles. In 2024, I raised money for Medical Aid for Palestinians ; I wanted to do that again - the need is so acute.
Throughout the year so far, the Gaza ceasefire has come, gone, and is now on again (09/10/25) but the Palestinians are still in a parlous situation. MAP has been able to keep on working throughout. Public awareness has increased, and I am hoping that the senseless slaughter is over.
I have a number of bikes, with eight in working order, so decided that if possible, I would use a different bike from the one I used the day before. This stops me from using my electric bike all the time - I have to pedal but it is way easier! I have pretty much stuck to this rule. Over the ride, I have used all of my bikes, along with three borrowed and one hired.
How was it? Well, I only missed 2 days of the 277 - attending A&E (not me!) and travelling. I have to say, I wasn't always super motivated to ride, but once I was on the bike, it was ok; if my legs weren't happy, I just went slowly! Sometime in April, I realised that if I inreased my daily mileage a little, I could finish on my 77th birthday, 5th October; I slipped up in my calculations and finished on 4th October, my 50th Wedding Anniversary. As you would expect from a retired maths teacher, I had a spreadsheet to record everything, and it was programmed to tell me the expected finish date. And here is a graph to show my progress.
The fundraising has gone well - I was confident that I would meet my target of £1000, and yes - it's now (9th October) £6,771.97 with Gift Aid.
I had a stall at Pudsey Carnival, which was excellent publicity and good for fundraising. I had the pleasure there of a visit from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Abigail Katung!
I publicised the ride on social media, on the local online newspaper, West Leeds Dispatch, and The Canary website, in the Yorkshire Evening Post and on BCB Radio. (There are a couple of audios of interviews on that page). The bikes always have one or more A4 sized posters about the ride:
and I have business cards printed with the ride details:
When I had a snack break, say on a towpath bench, the posters and the cards are a nice way to get the information across quickly. The bikes have mostly behaved - some punctures, lots of broken spokes and a dead motor on the ebike (but I have a spare!), and a stolen saddle on my ancient road bike! I frequently ride on the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath - it's pleasant and safer than the roads! I have had numerous 'close passes' - don't drivers know they should be 5 feet away from me if they overtake? (Highway Code, rule 163!). To reach the towpath I have to go downhill - so to get home I have to climb back up! Obviously that is easy on the ebike, but harder on the others! I have only had to walk once, pushing the ebike when it had a punctures.
Along the way I have met many well wishers, in person and on line - they have been a great encouragement!
Saskia: So nice to meet you on the canal today, such an important cause - good luck with the rest!
Eirinn and Michael: Sorry our dog licked your ankles! But at least it made us see your sign.
Javeria Bibi: Keep up the great work and your voice for those suffering.
