A 4.5km road track is just one of the projects being discussed by the organisers of this year’s Marlow Red Kite Ride.
This is the third year of the Chilterns based sportive being held this time on Sunday August 31, and organisers report swift business with half the 600 places in the restricted entry field having been taken.
Less than four years since the Marlow Riders started they have already attracted 150 members, are organising their third sportive, and are now setting their sights even higher.
“I remember when we fist started we might have three people turn up on a Saturday morning. Now we have so many members we can get 70 riders out on a Saturday morning,” says Rod Woodland, chair of riders’ management.
“We never imagined that we would grow so quickly. We even have 35 nominated volunteer navigators.”
Woodland, a former runner with the Marlow Striders club, has been the driving force behind the Riders’ quick growth but he says that is as much to do with the ethos of the Riders, which differs from more competitive clubs in the area.
“Our ethos is ‘cycling for all’. This came about because all of the clubs around us have that competitive edge and we wanted to offer a little more. We wanted to offer local people the opportunity to just come along and enjoy their cycling whatever their ability,” he adds.
“So everyone can choose their own ability group and we have developed a big cat theme dependant upon that ability – everything from pussy cats and lions up to the cheetahs. It works for us very well and means that we can split ourselves up into small groups.”
The club is based at the Marlow Sports Club, a multi sports charitable organisation on the banks of the river Thames providing facilities for cricket, tennis, hockey as well as a running and cycling club.
Riders’ near term goal is next to open a mountain biking section but the longer term vision is to build a 4.5km road track on land recently purchased by the trustees of Marlow Sports Club. The track would be open to all of the community to use and for expert coaching.
The idea is the brainchild of former Olympic bronze medallist Willi Moore, founder member of Marlow Riders and course director for the Marlow Red Kite Ride:
"If it does turn out that we are able to build a 4.5km road loop this would make it extremely attractive to both race organisers and racing cyclists alike. I am not aware of a longer off-road road circuit in the country and it means better racing as the prospect of riders being lapped is very much reduced."
No plans have yet been drawn up as Riders’ management talk to interested parties. But the trustees of Marlow Sports Club are keen for this additional plot of land to be used for recreational activities.
Woodland added: “This is still very early in the process but the Trustees have invited us to make some proposals around this idea. It’s very exciting for us.”
This year’s Red Kite Ride again falls a week after the Bank Holiday Weekend and the organisers are keen to ensure that the experience for everyone will be memorable.
“This event is run by riders for riders” says Event Director Steve Tolmie.
“We’ve decided to have a year of consolidation following the success of the event so far. Numbers will again be restricted to 600. So don’t delay in entering or risk disappointment.
“We’d like to attract more families to come to our area for a short break or weekend and ride the Red Kite Ride. It’s a great area to visit. We’re also working hard to develop the attractions after the event as an additional incentive for participants to bring along their families.”
Entrance fee is again £25 and the Red Kite Ride has three route options: 50, 80 and 100 miles and all three will ride through the rolling Chilterns into Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The three routes include the long, but undulating, climb out of Marlow up to Christmas Common, as well as the option to ride the ford, a 40 foot long crossing of the river Loddon near the Berkshire village of Twyford – a popular feature introduced last year.
The 2013 event raised £8,000 for three local charities. This year the Red Kite Ride will be supporting a cycling related charity cyclists fighting cancer, who give bikes, adapted tricycles and equipment to children and young people across the UK whose lives have been affected by cancer.
