You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
. he will attempt to complete the route on an iconic, BBC Children in Need customised and modified, Raleigh Chopper bike.
300 miles over 5 days. OMGiddy aunt.
Sounds like a nice pr stunt. I’m sure with many support vehicles and crew it won’t be that hard.
Im sure there will be lots of stories about how he suffered and the ordeal of it to make telly clips.
Call me cynical
Sixty miles a day for five days on a bike designed for the job is a pretty big ask for most people who don't ride a lot
But to then do it on a raleigh chopper?
Even with a proper saddle and 'modified handlebars' which are really just the handlebars from the latest chopper its not going to be a breeze.
Will raise loads of money though, to the average UK citizen it's a huge undertaking so will raise a wad of cash..
I don't care about the stunt, I really can't bear to watch him.
Why do you think he doesn't ride a lot?
At the very least he's been training for it as he's using the saddle he trained with.
He's obviously generally a fit bloke, probably in the gym 5 times a week.
60 miles day, ride 7 hours a day. Average 8.5mph. It's hardly the Roubaix.
Well that's poured the usual load of piss and misery over it 8-(
Hope he makes a pile of cash for charity. Good on him.
It’s hardly the Roubaix.
I don't think anyone including him is claiming it is. He's doing a physical challenge to raise money for charity. Obviously the challenge is laughable to the STW cycling gods, but to the public (and me AIH) it seems quite tough. The novel bike and publicity will probably help fill the charity buckets. He's not my cup of tea as a TV 'personality' but good on him for doing this. If he gets a side benefit of raising his profile a bit, I don't begrudge him that.
some right miseries on here, jessus wept
Hope he makes a pile of cash for charity.
Im sure it will. I just don’t need to get wrapped in the sensationalism surrounding it. I’m sure he has been training for it all summer. It’s not like he is going to turn up on day one and go what’s this about.
Instead of moaning .... Join up with his ride and do a stint on the front for him.
I’m sure he has been training for it all summer. It’s not like he is going to turn up on day one and go what’s this about.
Yeah, training for a charity event to make sure you complete it, imagine that? What a charlatan. FFS this place.
Some folk on here need to give their heads a wobble.
60 miles for one day isn't a lot. Over 5 consecutive days on a ridiculous bike, to my mind, it's quite a lot.
I think I'm negative and a drain to be around, turns out I'm an amateur at the whole fun sponge thing.
What's the opposite of virtue signalling?
Rather spend 5 days riding with Paddy McGuinness than some of the riding heroes on here.
I'm not being negative.
FWIW I find him quite entertaining and I love Phoenix Nights.
However, he's always been a bit of an athlete, think he played football at a decent level and he obviously trains regularly.
Just don't think it's a massive challenge for him.
They had much tougher cycling stuff for Children in Need previously.
Just don’t think it’s a massive challenge for him
Surely it's just to provide some entertainment in exchange for monies.
Up until this thread I rather thought that was the point, not to attempt to set new records or anything like that.
I will only donate for every mile done no handed
Hands up, for someone who tries to craft his words correctly, I got that one wrong. It's a good stunt for a worthwhile cause, but I just wish McGuinness wasn't the protagonist; I think he could walk across water or turn the water into wine, charm birds from the trees and manage to England to World Cup victory, but he'd grind my gears in doing so.
I was surprised that it was over 5 days, initially I thought it was going to be all in one go, which imho would be on a par with last years challenge where Vernon Kay ran 116 miles over 4 days.
See exactly the same arguments we had when that lass did similar last year
My tuppence worth..
As a fit cyclist, to me 60 Miles is a piece of piss. Do it 5 times on the trot and you'll probably feel it a bit
Do it on a Raleigh chopper...screw that..I'd struggle for sure
It may not be a challenge on the scale of climbing k2 in flip-flops, but it's more of a feat than the usual donation requests I get for a 'charity abseil', or similar nonsense
If you are going to pass the hat round for money, then it should be a major challenge for an individual.
it’s for a charity that helps underprivileged children. It’s hardly begging, it’s raising money for charity by doing something entertaining you miseryguts.
im interested to see how a bloke that tall gets on riding a bike with a 20” back wheel.
For the love of God. If you are in a hole stop digging, FFS.
It will indeed be a challenge. It's in November, probably lashing with rain, high winds and cold. The latter part of the route seems a tad hilly.
Like him or not this is going to be entertaining and raises lots of money.
If the route passes near by, I shall wheel out the tandem with NBT (pilot) and support Paddy by riding alongside (or at the front or at the back).
The fact that we rely on food banks and charity to support frontline services is disgusting.
True, but that's not what this thread is about. It's about someone doing something practical here and now to help kids, and getting slagged off for it. Because he's not doing it on a unicycle or in a diver's suit or something. It comes across as petty and mean spirited.
Molly what's er name did something similar for Comic Relief. Roughly the same distance on a proper bike.
I reckon (see, I'm scientific me) it's an equivalent challenge for the 1 joke wonder and their fitness starting points.
It’s about someone doing something practical here and now to help kids, and getting slagged off for it. Because he’s not doing it on a unicycle or in a diver’s suit or something.
He's doing the cycling equivalent of that, but some people seem to be ignoring that bit of information.
I just wish McGuinness wasn’t the protagonist;
The reason Paddy is the 'chosen one' is because he's a newbe at radio 2. Every year the 'newbe' is put forward to do some charitable event for BBC 'Children in Need'. For example Sara Cox dancing for 24 hours, Owain Wynn Evans playing the drums for 24 hours, Vernon Kaye running 115 miles etc.
He’s doing the cycling equivalent of that, but plenty of people seem to be ignoring that bit of information.
Because they could do it between an Iron man and an ultra marathon on a Barbie balance bike.
This place truly brings out the best and the worst in people.
Mods, can you please remove all the miserable curmudgeon posts in this thread. Some people are just so miserable they can't help but try and bring everyone down to their level.
Good on him for raising many thousands for kids. Any of you miserable bastards raising thousands for kids? No, I didn''t think so.
Christ, this place.
He actually rides a mountain bike quite a bit and can be found up Rivvy.
Probably puts him miles ahead in cycling terms than most people posting on this thread.
60 miles a day for 5 days, on a Chopper, that's hard. There is not a single person on this forum that could do that with ease, and if you think you can, prove it. Jeez, some people.
They do but should be provided by the state but that’s another rabbit hole altogether………
This I’m inclined to agree with
Anyone up for jumping him?
A la tour de france
bikesandbootsFull Member
Anyone up for jumping him?A la tour de france
like.
That would be spectacular. I propose Jedi.
I'll do it.
I mean, I can't jump at all but. It is for charity.
Anyone up for jumping him?
Does he go down any canal towpaths?
I thought he was quite a keen mountain biker.
A guy did John O Groats to Lands End on a chopper in 15 days. Unsupported I think.
http://jogleonachopper.blogspot.com/2010/05/
I would struggle with it as I only tend to ride 10-20 miles 3 or 4 times a week so repeated 60 would be harder. I suppose the difference is that I am going at a good speed whereas if I have all day and could ride at say 12mph then I guess I could actually do it a lot more easily that I think?
I don’t care about the stunt, I really can’t bear to watch him.
Then don't. It's entirely optional.
A guy did John O Groats to Lands End on a chopper
I know of a couple of lads that did it on BMXs! Can't even sit down on them!
The fundraising team at Children in Need must be really excited that there’s so many people here willing to give up days of their time to raise money for them and who want to do even higher profile / more impressive stunts too.
I like Paddy
And good on him
a chopper with diddy wheels will be some effort..
I really hope he training hard ... on pulling a massive long wheelie over the the finish line.
Proving he really is just a townie, ned, oik made good ... and there is nothing wrong in that !!
A guy did John O Groats to Lands End on a chopper in 15 days.
Looking at the stats on his page he says he did 892 miles in the 15 days which works out at just over 59 miles a day...
When you stop thinking about the daily or overall mileage and really consider the bike he's chosen, it really is quite a challenge, I think the key part of any long distance ride is comfort and efficiency, and a chopper is neither of those things, even if he's changed the saddle. I'd not like to ride half that daily mileage on a bike designed for kids with not nearly enough gear range or proper wheel size. He'll be doing an average of what? Maybe 8-9 mph if he's lucky, that's seven or eight hours a day cramped up on a stupid kid's bike over that geography in November?...No thanks.
I don't think the bike choice is as bad as some are making out. Look at the picture above of the man who did the 900 miles, that saddle is pretty high (much higher than would normally be seen on a Chopper), the bars are higher than the saddle and the reach looks long too so not a case of being cramped onto a kids bike is it - after all he is hardly riding a Budgie is he!
I would happily ride it as a bike - it even has gears and a freewheel.
I consider myself to do a fair amount of cycling, and in 2023 to fundraise for a pumptrack completed the Cumbrian Cracker on a Raleigh Shopper.
I had to walk red bank as the gearing wasn't low enough, but managed to ride everything else, it was about 60 miles and a similar unsuitable tool for the job.
It was bloody hard work, good luck to Paddy, I hope he raises more than the £5k i managed.
@jwt that's impressive, nice one. I very much like the SIS bottle perched neatly in your front cage.
@jwt = I would rather ride a modified Chopper than that shopper.
My sister had one when I was a kid and it weighed about the same as a Land Rover.
Worst, most overpriced bike ever.
There is not a single person on this forum that could do that with ease
I know of several folk on this forum that would do it easily.
This, charity should be for nice-to-haves not essentials.
This, charity should be for nice-to-haves not essentials.
I have a lot of sympathy for that argument, although it suggests it’s a simple black and white line to define when it is not. But, take an example, the RNLI provide an “essential” service - they are a charity and proudly independent of government. They don’t want to be tax payer funded and a political pawn so choose not to go down that route. Every charity is likely funding some element of their area of work that others would either say is not essential or would cost more to deliver through a state provided model.
regardless of who should be funding services, if the reality is nobody else is, then you have a choice stand by and complain hoping government increases taxation to do the essential work or step in and do something yourself.
arguing on a bike forum against celebrities supporting charity because the state should be doing the task the charity does and taxing everyone more is just an excuse to aswage your own guilt for not doing more, or the usual “increase taxes” rhetoric when what you mean is “increase taxes on everyone else”.
Anyone up for jumping him?
Why? Do you think he's got the charity cash on him?
Probably got security and a support crew handy. 🙂
ust an excuse to aswage your own guilt for not doing more, or the usual “increase taxes” rhetoric when what you mean is “increase taxes on everyone else”.
Similar to Muppets who say "charity begins at home". What they actually mean, is it ends "at home".
I know of a couple of lads that did it on BMXs! Can’t even sit down on them!
My brother did the Kidderminster killer (200km + audax) on a BMX many years ago, he put a massive long seat post on it & also mudguards to comply with audax rules 🙂
Mountain Rescue would be another, example, perhaps even more relevant to most readers of this forum
I don't think they specialise in STW-related injuries
I'm not sure RNLI, Mountain Rescue, Air Ambulance etc are that keen on being a charity, but I can see there are advantages to not being subject to the whims of government.
They don’t want to be tax payer funded and a political pawn so choose not to go down that route.
RNLI are a very well funded charity, which is probably their biggest reason for not wanting to be tax payer funded. For which you can hardly blame them.
RNLI definitely wants to be an independent charity.
It allows it to exist in grey area regarding qualifications and regulations. It's allowed to write it's own rulebook to avoid having to follow the requirements of the MCA.
However, it could not function without be completely embedded in the Government organisations.
It does have some issues, can be incredibly slow to change and is quite inefficient but they do manage to do the job.
Regarding charity, my company gives an annual donations to the local food bank.
I wish I didn't have to but due to the last few years of austerity I think it's necessary.
Sadly the use of slebs to encourage the general public to dig deep into their pockets, is the only way that some public will donate.
I suppose it's the same when a favourite sleb endorses a certain product, then their fans go out and buy.
Paddy Mcguiness does have 3 autistic children, so he's used to doing things for charity and raising awareness.
So Globuchul - why do you think "Children in Need" is that different? They get to define their own rules for distributing support - not driven by politics, linking to benefits etc. Much of their delivery is linked to government organisations and other charities or voluntary groups. Yes some of their work probably shouldn't be needed because its shoring up gaps in state provision but a big chunk of what they support is stuff that even in the most socialy generous countries probably wouldn't be provided by the state. I suspect 100 years ago a lot of what they do would have been covered by churches - but as we become increasingly secular the "media" has replaced the church and so "media charity" seems an appropriate solution...
I don't have a problem with Children in Need!
Where did I say that?
My original point was that the challenge isn't going to be that much of challenge compared to what has been done before.
If Paddy Mc was a riding an unmodified Chopper it would be an almost impossible task and would probably cause some serious chronic injuries if it was completed.
As it is, he will be riding a relatively heavy bike with reasonable geometry, which is fair enough, I don't think anyone should wreck their back/knees/hips etc doing something like this. He will also have proper brakes and a decent saddle.
My point about charity still stands, if they could the Tories would have us like the US in a heartbeat, everything privatised and lots of stuff being provided by philanthropist's, so we can all tug our forelocks to our kind and generous overlords.
If he's riding a chopper modified or not, he should be made to ride wearing platform shoes and 9-button high-waisters with huge flares; as archaeological evidence of the 1970's seems to suggest.
Sadly the use of slebs to encourage the general public to dig deep into their pockets, is the only way that some public will donate.
Strange but true. Personally I run the other way or turn it off at the mention of celebs as I assume there is something in it for them.
on another note the air ambulance service do receive substantial donations from the NHS ever year