Freedom Benefit Bike Ride

THE FREEDOM BENEFIT BIKE RIDE HAS TAKEN PLACE - HOWEVER WE WILL BE COLLECTING DONATIONS UNTIL THE END OF MARCH SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO GIVE GENEROUSLY!

Freedom - you can't burn an idea....

In the early hours of Friday the 1st February, the bookshop of Freedom Press, home to the oldest anarchist publishing house in the UK, was firebombed.

Someone bright spark at Now or Never! Drinking Club suggested that the best way to show support and help raise money for the repairs would be a sponsored 40 mile cycle ride, and given that everyone else there was too incoherant to put up any sort of protest to this clearly ludicrous proposition, here we are.

So on Saturday March 16th we'll be cycling from Norwich to Reedham, then back again. If for some bizarre reason you'd like to join us, please do.

How to get involved...

Anyone is welcome to join the cycle ride and help collect sponsorship money, please just come along on the day . We'll be leaving Norwich from the Trowse/County Hall roundabout on 16/03/13 at 8.00am (the time may change slightly on the day, please check this page on the morning and if in doubt ring 07528 655941 before heading off) and heading to the Lord Nelson pub in Reedham and after liquid refreshments, back to Norwich. There's a train-station in Reedham, so anyone who finds they can't manage the full route can sneak off shame faced half way through instead of cycling back.

Bike Route Part 1
File Size:	3342 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Bike Route Part 2
File Size:	930 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Sponsorship and donations...

You can join our GoFundMe sponsorship page; please contact us so we can add your name to the list of participants. Feel free to share it online as your own personal sponsorship page. And even if you don't want to join in on the day, please share it and this page and help us raise us much money as possible!

If you'd prefer to do things the old skool way you can also download a sponsorship form.

Sponsorship Form
File Size:	18 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

You can ask people to come to this page and sponsor you by donating directly to the campaign.

This will not go well...

The last time Now or Never! attempted a similar event, one idiot took it upon himself to only furnish himself with a packet of Galaxy Minstrels and beer for sustenance and had to be driven home after having a little bit of a cry. With that in mind, if you'd like to take part, please read the following helpful hints that a proper grown-up kindly wrote for us.

Guidelines for riders

Careful now....

We all get complacent & stuck in bad habits – just look at car drivers! - so do have a
glance over the following points;

• Good bike set up is crucial, as small niggles can become more of an injury when
doing longer distances than you're used to. Here's a useful page on bike set up.
A couple of obvious things: inflate your tyres to the correct level and make sure your brakes are in good order.

• Nutrition & hydration are key. Bananas are the thing to take on the day, their low
glycaemic index means they release their energy slowly; avoid cereal bars & sports
drinks, they're full of sugar giving an initial hit, followed by feeling worse than before.
Bring lots of water – and drink it! Refill on route from friendly hostelries. This will help
reduce tiredness dramatically.

• Gear - Padded cycle shorts avoid soreness in those delicate regions. Wear a helmet,
it can save you a lot of grief (I know from experience).

• Going the Distance 1: In the Beginning there was Rhythm! Rather than putting in
spurts of effort, then dawdling, try to establish a comfortable rhythm, you'll eat up the
miles, Norfolk's flat fields are ideal for this. Don't forget to take the odd stop during
the route though.

• Going the Distance 2: Keep changing - use your gears to the full and in general, ride
one gear lower than you normally would pottering round town. All those extra
revolutions make the exercise more aerobic, meaning less stiffness & soreness later.

• Going the Distance 3: Road repairs & other bumps – don't just take the knocks! If
you stand slightly in the pedals, you avoid the repetitive jarring which adds up over
the journey.

• Going the Distance 4: Change your hand and body position frequently. That will
change the angle of your back, neck, and arms, so that different muscles are stressed
and pressure is put on different nerves.

• Going the Distance 5: Check your Six! As every fighter pilot knows, your tail is your
most vulnerable quarter, so when attempting any sort of manoeuvre, always look
back.

• Check list of stuff to take: phone, pump, repair kit, multi-tool, map, food, water,
extra layer to keep warm in breaks, waterproof if showery.

• Finally, enjoy the ride!

Buy issue 21 of Now or Never!