Thanks to everyone to entered the Red Kite Ride on Sunday 4th September.  We had a record number of entrants and it looks like we have raised round £9000 for Wheels for All.

The final list of finishing times is here.

The date for next year’s ride has provisionally been set for Sunday 3rd September 2017

Photos
Photos of this year’s event are available from SportivePhoto.

Raffle
The raffle prizes were won by

Go Pro Tony Richardson
Apple Watch Gemma Bowler
London Marriott overnight stay Mark Smith
Saddle Safari £100 Voucher  Adelino Rodrigues
Drummond £75 Voucher Chris Zaremba
Wiggle £50 Voucher  Vikki Webber
Red Kite 2017 free entry Graham Walter
Red Kite 2017 free entry Mike Molloy
SIS Tablets Andy Smith
10 Inner Tubes Vikki Webber

Post-event massage from Drummond Clinic
The friendly massage team from Drummond will be based in the main event site and offer a massage for just £10, with all proceeds going to the event charity, Wheels for All.

Based in Maidenhead, Drummond is a leading clinic focusing their skill set around preventing injury, preparing the body for the large training loads imposed across sport with the ultimate aim of increasing the performance levels of each individual that we see. In the unfortunate occurrence of an injury their clinical team are perfectly posed to rehabilitate each individual back to full fitness.

Come and meet the team at the Marlow Red Kite Ride, or if you are in need of immediate rehabilitative or preventative care visit the clinic in Maidenhead.  www.drummondclinic.co.uk

Red Kite Ride

The Red Kite Ride is a cycling sportive in the Thames Valley and Chilterns which has so far raised £25,000 for worthwhile charitable causes in the four years in which it has run.  In that time the event has also received some great feedback and you can read a lot of the comments on the Cyclosport web site.

We have three routes: 50, 80 and 100 miles with this year’s 100 mile route vastly altered to make it more challenging. 

We do not expect you to raise sponsorship, though you may choose to do so either for “Wheels for All” – our chosen charity for 2016 – or for your own preferred charity. If you would like to give an extra donation to “Wheels for All” there is an opportunity to do so when you enter.  This has the added advantage that the charity can claim a tax refund using the ‘give as you earn’ scheme.

The main features of the Red Kite Ride include:

• Three great routes
• Well stocked feed stations approximately 25 miles apart
• Full electronic timing
• Free parking nearby
• Opportunity to relax and recover at Marlow Sports Club after the event
• Routes available for GPS systems
• All proceeds go to charity

The Red Kite Ride is run and hosted by Marlow Riders, a local cycling club that was formed in 2012.  We aim to offer a friendly and challenging event to a wide range of cyclists.

In 2016 we will be raising money for Wheels For All.  Wheels for All is a national programme that embraces all children and adults with disabilities and differing needs, to engage in a quality cycling activity. Using custom built bikes, trikes and tandems, specially adapted cycles, Wheels for All run activities that are both physically and mentally stimulating and above all fun for everyone involved.  This year Wheels for All plan to open a new centre in Bisham, just over the river from Marlow.

All rides start and finish in Marlow, close to the River Thames to the west of London and convenient for the M4 and M40.

The sportive is not a race. It is a personal challenge to complete the course and to do the best you can. Riders are required to wear a helmet and should follow the Highway Code at all times.

We will send a full briefing pack to all entrants by email about one week before the event

Routes

The Red Kite Ride has three routes to suit all types of riders.  There are 50 mile, 80 mile and 100 miles.   Whichever route you choose you will be cycling through some of the most picturesque parts of the Chilterns. This is the land of “Midsomer Murders”, “The Vicar of Dibley” and countless TV commercials. But it is also great cycling territory.

Each route is fully sign-posted, so that no map-reading is required.

We will have three feed stations roughly 25 miles apart which will be well stocked with suitable cycling food, water and energy drinks.

Weather conditions allowing, the ford at Twyford is incorporated into all three routes for 2016. When we used it in 2013 it provided a great talking point in the post-ride discussions! Happily, the course organisers have now found a more suitable alternative route in the event that the ford is unusable. Be assured that the ford will only be used if the water depth is less than 30cm!

GPX files for the routes can be downloaded from each route route page, but we recommend to wait until just before the event before doing so as the routes may change.

Start times

The start for each route is open for a set period, and riders can start at any time during that period. For safety we allow riders to start in groups roughly 2 minutes apart.

• 100 miles:   3 feed stations.   Start times: 7:30 to 8:30
• 80 miles:     2 feed stations.   Start times: 8:00 to 9:30
• 50 miles:     1 feed station.     Start times: 8:30 to 10:00

Entry Fee

The entry fee is £30 including booking fee. The fee includes car parking, a free hot drink before starting, three fully signposted routes, marshalling, electronic timing, and three feed stations roughly 25 miles apart, stocked with food and drinks suitable for cycling.

All proceeds from the event after running costs will go to Wheels for All.

Location

All rides start and finish at our base at Marlow Sports Club, close to the banks of the River Thames.  Free car parking will be provided a short ride away.

Following the ride you are welcome to stay to enjoy entertainment provided by radio station Marlow FM. We will also have a barbecue and a bar selling tea, coffee soft drinks and beer from Marlow’s local Rebellion brewery.

More details of the location are on the Location page