Cycle to the Moon Launch event Photo © Ben Colson
Over the Summer Ripon Together has run a cycling initiative to support sustainability objectives (health, environment) and foster interest in the recent UCI Championships. We challenged the city to cycle enough miles to reach the moon.
Cycle to the Moon Launch event Photo © Ben Colson
We launched it at the cathedral at the end of June with a reception, a photographic exhibition, static bikes, bike health checks, antique bikes and police bike tagging. We also arranged static bikes on the day of the St Wilfrid’s Procession and in schools in September leading up to the schools’ cycling event in the market place.
Cycle to the Moon Launch event Photo © Ben Colson
The event was a great success and received good coverage in the Gazette and elsewhere. A stunt team put on a great show for nearly 200 children and schools competed against each other on static bikes. The children left with photos of the stunt team and a great bag of goodies from Specsavers. The Dean, the Mayor and Abi Smith – Ripon’s GB junior cyclist – all made appearances and the kids had a great time.
Cycle to the Moon Launch event Photo © Ben Colson
The event could not have happened without financial and physical support from Ripon City Council, Specsavers, Skipton Hire Centre, Ripon Amateur Operatic Society, Danford Brewer Ives and Core Fitness and Intrim gyms. It was also supported on the day by several Ripon Together volunteers. We thank all of them, but in particular David Ingham, of Danford Brewer Ives and a Ripon Together member, who was the main driver and instigator of what was achieved.
Ripon was praised by the UCI championships organisers and the teams for the enthusiasm of its fans. We are sure the efforts of Ripon Together and the Community Poppy Project contributed to that. On the last day of the championships, the Dean announced the result of our Cycle to the Moon challenge. Residents and visitors to Ripon cycled over 260,000 miles, 12,000 miles more than we needed to reach the moon.
Cycle to the Moon Launch event Photo © Ben Colson