Record numbers saddle up for Bikeathon

A record number of cyclists of all ages and abilities saddled up to take part in this year’s Maidenhead Rotary Club Bikeathon on Sunday 11th July.

After being cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19, this year saw nearly 250 cyclists follow three different routes – a 15-mile family route, a 35-mile medium route and a 62-mile long route for serious club cyclists.
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Event organiser, Rotarian Sean Egan, said: “We were delighted to run the Bikeathon again after its absence last year and it was great to welcome so many more families, individuals and clubs.  Today represents a significant increase in numbers and hopefully we can now get some real annual traction year on year.”
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“The Bikeathon isn’t a race but the three different routes cater for every level of cyclist whether they have just started cycling, wanted a fun family day out, or were looking for a serious challenge. It really is an event for everyone – our youngest cyclist was five years old and even a couple of toddlers took part in ride alongs towed by their parents. ”

All routes started and finished at Maidenhead Office Park in Littlewick Green. The family and the medium routes followed quiet country roads around the Walthams, Shurlock Row, Binfield and Winkfield Row, while the long route took riders over to Henley and Christmas Common, then back to Maidenhead via Sonning and Winkfield.

Staging the event is a huge undertaking for the Rotary Club, involving a small army of volunteers to signpost the routes, register entrants at the start, and man feed stations and marshal points.
Feedback from participants was resoundingly positive. One cyclist who completed the long route said: “It was fantastic - brilliantly organised and the best signposted sportive I have ever taken part in.”
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Proceeds from the event are still to be finalised but any excess will be donated to Dementia Research UK.