Bike for Bobby Cycle Challenge Success

Cycle enthusiasts from around the North East joined together at the weekend to complete a cycle challenge in memory of Bobby Robson. Bike for Bobby takes place every year, and involves cycling a route of 40, 70, or 125 miles. The event starts and ends at St James’ Park, and takes riders up towards the Scottish Borders.

This year, Winn Solicitors sponsored this exciting event, and three brave members of Winns staff also took on the cycling challenge – Mick Davis, Michael Kealy and John Nesbitt. A total of 326 people cycled in one of the three distance categories.

The Bike for Bobby event began in 2012, after Robbie Elliott and Phil Gray decided to take on an epic 3500 mile bike ride, visiting all of the clubs that Sir Bobby Robson managed during his career. The duo raised thousands of pounds for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Breakthrough Breast Cancer over the course of their journey, which took 25 days, and ended by crossing the Tyne Bridge into Newcastle. An impressive 250 riders joined Phil and Robbie for the final 33 miles of their journey back into Newcastle.

Due to the high turnout on their last leg, and the impressive amount of money raised for charity, Robbie and Phil decided to make the event and annual occasion, and so, Bike for Bobby was born.

We caught up with Winn Solicitors employees Mick and John after they completed this year’s 70-mile route. Despite tough weather conditions, the keen cyclists were up-beat about their experience:

Mick said, “The weather could have been better – the wind in your face was near enough 30 miles an hour heading back towards Newcastle. The inclines were pretty tough too – hills that didn’t seem to end. But seeing a signpost that said ‘Newcastle – 10 miles’ was great, and crossing the finish line in under five hours was definitely the best bit of the experience.”

John added: “The climb from the 20 mile to the 40 mile mark was pretty tough – but seeing St James Park on the way back to town was the highlight!”

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