Over the summer I celebrated another birthday and I realised that I could no longer resist a deep-seated need that many men my age face — the uncontrollable compulsion to dress from head-to-toe in lycra.
At first, I only wore lycra at home alone in the evening. Unfortunately, one-night my wife woke up and mistook me for a burglar. After taking quite a beating, I had to confess that it was me, whereupon I offered the outlandish excuse that I had taken up cycling and was off for an early-morning ride. When my wiser partner pointed out that I didn’t own a bike, I was left with little option but to acquire one and sign-up for a charity cycle to champion my newfound passion.
So here I am, with a wardrobe full of lycra, a new bike, and a bonkers commitment to complete a charity ride of 700km from Girona to Cannes in 4 days. MAPIC is my first long distance endurance ride. In fact, it's my first ride longer than a trip to school. So I am inspired and daunted by the challenge in equal measure.
The aim of my cycle is to raise at least £1000 for Coram, the UK’s first children’s charity. Coram appeals to me particularly because its mission is to offer support and opportunity to people at a time in their lives when it can perhaps make the most difference to their future: when they have so much potential.
All the money you donate will go directly to Coram. So please support a great cause and give young children the opportunity to grow into confident and successful adults who can choose to wear their own lycra!
Aside from that I am the founder of Nex—, a London based architecture and urban design studio that connect people to place.
You can find out more about us here www.nex-architecture.com
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Total Raised
£1,295.00 £1,362.50 including GiftAid Total Target: £1,000.00
"Hi Alan. Hope it's going well and you are enjoying it. Well done - great cause.
Kevin F"
£50.00
Eoin MacManus
11th Nov 2018
£50.00
Mairead Dempsey
9th Nov 2018
"Go for it Alan"
£50.00
Brian Dempsey
8th Nov 2018
"Alan, the very best of luck. I'm sure you'll love it.
Brian"
£20.00
Niamh
7th Nov 2018
£50.00
18th Oct 2018
"Best of Luck Alan! You'll have a great time and for a great cause! Anna and the team at HD."
£50.00
15th Oct 2018
"Best of luck Alan - we will pick you up at the end of January for the ski trip !"
£20.00
9th Oct 2018
"Good luck Alan. Be careful on those hairpin bends on the way down!"
Mum
9th Oct 2018
"Great cause and GO LYCRA MAN GO!!!! Best of luck and safe cycling x "
£250.00
Colin
8th Oct 2018
"Give it a lash."
£20.00
Jez
5th Oct 2018
"Well done - this will be an achievement that you will look back on with pride. Great cause as well"
£75.00
Goodfellow
5th Oct 2018
"Good luck Alan - and enjoy it too! From all of us at Goodfellow"
£100.00
5th Oct 2018
"Good Luck Alan from all at E+M Tecnica"
£50.00
Fiona
4th Oct 2018
"Go n-éirí an bóthar leat"
£50.00
NLA
4th Oct 2018
"Great cause! Good luck! The NLA Team"
£50.00
U+I
4th Oct 2018
"Good luck Alan from Team U+I"
£100.00
Barry
4th Oct 2018
"Separately, I'm sending you a defibrillator and oxygen tent! Hope you won't need them! :-)
Best of luck Alan! It's a great cause!"
£20.00
Rob Baldock
4th Oct 2018
"Good luck, Alan and try to enjoy it!"
£20.00
Hannah Parham
4th Oct 2018
"Good luck!"
Karen
4th Oct 2018
"I am in awe! "
£10.00
4th Oct 2018
"Good luck Lycra Man!"
Peter Ward
3rd Oct 2018
"Two things I never thought I’d see. You go girl"
£20.00
GoAlanGo!
3rd Oct 2018
Raising Funds For
Club Peloton
Club Peloton is a fundraising charity which uses cycling as its platform for challenge events, bringing together a love for the sport and the opportunity to raise money for great causes.