At The Escape, we have been working with Make-A-Wish for nearly seven years. They have changed a lot and so has our company and it is an initiative like this where we can offer the most benefit to the children and their families - with some hard cash and some great exposure.
Last year's cycle ride from Camberley to Portsmouth was the first real serious ride I have done. I managed to collect sponsorship because I think a lot of people thought I couldn't do it. I actually found it okay and really enjoyed it.
Now getting on a bit (35) I see this event as a target to get my fat arse out on my bike and also raise lots of money for a great cause.
I am old school (so old school in fact that I still call it old school and not old skool). I remember my first budgie. I always went down the racer route though and the first bike I paid for (from paper round money) was a Raleigh Team Banana. I did also buy a Raleigh Burner BMX and remember stripping it right down and rebuilding it with some cool parts. My latest bike is called an urban and is so complicated I wouldn't know where to start.