Gary Wynne

I work for CORGI in Basingstoke, the company that holds the register of competent gas installing businesses. I have been a friend of Craig for a number of years and like many of the other participants was talked into this under the influence of alcohol. However, Craig knows I like my fitness, so there was really no excuse for saying no. Not that I would turn down the opportunity to raise money for such a good cause.

Although I have been cycling for years, this is only the second charity event that I have taken part in, having done London to Brighton earlier this year.

My Cycling Career

The first phase of my career, like many people, ended in my teens when my Raleigh Record Sprint finally gave out on me. Then in the early nineties I remember getting home from work and turning on Channel 4, they used to run a half hour highlights programme covering what had happened in The Tour de France that day. Back then, I did not really know what was going on or any of the intricacies or tactics of the race but already a keen runner and user of weights I was drawn to what I was watching and the level of fitness it could give you. I bought a bike and started riding it. My longest ride is 74 miles off road and I've done some between 70 & 80 on road.

My First Bike

My first bike was a blue Raleigh Tomahawk. It had a strange hump on the back of the saddle that looked like a speaker. Everyone used to point at it and say "what's that?"