A group of cyclists has spent a night in a museum to see the Eiffel Tower, and woke up at 6 AM to hear a bugle. They were raising money for migrant charity.
Thighs of Steel – a community of cyclists – have taken on an eight-week relay ride from Glasgow to Athens to raise funds for migrant charity Mass Action, with 12 different cyclists taking on a week.
So far, the group has raised roughly £62,000 – surpassing their target of £60,000 – and have cycled through cities including Glasgow, Bristol and Paris.
“This is by far the most we’ve ever raised by this point, only two weeks into the ride, and we couldn’t be more excited by the prospect of smashing our target – very soon,”David Charles, a Bournemouth cyclist, said to the PA news agency.
Thighs of Steel go wild in swimming (Philippa Jeacocke/PA).
Charles has thanked everyone for their generosity. “unwavering support”This is “wonderful” “curious”Strangers, who allow the group members to “ride further, climb higher and sweat harder than we ever have done before”.
“We’ve been hosted every single night by amazingly generous communities, from Claver Hill in Lancaster to Three Pools near Abergavenny and Lovebrook Farm in Sussex; from the village of Greatham to the commune of Marines, Val d’Oise,”He stated.
The 40-year-old said that the ride, which began in Glasgow on July 16, has already given birth to “so many”Memorable moments include “sleeping in the Kathleen & May Heritage Museum in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, and getting breakfast butties” “many wild swims in Grasmere and Windermere in the Lake District during the heat wave and getting hosed down by a delighted old German woman near Preston”.
He said that one cyclist in his fifties hadn’t been to Paris before. “when we came around a corner to catch a surprise first sight of the Eiffel Tower in front of us, his boyish grin was just pure delight”.
It has been used at the top of two massive climbs, Hay Bluff in Brecon Beacons and Ditchling Beacon just before reaching Brighton. It’s most often used to wake up the cyclists at 6 am.
David Charles, The Thighs of Iron
Mr Charles’ iconic bugle has already made several appearances on the trip so far.
“The bugle has already been put to great use at the top of a couple of massive climbs – Hay Bluff in the Brecon Beacons and Ditchling Beacon on the way into Brighton,”He stated.
“But it’s mostly used as a 6am alarm call to get the cyclists up in the morning.”
Charles bugled Hay Bluff’s summit, and he said “a bemused French couple [took] photos of us”.
Thighs of Steel arrive in Bristol (Joe Bourdillon-Schicker/PA)
The group will take on the Athens cycle for the fifth time. However, the main difference is that they start in Glasgow. “first time in Thighs history,”And not London.
After the September 18th cycle in Athens, the money will be distributed to Mass Action projects and organizations.
“One organisation that we know we will be funding this year is Khora, a collective of community spaces in Athens. Thighs of Steel was actually first set up in 2016 to fundraise for Khora so it’s great that both them and us are still running and still supporting each other,”He stated.
Khora offers safe spaces to migrants in an unfamiliar environment. It includes a social cafe. “anyone can find a hot meal and warm company”A legal advice center.
Here are more details about the donation page and the cycle. https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/steelythighs