2024: the year in review
Club Peloton: 2024 in review
With five fundraising challenges, eight client outings, and numerous organised coffee rides and off-bike adventures, the Club Peloton community has been busy this year, and your support - whether that’s riding, fundraising, organising, leading or just banging the drum on our behalf - is, as ever, appreciated.
Here are just some of the things that have taken place this year.
Making an impact
Our five fundraising rides - Knight Frank Cycle to MIPIM, Cycle to PAW - a new ride for the arbitration community, Cycle to UKREiiF, pedElle and Explore - another new addition to our property industry focused events - collectively raised more than £366,000 (inc. Gift Aid), with 185 riders taking part in challenges in France, Poland, Italy and the UK.
These rides have raised funds for charity projects that help transform young lives, including: funding Adoption Activity Days via children’s charity Coram; funding bikes and specially-adapted trikes and helping to create hospital activity zones for children living with cancer via Cyclists Fighting Cancer; and supporting a number of charities that help disadvantaged young people in central London realise the potential of their own lives via the Top ap Rhys Pryce Memorial Trust.
Chapeau to everyone that trained and rode and fundraised so hard, and to our sponsors and partners for their support.
Client rides
We also organised and supported a number of client rides, looking after more than 220 riders across a number of events that included the annual BCO Conference ride from Newcastle to Birmingham; the CTBUH Conference Challenge for attendees of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat conference in Paris; the COLT Technology Services ride from Brussels to Dusseldorf for 168 employees from all around the world; the Dubai Arbitration Week sunrise cycle - a chance for those attending the conference to meet for an early morning ride; the City Sheriffs three-day ride from London to Nottingham.; and day rides for the Knight Frank Cycle Club day, Buro Happold and Heyne Tillett Steel.
Networking events
We also organised and hosted a day of guided mountain biking in the Forest of Dean, alongside guides Sixtyseven70, and supported a 100 mile ride to Stratford-upon-Avon to drop unwanted kit off at Cyclists Fighting Cancer. Off-bike events included a memorial event to mark what would have been Will Monk’s 50th birthday, and our Season Launch, where we unveiled 2025’s calendar of activities, which took place in London with link-ups to our local Hubs in both Manchester and Edinburgh.
Getting local
The Manchester Hub marked its one year anniversary in October and continues to go from strength to strength under Hub ambassadors James Bruce (Civc Engineers), Ruth Jackson (RJP Town Planners) and Kathryn Jump (Shoosmiths) with day rides and multi-route options which has encouraged more people of all cycling abilities to get involved. In June, the Edinburgh Hub launched, and ambassadors Richard Foxley (HTA) and Emily Baigent (TFT) have led regular coffee rides, introduced Arthurs Seat lap sessions, and hosted off-bike socials.
Coffee rides and laps
Numerous coffee rides took place throughout the year under the guidance of Ride Captains past and present, providing opportunities for training, networking or adventures in different parts of the country. This year, we added regular Friday morning Richmond Park laps sessions to the existing Wednesday mornings Regents Park laps. Thanks to Richmond Park laps leaders - Mike Cooke, Jon Reid, Andy Yates, David Johnston, Lisa Gunn, Mark Limbrick and Alex Soltynksi - and Regents Park laps leaders - James Morgan and Hannah Williams - for providing a steady wheel to follow and advice on everything from deep winter gloves to the optimum time to arrive for the best pastries.
It’s amazing to see how these groups have grown and become a steadfast point in people’s working week, and giving newer cyclists a space to build confidence. Towards the end of the year, we also launched a dedicated Women’s Series - thanks to Annabel, Hannah, Livy and Penny for leading these - which we plan to continue into the New Year.
A fond farewell
And finally, closer to home, we said an emotional farewell to our wonderful Event Director Chris. Chris has been a huge part of the Club Peloton story for more than who is planning to spend more time on the other side of a van windscreen - e.g. out on the road on his bike!
From all of us here - Nick, Meg, Kate, Rhian and Theresa, and our charity partners - Coram, Cyclists Fighting Cancer and Tom’s Trust - we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for the support you have shown and the enjoyment you bring to us on events, and we wish you a joyous and peaceful festive season ahead.
