Road: The Massif Challenge

For the last few years, unbeknownst to us here at Trek UK, a local law firm, Heald Solicitors, have been running a charity cycle ride event in conjunction with the Rotary Club in the area. It is a unique event in many ways; all the profits go to the chosen charities which are themselves made up of both national and local organisations, with no cash taken out for ‘administration’. The time Heald’s and the Rotary Club members put into the event is given for free. Considering the event is marshalled and organised by volunteers, it is so well managed that you’d assume a profession event organisation had put it together. And it takes place in France.

This year Trek became involved. We had been looking at ways to get more involved in supporting local charities and in previous years had run a mileage pledge to raise money during Bike Week. The association with one fund raising event like the Extra Mile, as it is known, enabled Trek to focus its efforts yet have a number of charities benefit. Trek even went so far as to enter a couple of teams, (the ride itself is a loose relay covering 500 miles through France).

After the hectic weeks leading up to the event, the day(s) finally came and the teams headed over the channel to start the long ride. As you can see from the photos, the weather was superb, crisp and bright and the thought of spending three days in the saddle put a smile on every face. The overnight stops were a welcome sight and huge quantities of food were consumed in front of the varied entertainment the organisers had booked for the evenings. On the last day, the idea of the ‘extra mile’ became apparent, with an optional ride up to the summit of Le Puy de Dome in the Auvergne. A relentless 12% gradient for 8km. For those that went the extra mile, the view was worth it.

If you find yourself in need of a challenge next year, keep an eye on the Extra Mile website; the route changes each year but judging from the number of folks coming back for the fourth or fifth time, the quality of the event doesn’t. As Trek will be looking to get involved again next year, you'll hear more on this web site as well.