London to Brighton bike ride

[mrpotatohead]

I saw an article either in the vegan or veggie mag, about doing the bike ride on butchers bikes. Does anybody know who I can contact about it ? I know its probably too late, but theres no harm in asking.

[JP]

hey mate - i met the guys organising the event. They should be joining to the board soon i hope!

[mrpotatohead]

Thanks JP, I would do it on my bike, but its too much hassle getting to London with a bike, and then back from Brighton. But butchers bike, handing out leaflets, I can do that.

[JP]

most definitely, it sounds like a good laugh as well!

I think they had couple places left on the ride, not 100% sure about that though.

I'll try to get in touch with the guys i met, i might have their email address somewhere. Hopefully they will join the board though!

[mrpotatohead]

Theres only 4 spaces left, call Vernon now

On Sunday 20th June I'll be cycling from London to Brighton on an old butchers bike ( anyone remember Granville from open all hours. Like that. ) in a meat is murder t-shirt, handing out peta leaflets. The event attracts 25,000 people and its in aid of the British Heart Foundation, but we're seeking to highlight that prevention is better than cure. Theres 10 bikes, I'm number 6 to agree to do it, so only 4 more willing and able people required. We are aiming to leave London at 8am, and expecting to get into Brighton at around 4pm, taking it easy.

If you want to do, contact Vernon on 01282697931. Theres a pic in the vegan mag to

[JP]

Way to go mate! Hope other people will get in touch as well. Personally not going to be able to make it - hehee, like i would be able to cycle my lard arse from london to brighton in any case...

If you have a digi cam, please take some pics as well for us to see

[mrpotatohead]

Come on jp, no excuses now. You know you really want to do it really. I'll speak to Vernon about the pics. Who lives in Brighton Doesn't Pete Come on Pete.

[Rochellita]

I would LOVE to do it, I really miss cycling, but Joni and I will be in Finland, sunning ouselves by a lovely Finnish lake

Rochelle

[JO]

that lovely Finnish lake again! which one (like I would know off-hand). will it be warm enough to swim?

JO

[Rochellita]

all Finnish lakes I've been in and seen are lovely! All 187,888 of them

They are generally warm by June, but I don't care if they aren't, I'll still swim!

R

[mrpotatohead]

An interesting article supplied by Vernon.

First published on Thursday 10 October 2002:

Fat of the land

On June 16, my family and I travelled a considerable distance to cycle the British Heart Foundation (BHF) London-to-Brighton bike ride.

Our theme was one of preventing heart disease by adopting a healthy and cruelty-free diet. We rode ex-butcher's trade bicycles sloganned "Meat is Murder".

I found it incredible that, although the BHF claims to spend some £12 million annually on prevention, there was at each refreshment stop a burger-bar sanctioned by the BHF.

In a letter to me, Ms Natasha Hanscombe for B H McBride, the director of marketing and communications of the BHF, said: "In respect of the choice of food, this has to be easy to prepare and popular with the majority of cyclists. It tends to include a range of grilled BBQ food, egg, salad and ham sandwiches and cakes" - a recipe for a heart attack, in fact.

The negative cost of specifying a healthy diet at refreshment stops suggests that the BHF is not interested in prevention at all.

It is fact - and the BHF will endorse this - that modifiable behavioural factors including diet account for some 70 per cent of strokes, 80 per cent of heart disease and 90 per cent of adult-onset diabetes.

This is evidenced in my own family, none of whom eat animal products - we are all vegan.

My two lads are fourth-generation veggies, do not smoke or drink alcohol to excess and exercise regularly.

There has not been and never will be heart disease in our family. It is not just fortunate coincidence.

Changing to a non-violent and healthy diet is not deemed eccentric any more - although it could be said that cycling up Ditchling Beacon on a heavy single-speed trade bicycle is maybe just a tad unconventional - but raising funds for futile animal experimentation and resigning oneself to a future of angioplasties and triple bypasses definitely is.

Would not more funding into non-drug lifestyles be more cost-effective and kinder or are we going to continue to cure heart disease in the laboratory mouse? Who's nuts and two veg?

[mrpotatohead]

Only 3 places left now.

[Rochellita]

How is this doing. All places gone. Are you planning to have photos taken?

[mrpotatohead]

Thanks for asking. One place may be left, theres a few trying to find excuses. Can you beleive vernon has had a few calls from people saying they would do it if he pays their expenses. And one person didn't want to do it because the ride is in aid of the british heart foundation. But we're not actually entering the race, the idea of the burchers bikes is ironic, and we're to promote prevention rather than cure, how more anti bhf can that be. Some people. I do hope neither of those people read this.
I put an ad on the veganvillage website asking for accomodation for one night only and got a call from a chris in London who offered a place to lay my head, a vegan, and she had also done the ride before. She knew of someone who might be final rider.
I'm collecting the leaflets to hand out, from viva, to save the postage to vernon, and vernon has a camera. What would be good, is a camera on the bike to record the whole event. Butcher bike - the movie perhaps.

[mrpotatohead]

Theres eight of us doing the ride, an issue with a wheel or tyre for one bike has put it out of action. Of the eight, only one is female, next year it would be good if the ladies out number the gents. I already know of 5 people not doing it this year who are interested in doing it next year, one of those being Kat from Viva. You can't keep us vegans down.