Cycle4Life 2016

Welshkev · 01-09-2016 1:35pm #1

Saturday, 1st October will see the 2016 Cycle4Life in aid of Temple Street Children’s Hospital take place in Dunboyne, Co. Meath.

Sean Kelly will be on hand for the day, and will participate in the 4 routes on offer – a 100km route, a 55km version; a designated 7km route is on offer for families, with a 1km 'kiddie’s route' also available (links to the routes below).

Start, finish and sign-on will all be from the M3 Parkway train station, just off the M3 motorway (junction 5).

Since its inception four years ago, the Cycle4Life initiative has raised over €500,000 for the children's hospital which helped to fund essential projects to improve patient care. The unique way in which we run the event enables 100% of what we raise through entry fees and sponsorship to go directly to Temple Street. It’s this, we believe, which has led to so many people having such an affinity with the event.

Entry to this year's advanced and intermediate routes costs €79.95, while fees for the family route and kiddies’ route are €19.95 and €9.95 respectively. A commemorative cycling jersey for riders to wear with pride on the day is also issued upon registering for the event. Whist we appreciate this is on the upper end of costs of such events for people, we very much aim this as ‘fundraisers to cycle – not cyclists to fundraise’ and as mentioned, all of this goes straight to the hospital.

Further information and online registration is available at http://www.cycle4life.ie/ and we look forward to seeing you on the day.

Routes:
100km - https://www.strava.com/routes/5867653
55km - https://www.strava.com/routes/5867706
7km (family) - https://www.strava.com/routes/5867732
1km (kiddies) - https://www.strava.com/routes/5867759

Borderfox · 27-09-2016 11:49am

No comments in a month, everyone in shock at the entry fee

jon1981 · 27-09-2016 11:56am

I know it's for a good cause, but so are 99% of sportives and this is competing with them all. The price is nuts, however they have been up front about the reasoning behind the price.

Mary63 · 27-09-2016 12:09pm

Total madness especially in view of the deep scepticism around fundraising in Ireland now.

I am very reluctant to give money to anyone now,you would need to be a qualified accountant to be able to check out financial reporting on every charity you support.

What is the situation with Paul Kelly,ex console CEO,has he faced any charges yet.

Welshkev · 27-09-2016 1:33pm

Absolutely take on board everyone's comments and feedback around the price. We try to be as open and transparent as we can, especially given recent issues which have come to light and we work closely with the Temple Street fundraising team in this regard.

This is very much a fundraising event and the cycle is a means to facilitate this (as mentioned above, "fundraisers to cycle as opposed to cyclists to fundraise") so we hope people bear this in mind when contemplating the cost.

Just for people's knowledge too, every year we try and support a specific project instead of 'general' fundraising and it allows us to follow through to see exactly where the money raised has gone - for example, this year we will be helping the Neurology Unit (http://www.cycle4life.ie/pledge-of-support-for-2016/), whereas the proceeds from the last event enabled Temple Street to purchase two high-spec machines for their new Ultrasound Room (http://www.cycle4life.ie/impacttopatientcare/). Prior to that the event funded a world class Isolation Suite as part of their Top Flat refurbishment project.

All of the above we have followed through to see first-hand where the money raised has gone. I'd highly recommend reading some of the feedback in those links from the Doctors who see the day-to-day difference our fundraising has made.

As always, we'd like to thank everyone for their support and we really do hope to see you there on the day.

boardbeer · 27-09-2016 1:50pm

Temple Street is my favourite charity, I've done this ride before and would happily pay the entrance fee this time (I'm sure the money will go where it is needed), but why did they have to schedule it to class with the Oktoberfest??

Welshkev · 27-09-2016 1:52pm

boardbeer wrote: »

Temple Street is my favourite charity, I've done this ride before and would happily pay the entrance fee this time (I'm sure the money will go where it is needed), but why did they have to schedule it to class with the Oktoberfest??

Because you can then justify having a few more steins afterwards!

alexinkildare · 27-09-2016 7:49pm

I'm looking for a flat 100 km winter spin but like everyone else the 80 quid entry is putting me off. No matter how good the charity.

ted1 · 27-09-2016 8:24pm

At 80 they should drop the jersey and charge 50 or something

alexinkildare · 27-09-2016 8:26pm

I agree. Would make the difference to the numbers theyll get

Wishbone Ash · 27-09-2016 8:34pm

Welshkev wrote: »

..... we very much aim this as ‘fundraisers to cycle – not cyclists to fundraise’...

I don't understand what you mean by that!

Do you realise that you'd probably raise a lot more by reducing the price?

...and ending the entry fees in 95c is tacky in the extreme.

stecleary · 27-09-2016 9:10pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I don't understand what you mean by that!

Although welcome its not aimed at cyclist.
Its aimed at people that will get the sponsor card out and take on the challenge of cycling 100km.

I'll be honest the reason i'm not doing it is the price. I've already got 2 C4L jerseys. I don't want/need a third.

Fighting Tao · 27-09-2016 9:12pm

Price certainly put me off. Also 100k can't be billed at non-cyclists. It just doesn't make sense.

07Lapierre · 27-09-2016 9:22pm

charging €79.95 is crazy money! BUT this is not the first year this event has taken place, so I assume there are plenty of people out there willing to pay it! It's a very worthy cause and I've no doubt the money is well spent, but i do think they'd get a much more entries if the fee was say €40.

stecleary · 27-09-2016 9:32pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

charging €79.95 is crazy money! BUT this is not the first year this event has taken place, so I assume there are plenty of people out there willing to pay it! It's a very worthy cause and I've no doubt the money is well spent, but i do think they'd get a much more entries if the fee was say €40.

It's jumped €20 from previous years.
Maybe trying to make up for no event last year.

07Lapierre · 27-09-2016 9:35pm

stecleary wrote: »

It's jumped €20 from previous years.
Maybe trying to make up for no event last year.

Really? I did it a few years ago and paid €80

stecleary · 27-09-2016 9:42pm

Just checked old emails, you're right.

So it's actually cheaper this year

dermabrasion · 28-09-2016 6:59am

Could be a perfect day though. Weather looks dry and cool, perfect distance for a 3hr45min hard effort, followed by a decent lunch. Including.....soup. Then to the offy for a few crafty's and then sit down to watch the exhibition of Dublin power.

dermabrasion · 28-09-2016 7:02am

agree about the jersey thing. charity sportif gear lies unused in my pile. I rarely take the free stuff. Would make better use of a t-shirt or hoody or towel if branded stuff has to be given out

Welshkev · 28-09-2016 9:03am

Thanks for the feedback, I'll feed it back to the committee. As some comments alluded to, price is the same as previous years.

vektarman · 28-09-2016 9:47am

I don't know what time the Cycle4life 100k starts at but it looks like they'll be sharing approximately 23k of road from Trim to Enfield via Longwood with the Rathcoffey GAA 90k route. Hopefully there won't be too much confusion.

https://www.strava.com/routes/5867653

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/14440744_10154412102671083_7574336044021237397_n.jpg?oh=ed7564059feac95f879a788e57c10a36&oe=5873D4FA&__gda__=1484064448_20afe7914e573cf5a6429262dc96a096

easygoing39 · 28-09-2016 9:51am

Nice route,quiet time of the season so little competition from other events,weather forecast looks great,but alas I won't be doing it,the entry fee is just too steep.If the jersey was dropped,the fee was €40 max,this event could be very popular,even bill it as the last event before the winter.The charity/social riders would love it!!!

kildarecommuter · 02-10-2016 1:45pm

So how did this go yesterday ?
Was interested but was taxi ing U10 footballers about.

Borderfox · 02-10-2016 6:16pm

I did the 55km, route was grand. Lead car stayed at around 27-28kmph all the way to Tara and then we had to stop to let the 100km go ahead. From Tara to the finish I put the hammer down and averaged 34kmph till the finish. Food was grand but didn't seem like a lot of people at it

Cycle4Life 2016

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