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Hundreds Turn Up for Ben and Tom Memorial Ride

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Despite a howling gale and grey skies, a couple of hundred riders took over Langcliffe village green on Saturday in memory of Ben Ineson and Tom Rodgers who died in a car crash a month ago (full story here). After a few words from the organisers, there was a message from Steve Peat, who couldn’t attend but who sent his best wishes to the riders there, followed by some words from Ben, Tom’s brother.

A small part of the huge crowd
A small part of the huge crowd
Kazoos, horns, bells and airhorns helped make lots of noise
Kazoos, horns, bells and airhorns helped make lots of noise
Tom's brother Ben addresses the crowd before the two minutes of noise
Tom's brother Ben addresses the crowd before the two minutes of noise

The 30mph wind made going rather hard in places...
The 30mph wind made going rather hard in places...

Ben's mum (left) did the whole ride, and was wearing one of her son's race jerseys.
Ben's mum (left) did the whole ride, wearing one of her son's race jerseys.

 

There then followed ‘two minutes of noise’ – possibly the most deafening event to have ever taken place on the village green, before the riders – old and young, fit and less-so, took off on to ride the famed ‘Settle Loop’ over the hills and eventually, many windy miles later, down into Settle.

STW member 'Horse' and his son Rowan on the ride.
STW member 'Horse' and his son Rowan on the ride.
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Wishing for the downhill...

 

The evening featured a party with local bands and a charity raffle and auction, with prizes donated by Orange, Hope, Fox, MBUK, Peaty and more. The auction raised over £1000 for the newly set up Ben and Tom Memorial Fund which aims to provide help for young racers wishing to race abroad in the same way that the Jason McRoy Foundation still does.

 

 

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Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

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