On hearing about my holiday plans most folks ask me if I am mad and then question whether I am doing it for charity.  After all what sane person would spend 7 days of their holiday cycling 450 miles across Iowa in the height of summer?  However, after a hearing about The J's Hospice I'm now busy putting this web page together in the hope that you may feel my efforts deserving of sponsorship.

The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) is the largest, longest and oldest touring bike ride in the world. 10,000 of us will be cycling from the Missouri River across the state to the Mississippi River from July 19th to July 25th.  This year the route is 447 miles.  And yes, Iowa does have hills; the route has 23,111 feet of climb.  At the end of a hard, hot and humid day of cycling comes the joy of camping.       

The J's Hospice Charity was founded in 2004 and is raising money for people aged of 18 to 40 with life limiting conditions.  The J's Hospice Charity is striving to raise £5 million to build the first stand-alone hospice in the UK for this age group. 

I would be extremely grateful if you could give kindly and sponsor me on behalf of The J's Hospice Charity. Certainly knowing that I have your support will spur me on.

I would like to thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please do dig deep and sponsor me online.  Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The J's Hospice Charity will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

Many many thanks for your support.
 
Sylvie Snowling

 

P.S.  I thought I should add a few lines to address those frequently asked questions.......

FAQ, Tips and Lessons Learnt through bitter experience!

Are you going on your own?  Yes – but with 10,000 riders I won’t have any chance of being lonely and this year I’m riding with Team Dirty Martini.  So I should also learn how to mix a few cocktails.

What happens if you get injured?   There is plenty of support.  The ‘sag wagon’ mops up those that get injured, have mechanical failure or just can’t cope after the excesses of the night before.  There is medic help and the usual emergency services.

Supervise the bike build – American’s just don’t know how to wire up the brakes properly.  Make sure you know which side is the back brake.  It’s too late to realise something is wrong when you are flying through the air.

Wear gloves.  After you have flown through the air it is natural to stick your arms out and skid along the ground with the palms of your hands used as brakes on the tarmac.  You will be so glad you had those gloves on.

Go commando:  Don’t be prudish.  Those knickers will cut into you like cheese wire. 

Wet or dry?  You choose.  Powder or lube.  Choose medicated and use lashings of it.

Wear a helmet – one with a visor is great in the sun.

It’s hot – tarmac melts.  Use an industrial strength sun screen.  P20 is excellent.

It’s not a race.  Take time to meet the locals.

Take ear plugs for camping.

When taking a shower in a car wash don’t push the wax button.

Keep hydrated.  Drink before you get thirsty.  Mix a sachet of Dioralyte rehydration salts or similar into your water bottle.

It’s going to hurt.  Ibuprofen works wonders.  Tablets in the morning, gel on the knees at night.

Eat well whenever you can.  You might not be hungry but it will be fuel for the next day and you can never be certain where you will end up, at what time and whether there is a decent meal to be had.  Consuming burgers, pizza and pancakes all week won’t do you much good.

Pay as you go cell phones can be picked up for as little as $20 from drug stores, supermarkets  and gas stations.

Keep your passport and credit card with you.  Handy when you get evacuated from your tent in the dead of night because of a severe weather warning.  At least when everything gets lost you can get home.