Cheeky Lake Loop

Ride a Lap for Mind

On 17–18 June we’re keeping the wheels turning for 24 hours around Llangorse Lake to raise money for Brecon Mind.

The idea is simple. People come along and ride a lap of the lake.

Ride one lap

Ride a few laps

Ride half a lap

Ride through the night if you’re feeling brave

Or just come down, say hello, bring some snacks and be part of it.

This isn’t a race and it’s not a formal cycling event. It’s simply people coming together to do something positive and raise money for a charity that does incredible work in our community.

Come and do a Cheeky Lake Loop.

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When

We’ll start riding at 7pm on 17 June and keep the wheels turning until 7pm on 18 June.

People can join in at any point during the 24 hours.

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The route

The route is laps of Llangorse Lake on the road, roughly 10 miles per loop.

We’ll ride anti-clockwise, which means the route is effectively all left turns. From a safety point of view that means nobody needs to cross the white line on the road.

It keeps things simple and safe while people join and leave throughout the day and night.

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Food and fuel

We’ll have a base set up with plenty of food and drink, with enough nutrition and hydration to feed an army.

Every lap riders will pass the base so there’s always a chance to stop, refuel, have a chat and head back out again.

If baking cakes or bringing snacks is more your thing than cycling that contribution is very welcome too.

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Why we’re raising money

This ride is in memory of Gareth Evans — “G” or “Cheeky Ga” to those who knew him.

After Gareth died I went through a dark few months. When you’re in that place it feels like there’s no way out. You feel like you’re the only person who has ever felt like this and you convince yourself you can’t speak to anyone about it.

There’s often a pressure to come across as strong and to keep everything together.

Recently we had Gethin from Brecon Mind come into work and give a talk about mental health and the pressures men face today. Listening to him speak genuinely switched something in me because he was describing exactly how I had felt.

What really stuck with me was what happened after the talk. There hadn’t been any audience interaction during the session but when people left the room there were so many conversations happening. Different people were saying that different parts of what he said had really resonated with them.

It made me realise just how many people quietly carry these things and how important organisations like Mind are.

I’m incredibly lucky to have a strong support network around me and to have had access to the help and resources they provide. I’m also very aware that things could have been very different.

That’s why we’re doing this.

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Why it matters

Life today looks very different to how it did for previous generations.

Fifty or sixty years ago many families were single-income households where one parent worked outside the home and the other largely managed things at home.

Today most families operate very differently. In many households both parents work and both parents are involved in raising children and running the home.

That’s a positive change and it’s how modern families work.

But it also means many people are juggling a lot at the same time. Work responsibilities, financial pressure, parenting, relationships, running a household and trying to keep some sense of balance in the middle of it all.

At the same time there can still be a quiet expectation that men should stay strong, keep everything together and not show when they’re struggling.

When pressures build up and people feel like they can’t talk about them that’s when things can start to go wrong.

In the UK suicide is one of the leading causes of death for men under 50. It’s a stark statistic and it shows why organisations like Mind are so important.

They provide support, advice and somewhere to turn when things feel overwhelming.

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Get involved

You’re welcome to come along for your own reasons too.

Maybe Mind is a charity close to your heart

Maybe you’ve had your own struggles or supported someone through theirs

Or maybe you just fancy coming down and doing something a bit cool

Ride a lap

Ride a few

Ride through the night

Or just come down, bring snacks and be part of it.

Every lap helps.