Great Dunmow Round Table is celebrating after estimating its members have helped raise almost £2,000 for charity.
The club took on The Mighty 6 Man Bike to Loughborough, which saw members refurbish and ride a 40-yeard-old six-man tandem bike 120 miles to Leicestershire on September 8.
Not content with a lengthy bike ride though, the team then took part in the National Sporting Weekend at Loughborough University – an event for Round Tables across the UK.
Their hard work paid off, however, and the group scooped gold in Area 33 for Essex Round Tables.
Steve Eccles, chairman of Great Dunmow Round Table, said: “The ride was extremely challenging but we all had an absolute blast and what a way to top it off by winning at the National Sporting Weekend.”
The group set off from Great Dunmow at 6am and arrived in Loughborough at 5pm, having split their journey into segments and travelling to the likes of Duxford, Cambridge and St Ives along the way.
Making the occasion even more special though, was the bike the team decided to use – something which has a long history in the Round Tables community.
It was designed by Mike Parr in 1976 and built by members of the Goodmayes Round Table who rode it 480 miles to Hamburg in aid of charity.
Falling into disrepair it was then taken up and refurbished by Letchworth Round Table, after being tracked down in 2011.
When the group closed, however, they decided it was best left to Dunmow Round Table to carry on its story.
In fact, over the years the bike has helped raise about £500,000 for good causes and has even featured on the likes of Blue Peter and Birds of a Feather.
Dunmow Round Table was riding for Special Needs and Parents, or SNAP, which supports families in Essex with children with learning difficulties or disabilities.
The group is still counting the amount of money it raised from the challenge, and members would like to thank everyone who supported the ride and sponsored the team.
To add to their final amount, visit mydonate.bt.com/events/dunmow2loughborough/446142.
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