On Your Bike Gravesend

10/05/2026 | 2E0YRE - Tony Klinakis Radio Website

What a fun day. I joined the marshalls early in the morning at around 8:30 - a rarity given my previous track record.

The marshalls were Sheila, Mark, x, x, all members of the local Rotary club. Sheila had brought some lovely homemade sausage rolls which complimented my Twinkie breakfast. Unfortunately there was no coffee nearby, but I was somehow able to manage. Aileen, also of the Rotary, joined us later to say hello. I understand she does the social media and PR for the Rotary. Lovely lady, but then again, so were all of them.

The race was a very orderly, civilised, and wholesome affair. The bicyclists (I refuse to call them bikers due to personal bias) would dismount at the CP, log their number with the marshalls, and receive their Penguin, or squash, or water, or any combination of the above - and then be on their way. I think this particular race was not timed, it was a charity event ran by the Rotary for the benefit of ADSS, the Alzheimer’s charity.

Electric bikes, bikes with baskets, and multi-child-seat-at-the-back bikes were all present.

Standard RAYNET drill for this one, report the first male and female riders. There were three simultaneous races on 15, 30, and 45 mile routes. The 45-ers did not stop at CP1 - they didn’t even pass us by - so I didn’t get their numbers.

One point of professionalism for me though, the Quangsheng was not entirely charged and I was on the last bar towards the end of the event. I had thought to myself that this is okay because I have a battery bank - but the bank created so much noise that the radio wouldn’t pick up transmissions. And now we know.