Hi All,

We had another really good month in August. The final challenge distance of 7,971km easily surpassed the 7,500km target. As a result, Island Holiday Homes will be making a £200 donation to MAD-Aid’s Ukraine appeal.

This month is being sponsored by long-time supporters of PedalAid, Pedallers Café. They have selected the Isle of Wight branch of Parkinson’s UK as the challenge charity. We’ve kept the target at 7,500km. Perhaps this is a little optimistic because there tends to be a bit of a drop-off after the summer but I hope you can take on the challenge. It’s still a great time for cycling, with comfortable temperatures and long evenings. Maybe take some inspiration from Mel and Derek who added around 2,000km between them last month. Read the interview with them below.

Thanks to everyone for supporting PedalAid. Have a great month.

Happy cycling

Stephen
The PedalAid Team

The Pedallers Café Parkinson's Challenge

This month's charity is Parkinson's UK which provides support to people with Parkinson's across the UK, as well as funding groundbreaking research. They have a dynamic network of expert staff, health and social care professionals, volunteers and researchers, working together to improve life for everyone living with Parkinson's.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition. This means that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. There's currently no cure for Parkinson's, but there are lots of different treatments, therapies and support available to help manage the condition.

The PedalAid donation will go to the Isle of Wight branch of Parkinson's UK. They run coffee mornings at the Arreton Community Centre where people living with Parkinson's, their friends, family and carers have opportunities to chat and share experiences.

Every kilometre ridden along the PedalAid cycle routes contributes to the distance target of 7,500km and if the target is reached the sponsor, Pedallers Café, will donate £200 to Parkinson's UK. If the target is not reached they will only get half the amount.

Thank you to this month’s sponsor, Pedallers Café. Located in Newchurch, Pedallers Café’s back doors open right onto the Red Squirrel Trail. This makes it the perfect pitstop for cyclists and walkers looking for some respite during their journey along the trail. Relax in the sunshine on Pedallers Café’s large secluded decking area overlooking their wildlife pond. From here you can watch wild birds and red squirrels feeding.

PedalAid users can receive 10% off all purchases by showing the PedalAid app.

The Island Holiday Homes Ukraine Challenge

Last month we are raising money for MAD-Aid's Ukraine appeal. MAD-Aid are based in East Cowes - MAD stands for Make A Difference, and Medical Aid Delivery. They help support children and adults with special needs, and run a therapy centre in Moldova. Their support includes transferring medical equipment from British hospitals to developing countries. They are currently running a programme to support Ukrainian Refugees.

The total distance of 7,971km exceeded the target of 7,500km and so Island Holiday Homes will donate £200 to MAD-Aid's Ukraine appeal.

Thank you to sponsor Island Holiday Homes who provide a property management and rental service. Your holiday home is professionally managed by self-catering experts from Island-based offices, affording you a first class service, tailored to suit your individual needs.

Meet Derek and Mel

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Derek and Mel at Pedallers Café on a very hot and sunny day last month after luring them there with the offer of coffee and cake. They are consistently at the top of the PedalAid leaderboard and I was interested to understand more about why.

Mel is eighty and Derek is in his seventies so I think it is extraordinary that they are putting in distances of around 1,000km per month. They both use e-bikes, which allows them to extend the range of what they can do. Mel sold his car when he retired and bought an e-bike. He suffers from arthritis but is able to ride his bike. Derek has also cut down considerably on driving and cycles as much as he can, only using the e-bike power assistance part of the time.

They both used to cycle a lot when they were younger, and love that they are still able to keep going with it. They say that they would still be cycling regardless of PedalAid, but that PedalAid definitely motivates them to cycle more. Physical fitness and mental health are top of the list of reasons they cycle. They like the charity aspect of PedalAid, but Mel admits to being quite competitive and that the kudos of being at the top of the leaderboard spurs him on.

The trip along the Red Squirrel Trail is very much part of their daily routine. I wondered if they get bored of doing the same route every day but they say not - every day is different, with new things to see, and it’s far more preferable than cycling on the road.

It was great to meet them both. Give them a wave the next time you pass them on the Red Squirrel Trail.

August Leaderboards

This was the final leaderboard for August. Mel and Derek clear at the top once again, but great to see everyone in the top 10 doing over 200km. Thanks all!

Another strong showing from Yaverland Flyers CC at the top. Adrians Bike Shop reclaim second spot, but newcomers Bequia Bikers weren't far behind.

It's easy to set up a team. Just go to the Team tab on the PedalAid app dashboard and send an invite to anyone you think may be interested. It doesn't matter if they are already using PedalAid or not.

Prizes

There were five prize draws for August. The winners are: Arielle who wins breakfast at Pedallers Cafe from Wight Cycle Hire, Matt Arnell who wins breakfast at Off the Rails also from Wight Cycle Hire, Roy who wins a £25 voucher for Adrian's Bike Shop, Dianne Mostyn who gets a silver service from Al's Bikes, Gamos who wins a £50 bike hire voucher at Routefifty7, and finally Nick Peach who gets to choose a PedalAid t-shirt donated by Rapanui.

There are the same five prizes on offer again in September. Everyone who has cycled at least 10km along the PedalAid routes will be entered into each draw. For every 10km you will get another entry (up to a maximum of 10), so the further you ride the better your chance of winning.

routefifty7 provide bike hire from Shanklin. They are offering a bicycle picnic (up to a value of £35) delivered by local supplier It's About Thyme.	Rapanui are offering a t-shirt from the PedalAid shop each month.
Al's Bikes in Sandown are giving away a Silver Service (worth £50).	Adrian's Bike Shop are offering a £25 voucher to spend in their Freshwater or new Cowes premises.
Wight Cycle Hire are donating breakfast for two people at Off the Rails on the Yarmouth to Freshwater Cycle Track.

Offers

As well as the prizes, we have some exclusive offers for you. All you need to do to redeem these is show the PedalAid app on your phone.

Al's Bikes in Sandown are offering 10% off any service.	Located in Newchurch, Pedallers Café’s back doors open right onto the Red Squirrel Trail. PedalAid users can receive 10% off all purchases by showing the PedalAid app.
Get £5 off the normal season pass price at The Isle of Wight Mountain Bike Centre, based on Cheverton Farm near Shorwell.	The Isle of Wight's only dedicated running shop, Love Running, based in Newport, is offering 10% off all purchases

Pics and Comments

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