Cycle to Work Day takes place on 4th August, a great opportunity to test out…
This summer, Lewis Walker, a Print Supervisor at Dennis Maps, and Simon Marks, a Finishing Operator at the company, cycled around 150 miles for the Royal British Legion’s (RBLI’s) Tommy Ride. The annual journey from Aylesford, Kent to Ypres, Belgium raises vital funds for the charity, so it can continue to support current and former personnel from the British Armed Forces. We catch up with Lewis and Simon to find out more about their two-wheeled adventure.
How did you both get into cycling?
SM: I started cycling about six or seven years ago. Others at work were always talking about it and I was looking for a new hobby, so I started going out with them on a weekend. I do outdoor cycling from spring to autumn, and I cycle indoors a lot now too. I’m a fair-weather cyclist!
LW: I used to go mountain biking with friends from work and then I transitioned into road cycling. I’ve been into biking for over 25 years. Where I cycle depends on the season, I’ll do more miles on a summer’s day and less in the winter, but I generally cycle outside all year round. Simon does more miles than me but inside!
Tell us more about the Tommy Ride…
SM: It’s a group cycle ride of around 130 miles over two days to raise funds for the RBLI. It starts in Kent and ends at Belgium’s Menin Gate Memorial, taking in lots of places of military significance along the route.
What led you both to take part in the challenge?
SM: Last year, I was on YouTube looking at cycling race videos and the Tommy Ride popped up. I watched a video of the 2024 ride and thought “this looks good!”. So, I sent the link to Lewis, and we went from there. I’d always wanted to cycle abroad and to visit the area we went to for its role in World Wars One and Two as well.
LW: I’d already looked at charity rides that visited the Somme a couple years ago and was interested in taking part. Then Simon sent me a text about the Tommy Ride and it reinvigorated my desire to do it.
What was special about the day before the Tommy Ride?
SM: We got to the charity’s HQ in Aylesford, Kent a bit early the day before the ride, and we were lucky enough to be taken on a tour round the RBLI’s facilities there, to see what fundraising money goes towards. It was really interesting. They have a factory with jobs for vets, making road signs, to help them retrain when they leave the forces.
Can you talk us through this year’s Tommy Ride?
LW: There was a group of over 40 people for the ride. We set off from Aylesford on 27th June and rode to Dover, where we got the ferry across to France, then cycled a few miles more. We rode over 70 miles that day, before staying in a hotel for the night. On day two, we cycled from Calais to Dunkirk for the first leg of the journey, then along the French coast. Next, we went into Belgium.
On the ride, we visited two cemeteries, a German one and a British one. My great grandfather’s name was on one of the panels at the British cemetery, to signify that he was a missing soldier. The ride finished at a war memorial, the Menin Gate, with all the cyclists arriving together.
What made the ride unique?
LW: We had a historian travelling with us and they did speeches about the history of World War One and World War Two at different points. We didn’t realise a historian was joining us until a few weeks before, so it was a bonus. It was quite unique.
SM: We also had veterans, who were amputees, cycling with the group. Riding with veterans made us feel proud.
How much did this year’s Tommy Ride raise for the charity?
LW: The group raised almost £100,000 for charity collectively. Family, friends and Dennis Maps sponsored us both. We’d like to say thanks to all our sponsors, who helped us achieve our goal. We couldn’t have done it without them!
Would you both recommend the ride?
SM: I’d recommend it to everyone. We’re planning to do it next year too.
LW: Yes, it was exhilarating. I’m interested in the history of World Wars One and Two and cycling, so it combined the two. We were with a great group of people and everyone got on well. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Both: We couldn’t have wished for a better bike ride.
Dennis Maps is one of the leading map printers in the world, producing more than two million maps and charts every year. We offer comprehensive pre-press services, large format print solutions using both large format litho printing and large format digital print technologies, plus specialised map folding and map finishing techniques.