Andrew proves his pedal power in a triple cycling challenge

Our building surveyor, Andrew Ainsworth, is busy training for a ‘wheelie’ big challenge as he prepares to take part in three major cycling events this summer.

The keen rider, who has been with Bizspace for eight years, kicks off his impressive hat trick with a 170-mile coast to coast ride from Morecambe to Bridlington on July 15 and a fortnight later he’ll saddle up again as part of the Bizspace relay team in the JLL Property Triathlon North, completing a 20km course, and just two days after that Andrew will take on the Prudential RideLondon – another gruelling 100 miles.

Charity champion

Andrew will be using the events to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Care, aiming to collect more than £750.

He says: “In 2014 I took part in the London Revolution ride, along with Bizspace’s managing director Gareth Evans.  That was 190 miles over two days, which was the longest I’d ever done, but with these three challenges taking place close together, it will be important for me to train and prepare correctly.”

Andrew, who is based at our Glenfield Park Business Centre in Blackburn, has been training in the Ribble Valley around his home town of Wilpshire, completing a 53-mile ride this weekend.

“I’m particularly looking forward to the coast to coast ride,” Andrew continues. “I’ll be doing that with a group of five friends.  We always come up with an annual challenge to do together and this is it for 2016.  It suits me well as I enjoy cycling, but some of the lads have taken it up from scratch. The first day will be 70 miles and is over very hilly terrain.  We stop overnight in Ripon and then day two is a flatter route over 100 miles.  It should be great fun and it will be good to get the longest event completed first.”

Team spirit

Bizspace will have several staff members taking part in the full triathlon, at Salford Quays, Manchester, on 29 July, as well as a relay team, with three individuals completing the three disciplines.

The cycling course takes in five laps of a course around Salford.

“For me, 20k isn’t a long distance, but I’ll be aiming to go flat out as fast as I can.  The challenge will be to pace myself to get the best possible time for the team,” Andrew says. The Prudential RideLondon event was developed as a legacy of the 2012 London Olympics and is hailed as a “world class festival of cycling”.  The 100-mile ride from London to Surrey will be broadcast live on TV in the UK and internationally. “I’m sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere at both the triathlon and RideLondon.  I think I’ll be feeling tired by the last event but I hope the crowd will keep me going!” he says. “I know a few people who have done it before and have said it’s a great event.  It’s quite unusual to be able to ride such a long distance on closed roads.”

Good luck Andrew, we’re sure you’ll be fantastic!  If you’d like to sponsor Andrew visit his JustGiving page.