Cyclone Challenge | 2008 Event & Rider Comments

“Thank you for a well organised ride which I much enjoyed” - Alan Hutchinson, 13June08

“I had a great day out yesterday doing the 100 miler and would like to pass my appreciation and congratulations to the members of the Air Cadets who manned the feed stations. I found them very courteous and extremely professional, a credit to their uniforms. Please pass my thanks on if you would. I hope they continue to participate in the Cyclone for years to come” - Andy Cato, 15June08

“Thanks for an exceptionally well run event. I did the 100 on Saturday and was elated when I completed the course in 7.41. I even made it up Ryal without dismounting (although I was unable to drop the guy behind me who was on foot pushing!). Well done to all the volunteers too, excellent!!” - Paul Armatage, 15June08

“Congratulations on a superbly organised pleasant event. Well controlled, well marshalled and good feed stations. An excellent event, one which stands up to anything Europe has to offer. I hope it will keep going for the future” - Charles Dean, 16June08

”Thanks for organising a great event. Even with the huge number of participants your team had everything arranged brilliantly, well done” - Bob Blakeman, 16June08

“Did the 62 miler with a group of colleagues from Gateshead Council - absolutely superb, even the weather behaved. I was aiming to break 5 hours, so was delighted with 4:25, helped along at the end by a nice westerly breeze. Many thanks from all of us” - Ian Willey, 16June08

“Congratulations on organising such a great event - it was a brilliant chance to push myself and the atmosphere was fantastic!!” - Rachel Weddle, 16June08

”Just a short note to say a huge well done to the organisers! My friend and I did the 62 mile ride and it we had a fantastic day - see you in 2009! :-)” - Graham Davison, 16June08

“Wow - one of the best endurance events I have taken part in. The cadets were great; the course was very pleasant and the organisation was first class. I'll be back next year to do the 100!” - Gary Reed, 16June08

“Many thanks for a fantastic day in the Cyclone Challenge. I rode the 62 miler for the first time and will be returning next year to ride again. Thanks to all the organisers and Air Cadets for manning the feed stations, they did a great job” - Katy Wilson, 16June08

“Please thank all that helped with the Cyclone on Saturday as they were all exceedingly helpful and friendly. Only thing I would improve for next year is increase the entrance fee (by £5?) so we can have a cycling top rather than a t-shirt. I am sure we would all then cycle round the country wearing our tops with pride and also think of the free publicity!!!!! Apart from that I had a great time. Many thanks” - Tricia Clark, 16June08

“Thank you very much, organisers of the Cyclone Challenge. I have had a fantastic day out amongst friends old and new. Organisation was very good. Congratulations to all the helpers old and young. All showed great enthusiasm and encouragement. Best wishes for the future” - Peter Priestley, 16June08

“Can I just say thanks for a fantastic event. This is the first time I've done anything like this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very well organised - I didn't need to worry about any misprint! All the best” -
William Waugh, 17June08

“On behalf of our team can I thank you for putting on a fantastic event this year, and we hope to be back again to ride in 2009. It’s a great circuit and the lack of traffic is a pleasant change to some of the other courses we race on” - Mark Thwaites, Sport Beans-Wilier

“Thanks very much for a great weekend.  The ride was really well organised and great fun. Looking forward to next year” - Tricia Gill, 17June08

“It was an excellent event and the route was fantastic, too many hills though, but I suppose that’s the idea, they are just not my forte. Next year it would help with directions to the venue on the site and some signage as you approach and also signage at the event, regarding where to register and then get your tags from, I know a number of people went to get onto their bikes without tags as it wasn’t always obvious where to go. Hope to be there next year and have already told friends about it. Regards” - Mike Drake, 17June08

 “I want to congratulate you and your team on your outstanding work organizing the cyclone. I did the 100 mile ride and enjoyed it immensely. Everything seemed to go very smoothly at the start and finish, the food stations were well stocked and all the helpers were all great. Most importantly the route selection was terrific, incorporating some wonderful roads and beautiful scenery; even though I grew up in Newcastle and regularly used to cycle out into the countryside as a lad, much of the route was new to me. Well done. Best regards” - David Holden, 17June08

“Very well done. Excellent event and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be signing up for 2009” - Ian Goulson, 17June08

“Thank you for a great event although it was a wee bit more eventful than I expected” - Martin Ward, 17June08

“Many thanks, i must add how well organised the event was and the C ride was a superb route and challenge” - John Telfer, 17June08

“I had a great day - my first race event - so thank you and all those involved with organisation, a credit to the region as this event will only get bigger” – Liam Greene, 17June08

“Thank you for organising the cyclone I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and the evening at Leazes. You must be shattered after a week end like that. It was great!” - Tony Freeth, 17June08

“Really enjoyed the ride, and so well organized. Looking forward to next years” - Robert & Isabel Evans, 17June08

“Yet another great day out! Well done to everyone that made it possible. My only worry now is that my time has been made public and I may have to take it more seriously next year! Best wishes” -
Sue-Stamfordham Velo, 17June08

“Can I congratulate you on arranging a fabulous event. All 3 days were great and I appreciate why you must be so tired. Great for the area and I look forward to next year already” - Shabin Chohan, 17June08

“You did an absolutely fantastic job.  I had a wonderful time and was very happy with my 3hrs 47mins for the 62 mile circuit.  What an excellent route. Registration was efficient and easy, the refreshment stops were in just the right places and everybody I saw was smiling and chatty. Thanks for all your efforts and I will be doing the 100 in 2009. All the best” – Graeme Holdsworth, 17June08

”Just a note to thank you for a great event on Saturday, the organisation was great and it was a very enjoyable day. My only comment is the signs were too easy to miss, I didn't know the area so I was totally reliant on the signs but a black arrow didn't stand out and it was too easy to miss a sign and get  lost (as I and many others did). Perhaps if the signs were on a bright background it would help, also putting  "wrong way" sign 100yds past some of the bad junctions would prevent people cycling miles before they realise they had missed a turn” - Colin Meikle, 18June08

“Thanks for the event, an absolutely different class to anything I have rode in 30 years. Outstanding. See you next year” - Chris Thompson & the rest of the Wansbeck CC riders, 18June08