Theo Takes on an Epic 28-Mile Ride in the Mud

We first met Theo as a two-year-old who rode with Let’s Ride on the back of his mum Natalie’s bike. Fast forward seven years and he joined one of our guided rides, this time on his own bike, accompanied by his mum. We were a little concerned that the ride might be too hard for a 9-year-old, but we thought we would let him have a go as he had previously cycled 21 miles with his family. We were prepared to turn back sooner if we thought he wasn’t going to make the distance.

The trail from Hull to Hornsea is a lovely ride on a sunny day. However, on this particular day it was overcast, a little cold and we did not anticipate how bad the track would be in parts, as a week earlier it had been mostly dry. However, after several days of damp weather we came across long stretches of muddy trail and puddles that you could almost sail across! To top it all, it started raining too.

When asking Theo if he was OK, he would just reply that he was fine, and he chatted away with us along the trail without a care in the world. When we reached our cafe stop - 14 miles in - we were cold, wet and covered in mud. After lunch, we had to travel another 14 miles back in worsening conditions along the trail to Hull and our start point. But this was no hardship to Theo and he pedalled along with the guys and, might I add, at a faster speed than one or two of our other riders.

Throughout the ride, Theo listened to instructions and followed them to a tee. Not once did he complain – well, only about a fly in his eye, which most people wouldn’t be too happy about!

We were all so impressed that this little guy had ridden 28 miles in these conditions and it was so nice to see how chuffed he was with himself after completing it. It really was lovely having Theo with us on the ride and he will be very welcome to join us on suitable rides in the future. Well done Theo!