Ricky Crompton : Riderz Tour 2013
Mission : To Inspire children and parents across Scotland to cycle to school more often whilst making motorist aware of the space they need to give cyclist on the roads.
After packing my little van to the brim with bikes,clothes,equipment and guitar. I set sail on the ferry from Belfast NI to sunny Scotland on the 18th April leaving behind my new house and pregnant girlfriend, with a positive mission in mind that im extremely passionate about.
Some heavy metal music combined with energy drinks soon woke me up for the drive to Glasgow in the early hours once arriving at the ferry port in Cairnryan Scotland.Getting to Scotland a few days early gave me chance to relax unpack and get my new Black market malice built up before the shows started on Monday. It was such a relief to have a shiny new bike to ride with new Rockshox Argyle forks brand new wheels built by chain reaction cycles and a complete BLKMRKT build kit/Malice frame.
New Malice build… stoked!
ready to rip…
Monday mornings always a big press launch on the Riderz Tour so we are joined by Marc Beaumont (World record holder Round the world cyclist) to launch the Campaign along with a host of newspapers and Film crews http://news.stv.tv/west-central/222446-mark-beaumont-launches-cycling-scotlands-give-me-cycle-space-campaign/
The first show is always full of excitement and a sense of nervousness,is everything set up tight, have i practised enough,is the weather going to hold off for the press and the show,will the kids be impressed and receptive. The first show all went to plan kids went crazy for it ,the press got the filming they needed for the TV release and news papers captured there pictures.
Throughout the next 2 months we visited 28 primary schools and performed in front of over 10,000 children sending a really positive message to all the children,parents and importantly the drivers on the roads.We showed children how much fun cycling can be and just what is possible on a bike if you practice and get out and have fun. Waking up to this view every morning was fantastic loved every minute of it ,cant beat riding bikes everyday and inspiring others to….
Lucky for us are accommodation for the whole trip was rite next to a new concrete skate park in Stirling ,needless to say we rode there nearly ever night after finishing the school shows, it was nice just to ride for fun together as a group of friends an unwind without a thousand screaming kids haha…
Weekends where know time for a break ,we had more shows booked at sports events and community events my body soon started to feel the strain of riding shows 7 days a week but had to battle on through cause thats what we do….
I also performed at the Scottish bike show in the “sir Chris Hoy velodrome” and put some laps in on a borrowed track bike over the 2 days …more fitness training needed for a gold medal though haha
With the Scottish weather being so unpredictable we had to be prepared for all occasions riding shows in gail force winds and rain/hail storms, not letting it put us off we all made it through the tour with just a few minor scraps and bruises and many great memories. There are now thousands of enthusiastic kids raring to get out on there bikes all over Scotland ……Mission completed ! Then its time to head home to Belfast for a few weeks enjoy my new house spend time with my girlfriend before Riding yet more shows back in Scotland at the Royal Highland show just in time for the arrival of my 1st child …hahah hectic times but wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for reading,
Ricky