On July 5, MEC London and Toboggan brewery hosted the annual Century Ride, which consisted of 60K and 100K route options. It was a new location for the event, and the riders loved it!
This year we had 265 riders, an increase of three times as many as last year. The cycling community really seems to love coming together for this event and wants more. It was refreshing to see all the clubs and shops who put in groups of teams to the event. This speaks volumes to the cycling community here in London!
Both the 60K and 100K routes left the downtown core and headed out to the surrounding London area. There were two pit stops on the 60K route, and four on the 100K route. The first pit stop (which both distances visited) was located at the Delaware Speedway, a local driving race track. This sparked huge interest and great feedback! Riders were able to grab a refreshment and food and then do a lap of the track, which was hooked up to our very own MEC Century Strava segment!
The rest of the route was beautiful with all pit stops housing washrooms, bike mechanics, first aid, food, gels/bars, hydration and super friendly staff and volunteers. We had two emergency mechanics that drove around the course and helped any bikes in need of some love. The finish line was right between two main hot spots in the city, and riders shared beers, BBQ and camaraderie. The feeling after the event was just awesome.
We lucked out with amazing weather, as well as no major accidents to report. A huge shout out goes to St. John’s Ambulance who volunteered for the event.
We’re looking forward to next year in July for the 2016 ride, and we expect to see some great expansions and improvements for the next ride!
Huge thanks to the cycling community that made this such a great event here in London.
