“Great atmosphere and very well organised. I’ll be back next year for sure.”

“Well organised and marshalled with decent food stops before, during and after.”

“A well run event looking forward to next year!!”

“As a new cyclist it felt very inclusive and not clicky which was great.”

“Overall I found it a truly enjoyable day, great people, great fun, great challenge, great food, great atmosphere. It has sold organised cycles to me and I will definitely be looking for another one to do soon again! Well well done, a huge achievement for the organisers!”

“This was my first leisure cycle and my first 100 km ride. The course was very tough (for me at least). I really enjoyed it and the organisers were super. The facilities and food etc. far exceeded my expectations. Well done to all.”

“Very enjoyable event, very well planned and look forward to the next one.”

“The event was well run from start to finish, encouragement given to cyclists from the start, along the route from the marshals and when finishing up the driveway was what made a tough but enjoyable cycle all the more worthwhile. That was my first cycle for any worthwhile cause and i wouldn’t hesitate to do one again if they are all run so professionally.”

“Extremely well organised and supported - everything ran seamlessly and was no hassle as an attendee.”

“I could not get over all the organising that was done by what seems to be a one man show! The amount of food was overwhelming. The last cycle I went on for a very large >1000 participants and a large charity and I was very disappointed by the lack of food and no tea/coffee. I’m telling everyone about Sunday, I went on my own and everyone I spoke to has great admiration for Barry and what he has done. I’m only aware of FA as I have looked after someone with it working as a nurse so when I heard about the cycle I really wanted to do it. I cannot wish you enough of luck with this yearly venture and getting awareness out there about the condition also. It’s fantastic to see all the people out on Sunday. I for one really enjoyed it.”

“Loved the route, surprisingly very enjoyable! Loved the food especially the donated muffins. Volunteers so helpful and friendly. I liked the countdown at the start when we left really good atmosphere.”

“Volunteers were amazing, please thank them all, they deserve it, course was great just enough hills to make it challenging, I will definitely be back next year and I will be bringing more people with me, thx you Barry”

“The volunteers and marshals did a fantastic job in their support and encouragement. Event course was excellent and the welcome back after 100km was a very cheerful clap and congratulations. Wonderful day. Thank you :-)”

“No problem paying that entry fee when you know that most of it is going towards the charity, unlike many other events.”

“A very satisfying 44k cycle with some of the most friendly people I’ve met in a long time. It was a charity cycle for Cycle Ataxia – a very worthy cause. There was a 12k, a 44k and a 100k. After much deliberation, my friend Fiona and I decided on the 44k. She put me to shame and flew off ahead of me. By the time we reached the half way stage and stopped for refreshments I had kind of caught up with her. On we went for the second leg, Fiona, kindly and politely stayed with me for a kilometer or two and then I told her to get going. I had the comfort of having an ambulance follow me for the last 16k - not sure if the driver thought I was going to fall off – however, more than likely it was because I was last cyclist from the 44k bunch!!
It’s the 100k for next year and perhaps treat myself to a better bicycle.
Perhaps I can recruit a few people for next year?”

“Excellent facilities, lunch and tough challenging course”

“Marshalling was excellent, course was great, very friendly sportive. Will be back next year.”

“I found the event to be a fantastic day, well organised, efficient and a pleasure to be a part of. The organisers and all who volunteerd/helped on the day should be very proud. I was part of a team ‘blazing saddles’ and we all had a great time. Already looking forward to the next one! Thanks a million, :-)”

“Such an amazing day! Thank you for organising it. I’ll be back next year!!”

“Great oranisation, it was very pleasant all the way thru, great people, had a great day, thank you and all the best with the research and other events, good bless.”

“The event was amazing, both emotional and exciting. Excellent organization, great atmosphere and very good cause. I would definitely do it again.”

“Barry, from start to finish this was a highly professional event. You can come organise the Loughmacrory cycle this year!! Congratulations.”

“What stood out for me most was the atmosphere and support for the cyclists. Your speech before we set off really helped to make clear why we were there and motivated everyone. Getting cheered on and welcomed in by yourself and everyone else after the course was great also. The variety and selection of food was excellent, and having a function room to sit down and eat in was an added bonus. Finally, the venue and marshals were fantastic... oh and the photos were great too!

P.s. Prior to the event - I particularly liked the competition to win the phone ;)”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the cycle. It was very well organised and there was a great atmosphere. The marshaling was spot on. The lunch afterwards was a real treat and the venue top class. I will be supporting this cycle next year. The volunteers were very cheerful, supportive and welcoming. Well done to all for a job well done!”

“Really enjoyed the cycle. there was a great atmosphere all day and I will do the cycle again next year. I knew nothing about Ataxia before so it was good to learn something about the disease.”

“I know you cant see me but I am giving you a standing ovation, it was a great day. I know I will be taking some of what you did & adding it to our next run cycle.”

“It was very well run I have to say the food at the end was excellent”

“Atmosphere.. Friendly group.. Everyone clapping and smiling as you finished the cycle.. Pretty amazing!!”

“An absolutely fantastic day and a credit to all involved. The crowd clapping everyone home was a lovely touch.”

“The pacing of the event itself (on the 100k anyway) was an excellent idea, that combined with the mass start led for an excellent ‘peloton’ felling. To explain why this means so much to a rider, most events do not use pacing, and some events don’t even use a mass start, so therefore most events either allow riders to start in dribs and drabs like ‘between 8 and 9:30’, or if they do use a mass start it will degenerate into a road race within minutes and this leaves very little group riding to be enjoyed.
Course cars and marshalling were excellent, with motorcycle outriders blocking all side roads and miraculously a group of marshals were to be found at every junction. In particular the chap on the blue sports bike was an excellent rider (speaking as a road and off road motorcyclist myself).
The talk given by Barry Rice prior to the start was also really good as it gave a face and a real person to the cause, and of course people really listen when it’s the actual person telling us how it is.”

“This was one of the best run events I’ve been at. In terms of facilities and venue everything was excellent. Between food, goodie bag and t- shirt I’ve never got so much for so little money. Beats any cycle I’ve done recently in terms of value for money. Well done all. Very impressive for a first event.”

“I liked the way all walks and abilities were catered for with different routes this giving a more fun atmosphere to the event.”

“I’m already looking forward to next year’s cycle which I’m sure will happen and will be even bigger and better :)”

“It was great to hear about this illness and in particular meet someone who is living with this disease.....”

“Excellent event looking forward to next year”

“I really enjoyed the encouragement especially at the end. I was great to be able to sit down & enjoy lovely food with our family members who had all cycled their hearts out. None of us had ever completed a sponsored cycle before. The music and the banter from the DJ added to the atmosphere.”

“Very well run event. Marshaling and other support staff were great.”