“IF WE are still friends at 50 let’s do something ridiculous.”
Warren Knowles grew up with his pal Gaven Whitaker. They went to Hartington Middle School in Keighley together and on to Oakbank Secondary School. As teenagers the pair made a pledge, that if they were friends when they turned 50 they would do something crazy.
Aged 48, they talked about that conversation and decided they had to honour it.
They signed up for a charity cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Warren decided to ride for Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, close to his home in Haworth. Gaven, from Steeton, who used to be in the armed forces, cycled in aid of its charity SAAFA.
Both experienced cyclists, they regularly rode together. “We had cycled together for about ten years, mostly to the Yorkshire Dales but also on trips abroad,” says Warren, a business manager for a renewables heating company.
As they prepared for the trip, organised through Brighton-based Threshold Sports, Warren suffered an injury which threatened to derail the challenge.
“It was just five weeks before. I used to play rugby and still play ‘touch and pass’, or ‘old man rugby’ with friends,” he says, “I turned and slipped and snapped my bicep muscle and ruptured the tendon in my right arm. It swelled up and turned black, which was alarming.”
He spoke to a consultant, who said that the injuries would not get any worse. “He said so long as I was careful and did not carry my bags, I would be okay to go. He said I would have 20 per cent strength in my arm, which is about enough to lift a cup of tea.
“We had committed so much to this trip. Adrenaline takes over, and I thought I might as well do it.”
He learned to pack bags with one arm and hand. “That was important as we had a lot of kit," he says.
“Once we set off the pain was manageable. I could keep going knowing that it was not doing me any further harm.
“Day one was one of the hardest - the hills in Cornwall were very intense, up and down all the time, not rolling hills like in Yorkshire, with time to recover in between.
The first two to three days were really difficult. We were both so tired and there was my arm. We said to each other ‘what were we thinking to be doing this?’ But we got into a routine and felt better as the ride went on.”
The cyclists were camping, but as it was an organised ride their two-man tents were put up for them.
“I had about two to three hours sleep a night. I could only sleep on the left side, facing the tent. I could not move too much - it was really uncomfortable.”
The weather, says Warren, was “exactly as you would expect in different parts of the country - sunny and warm in the south, miserable and damp in the north-west and rainy with gale force winds in Scotland.”
Avoiding A-roads, the route took them along the quieter highways of Britain. “We went into England, Wales and Scotland. The ride was lovely and the scenery was incredible,” says Warren. “There was a lot of support - friends and family of riders came and waved as we went past, and some visited the camp sites.”
Warren’s wife Helen and children Cameron and Megan have been very supportive and are proud of his achievement. “Helen has been rally good. She called it my mid-life crisis,” he laughs.
It was vital to stay fit on the ride and keep energy levels up. “We had to eat around 7,000 calories a day - we were constantly eating. There are snacks available at the rest points. The medical support was fantastic."
Day seven was the hardest, most gruelling day, says Warren, when the cyclists had to cover 120 miles, cycling to the mountain resort of Glenshee, and back down, and then on to their base camp, in tough weather conditions.
“A gale was blowing with 45mph winds, and raining at one point. Getting up the hill was so hard, and the wind was so strong going down, so bad that we had to pedal down as well. I had stopped thinking about my arm - everything else was hurting so much.”
The final day - their ninth on the road - was best, says Warren. “We went through some beautiful scenery. The rain has stopped, there were no cars, just a river and mountains. It was so green and tranquil, and we had not got far to go.”
They took in the views and made the most of the day, sharing their friendship joy at having completed the challenge. “We had been friends all our lives, and we had done this together - it was a really special time and is a special memory.”
Of the 900 who signed up, 410 finished the 970 mile ride.
Neither Warren nor Gaven suffered so much as a puncture. “We can do ten miles in training and get three punctures, but we had no problems.”
Once home in West Yorkshire Warren had surgery on his arm to repair the damage and is now recuperating.
He and Gaven already have another trip in mind. “We met some friends on the ride and would like to do the coast to coast.”
Warren has so far raised close to £4,000 for Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope. The money raised will help the hospice provide care for those with life-limiting conditions, as well as support for their families. Gaven earned £2800 for SAAFA.
*Warren's fundraising page is still open at justgiving.com; sueryder.org
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