Last month, XMA’s Rob Harper and Ben Knights took on a 260-mile Nottingham-St Albans-Nottingham charity bike challenge for the second time, aiming to beat last year’s 24-hour finish and raise vital funds for a cause that is very important to us. 

A Cause Close to Home 

This year, all funds raised are for The Brain Tumour Charity, the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. This cause is particularly significant for the XMA team, as a member of our Nottingham team is currently recovering from treatment. 

And We’re Off! 

The ride began at XMA Nottingham at 06:00, with the goal of reaching St Albans by mid-afternoon, refuelling, and immediately starting the return leg. We caught up with one of the riders, Ben Knight, for his report on how the challenge unfolded. 

A Strong Start 

“With the dust settling, it’s time to reflect on the highs and the lows of putting yourself on the absolute limit for a good cause,” Ben begins. 

“This year’s event was at risk before we even left. With Rob having multiple wrist operations and me pulling both calf muscles a month out, it was doubtful we were going to make the start line. Nevertheless, with lots of bike modifications, we made it and got off to a flying start, arriving at St Albans 45 minutes ahead of last year and still feeling relatively fresh.” 

The welcome at the halfway point provided a much-needed boost. “A big thank you to all that came to meet us at reception,” says Ben. “The speaker playing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ was a brilliant touch and the warm macaroni cheese was an even better one!” 

Hitting the Wall 

“After a slightly longer pit stop than planned, we got back on the road and made excellent progress until we hit an absolute brick wall around the 200-mile mark. The wheels quickly fell off.” 

“With fatigue rapidly enveloping our bodies and minds, our speed dissipated. We started faffing and stopping more, and even resorted to power napping on the side of the road. We were waiting for the sunrise which gave us such a lift last year, only to find that, although the sun came, the energy boost did not. We were left to slog it out.” 

To make a difficult situation worse, a critical equipment failure struck just miles from the end. “My rear derailleur cable snapped and left me to ride with basically no gears – something that was not welcome after 16 hours in the saddle!” 

Triumphant Return 

At approximately 07:30, after 18 hours, 52 minutes and 12 seconds in the saddle, Ben and Rob arrived back at XMA Nottingham. They were, in Ben’s words, “battered and bruised but ultimately triumphant at achieving our goal.” 

A Heartfelt Thank You 

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who was able to donate. With money tight for many, your support is genuinely appreciated. We also thank our marketing team for their support, and XMA for agreeing to match the funds raised by the team.” 

Donations will remain open until the end of September. If you would like to contribute, please use the link below.