Divas on Wheels
Exclusively for women!
RIDER HOTLINE NUMBER: 07595 243 631 or 01227 832582 or 250115 (Biketart)
Advance event queries to: 01227 812621 or Deborah.Kellond@pilgrimshospices.org
Thank you for registering for our new women’s cycle ride, Divas on Wheels on Sunday 23 June 2013. The
essential information is listed below to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable ride and raise money for
Pilgrims Hospices. There’s also lots of useful information online with tips and tricks to make your experience
even more fun and some frequently asked questions which will hopefully answer any queries that you have.
Please do contact us in advance if you are not sure about any aspect of the day.
Getting there
The ride starts and finishes at Biketart, based in the picturesque Elham Valley who are very good supporters
of Pilgrims.
Unit 14 Barham Business Park (opposite the Elham Valley Vineyard)
Elham Valley Road
Barham
Canterbury CT4 6LN
Tel: 01227 250115
View on Google map
Parking
Space is very limited and will be on a first come, first served basis. Do try to get a lift to the venue and a pick
up too or car share with your friends. Alternatively, you could keep things green and cycle there!
On your arrival - registration and Check in:
Please plan to arrive to complete the check in procedure between 0830 – 0900hrs.
Even though you have registered in advance, you still need to check in at our registration desks when you
arrive. They will be marked in alphabetical order by surname. Our registration team will give you your event
number that you must attach to the handlebar post with our cable ties. They will check which route you have
registered to follow on the day but this is not set in stone – you can easily change your mind on the day if you
are feeling more or less energetic!
On the day registrations
These are generally not encouraged as it makes it difficult to plan for refreshments etc but if you have friends
who can only decide at the last minute, we will not be turning them away. The price goes up to £25, however!
Registration closes at 0900hrs.
Start times
We will send you off in small groups depending on the number of participants between 0900 - 0930hrs to
avoid congestion on the roads. Those doing the 50mile route will go off first.
Ride completion – all riders must have completed the ride and checked in at their point of origin by 1700hrs.
If you decide to leave the ride at any point, you must call one of the Rider Hotline numbers as we want to
account for everyone at the event.
Security
When arriving at Bike Tart, please be vigilant and do not leave your bike unattended or out of sight without
locking it. We will have plenty of racks to use. Neither Biketart nor Pilgrims Hospices are liable for the possible
theft of your bike. This also applies if you stop at any location on the route. Make sure that you bring a lock,
however simple.
Out on the course
 The route will be available to download two months before the ride but there will be copies of maps
available on the day. They are subject to slight changes on the day depending on local road conditions

Directional signage will be placed throughout – these will be luminous orange signs with black arrows
but please look at the route in advance to give you a general idea of direction and villages that you will
be passing through.
Refreshments
 Participants are responsible for making sure that they remain hydrated throughout the day and it’s a
good idea to have a water bottle holder fitted to your bike.
 Hot and cold drinks & food will be available free of charge for participants throughout the day at Bike
Tart and at the Ashford Hospice (for the 50 mile route) with additional treat stops on the 25 and 50 mile
routes.
 Do bring along any additional snacks that you particularly like to have
 Biketart will be selling a good range of energy bars and nutritional gels.
 There will be a range of other refreshments to purchase, including a BBQ at Biketart when you finish,
so do invite your family and friends along to join in and celebrate your success!
Safety
 All riders must follow the instructions provided by the Pilgrims Hospices Ride organisers.
 If there is a medical emergency, you must call 999 and seek the help of the emergency services who
are aware that the event is taking place
 All cyclists must wear a properly fitted British Standard helmet - you are personally responsible for your
own safety and will not be allowed to ride without a helmet.
 Parental Consent Forms must be submitted for young cyclists who are over 14 years and they must be
accompanied by a cyclist who is over 18 years. They can be downloaded from our website or
completed on the day.
 All cyclists must obey the Country Code and Highway Codes. Participants must respect all other road
users and pedestrians at all times.
 The roads on the route may include the occasional pot hole – please keep an eye out for these and
inform the cyclist behind you shouting “HOLE” if you see any (this is good cycling etiquette).
 Riders must ensure that their bike is in a roadworthy condition and we recommend that it has a full
safety check, especially for brakes and steering. Bike Tart would be very happy to help with a bike tune
up before the ride – just give them a call on 01227 250115.
 Please bring a spare inner tube for your tyres so that it makes it easier for our “Bike Heroes” to help
you.
 Organisers are not responsible for the health of participants. If you have any concerns please consult
your GP before taking part.
 It is recommended that you are able to ride at least 75% of the course distance comfortably beforehand
which is why you should try to come on at least one of the training rides with us!
 You or a member of your group must carry a charged mobile phone at all times and provide the
number to the organisers on the day if you have not done so on your registration form. This is in
addition to the emergency contact number that you have already provided us with.
 All cyclists must understand that this bike ride is not a race or trial of speed. It is a personal challenge
for each individual and no record of times will be kept on the day. Should you become tired, please
stop and take a rest before continuing with the event
 The roads will not be closed to other traffic.
 Please take care when passing other participants and always look over your shoulder allowing faster
cyclists to pass you when possible. Please take care when cycling over any uncovered cattle grids.
Bike Maintenance
If you would like to learn a little more about how to repair a puncture and look after your bike, Biketart are
running maintenance courses throughout the year with a special 10% discount for Divas riders along with their
pre-event bike servicing offer which has a 10% discount too! Have a look at their website for dates:
www.biketart.com
Divas Village
The Divas village is crammed full of things to do and things to buy. Take advantage of a free massage, a mini
manicures, spritz up your post-ride hair with our Helmet Hair Rescue, a bike tune-up before the ride, pre- and
post-ride warm up exercises, listen to a cycling chat with ITV presenter, Anna Glowinski and take part in the
post ride Q&A. There will be lots of retail therapy opportunities with some of the UK’s best women’s cycle wear
suppliers and places to have a celebratory drink or bite to eat.
You might like to have your photo taken on our finishers’ podium to prove that you really did do it! Local
Whitstable samba band, Samba Pelo Mar, will be providing some lunch time entertainment for early finishers.
Don’t rush off after you have finished – enjoy the atmosphere and invite your family and friends to join you.
Don’t forget to collect your hard-earned medal and goody bag.
Thanks go to Woodlands Hair & Beauty, Steven James Hairdressing, Bike Tart, Military Fitness Academy, The
Body Shop (Canterbury store) Ana Nichoola, The Beautiful Ride, Pilgrims Hospices Lottery to name just a few
of our supporters in the Divas Village.
Divas Cycle Shirt & Pilgrims Hospices Tee shirts
You can wear whatever you like on the ride but it would be nice to show your support for this event by
purchasing a special Divas Cycle Jersey in a cool turquoise or a “I’m Supporting Pilgrims Hospices” t-shirt.
You can wear either garment on the day to help raise the awareness of our charity and of the event. Prices
start at £30 for an Endura Diva Jersey or £5.00 for the tee shirt. They are available to purchase in advance by
emailing Deborah.Kellond@pilgrimshospices.org stating your usual dress size. They can be collected from our
Canterbury Hospice or posted to you for a small cost.
Raffle Some great prizes have been donated by our lovely supporters such as Endura, Michaux Club, Cathy
Bussey author of ““A Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels”, Andrew Sykes, author of “Crossing Europe on a
Bike called Reggie”, The Beautiful Ride, Pink Lady Apples, Cath Kidson and many, many more.We will be
selling raffle tickets throughout the day. Each ticket is £1.00 - we hope that you buy lots! The raffle will be
drawn at 1700hrs on the day.
Weather
The event will take place regardless of adverse weather conditions, so please prepare by bringing sunscreen
or waterproof clothing, as appropriate!
Cycling in Memory of someone?
There will be memory boards situated at Bike Tart where you can post a message or a photo or other fitting
tribute to someone that you would like to remember or who you are specifically riding in memory of. These
messages may be used (anonymously) on our webpage after the event.
When you’re at home
If you’ve taken pictures to remember the day, why not add them to the Pilgrims Hospices Facebook or Flickr
pages where you will see other photos that we have taken during the event.
Please do take a few minutes to complete the online survey that we will email to you. We really value your
feedback and have acted on the suggestions that were made after last year’s ride!
Sponsorship:
There is no minimum sponsorship required to enter our event but if you have raised sponsorship for Pilgrims,
thank you so much. When you’ve collected all the money together, please send your sponsorship form,
sponsorship money to: Supporter Services , Pilgrims Hospice, 56 London Road, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8JA or
drop it into one of our hospices if it’s easier for you (if you are sending money via cheque, please make them
payable to Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent). Please encourage your friends and family to tick the Gift Aid
checkbox when they sponsor you. This makes their donation worth at least 25% more to us at no extra cost to
them. Please try to have your money to us by 30th September 2013.
A trophy will be awarded to the individual and the group which raises the most sponsorship money. The group
can be made up any number of family members, work colleagues or any organisation.
Finally, a huge thank you to our event sponsors without whom this event could not happen!
Bike Tart www.biketart.com
Stagecoach www.stagecoachbus.com
Pink Lady Apples www.pinkladyapples.co.uk
Red Dragon IT http://www.rdit.co.uk/
Karisma Design http://www.karismadesign.com/
Woodlands Hair & Beauty http://www.woodlands-bridge.co.uk/
Steven James Hairdressing http://www.stevenjameshair.co.uk/
Military Fitness Academy http://mfadf.yolasite.com/
Samba Pelo Mar http://www.sambapelomar.co.uk/
Lastly, we hope you have a great day and if you do have any questions about the event in advance, please do
call us on 01227 812621. Do keep checking our website for up to date information on the event.
Thank you for supporting Pilgrims Hospices.