"I just wanted to pass on my thanks to everyone involved in the ride this weekend. It was well organised and everyone was incredibly friendly and encouraging. The course was challenging but very picturesque and I would say tougher than the London to Canterbury ride I did last year.  I just hope my legs recover enough for next year !"
Mike

"It was a great day I really enjoyed it, their were some seriously good cyclists. We recruited a team of 12, see enclosed pictures, recognisable by our orange jersey's.
You had a great team of volunteers many of which I made a point of thanking, please pass on our thanks to everyone if you get a chance. May well do it again next year and will certainly recommend it to friends etc.
Keep up the great work."
Stephen Clark

"We completed the ride on Sunday and I'd like to congratulate you, the organisers, for such a well organised event. I'd also like to send a big thank you to all the volunteers, they all seemed so chirpy. I was very impressed with the lunch stop. We weren't intending to stop for food but just a quick toilet and drink stop. When we saw the amount of effort that had gone into it we couldn't resist. We found it very difficult to tear ourselves away from the flapjacks! It must have been a long day for you all so please pass
on our thanks. A mention about the route as well. Wonderful ! I was brought up in Kent and didn't realise such remote places existed. I shall be booking a place next year I'm sure."  
Alison Wood

"Thanks for a great day out yesterday, I actually completed my first 100 miles !
Thought the course could of done with some hills though.   : )
All the best,"
Paul Hyde (Gravesend CC)

"Thanks for ordering great weather yesterday. I luckily managed to get a lift down by my partner, and he came to pick me up too which was just as well as I didn’t have the energy to navigate buses/trains etc!  A sore backside and pink thighs from the sunshine is what I have today though.

I’ve a couple of questions for you – at the rest stops a few of the volunteers kept mentioning how great it was that there were some women coming through as they’d seen so few. Do you have a count of how many women registered/took part?  Admittedly I only passed/got overtaken by about 4 or 5.

Secondly, the route, or parts of it, looks like great training routes for the L2P ride in July.  Do you know the OS map I should get for this area or do you have the route marked on an OS map I could get a copy of?  I’m out cycling this weekend with one of the other participants of L2P and thought it would be good to take her on some of it.

Thanks again, it was a great event, enough bushes for the ladies to hide behind and very encouraging and happy volunteers helping on the day…"
Helen

"Good morning.  I’m sure I’m not the first and definitely won’t be the last to congratulate you on a fantastically organised ride. 
The signage and the food stops were perfect.
Thanks again and congratulations."
Paul

"It was a great event, thanks, I live in the area and you picked a great route. 
The knee is completely shot today but did get round okay……
Thanks again."
Neil

"Just a short note to say how much I enjoyed the ride yesterday. I thought the route was very scenic indeed and the location for the start/finish was quite special. I don't know how you manage to provide lunch and free refreshments at the 4 interim stops for the entry fee, but they were most welcome (and necessary).  I met up with 2 friends I made from L2P last July and it was great to catch up.

Just one tip for next year if you do the same route. Give earlier warning of the right turn off Goudhurst Hill. We were going up to 40mph down that long, steep but straight descent.  2 of my group went hurtling past the big sign (which was directly opposite the turning) and couldn't pull up in time to make the turn.
See you next year.
Regards,"
Aubrey Fox

"I'm bound to congratulate you, Mark and all your team on a really well-organised ride.  Although I had to go 'off-piste' so that I could catch those I was supposed to be riding with after losing 2 hours to a mechanical failure at 14 miles (broken chain), that was nothing to do with the ride or its organisation.  From the point I got back on-piste (just before Headcorn) all was good, especially the refreshment stops...although it might be worth (before 2009!) asking the folk at Goudhurst to check the meaning of 'mostly' in the context of the phrase 'mostly downhill from here'!  The only better help I could have had with my mech failure was that Halfords might have carried spare chains for a 10-gear rear chainset...they didn't bcs they don't stock bikes that use them but I can't have been the only rider on such a bike and replacing the repaired one at Headcorn might have avoided the shortened chain breaking 3 miles from the finish.  Minor (and personal) quibbles only, as I say a great and well-organised ride and very much worthy of a repeat in 2009 so thanks once again and well done!
Yours,"
Ian Simpson (rider 334)

"Just wanted to say thanks for organising a great event. It was really quite a good day quite a challenging course. Couple of the road signs were a bit dodgy, had stories of people getting a bit lost, but otherwise all-in-all a great event!
Will definitely try and get more involved with events and the charity!
Thanks!"
Amir

"I just wanted to email to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make Sunday an incredibly well organised and well signposted ride. I really cannot praise the organisation of the event enough - from the entry process to email updates and registration on the day -  it was a great experience and I do not underestimate how much hard work must go into something like this. Even the lunch was great and a nice tee shirt at the end.  I did the BHF Oxford to Cambridge ride last September, organised by Bike Events and that was shambolic by comparison.

I wouldn't hesitate to sign up for another of your events and I will send off my donation early this week.

Thanks again for a great day - would have been better with a motor on my bike, but you can't have everything!

Regards,"
Gail

"Congratulations!

Absolutely superb day out!
I can't thank you and your team enough for the excellent support and organisation on the Castle Ride.
Was it really 75% uphill?
I picked up a medium T-shirt but need a large. Is there a chance to buy another?

Fantastic day!

Best regards,"
Steve

"Back at my desk in Vienna (it's raining), and feeling sleepy - had to get up at 02:50 for my taxi to airport zzzzzzz

Well my time was not so great (6:15 riding time), but we were SO lucky with the weather - Saturday was grim, yesterday was very pleasant.
The organisation was spot on - route marking, marshals on dodgy junctions etc etc,. and the food was great!

The flapjacks at Headcorn (from "Pumpkin" ?) were fab :-)

I've landed a couple more sponsors since the event, so good news for AMR.

See you next year !!"
Jeremy

"I wanted to say a massive thank you to you and all of your colleagues for a great day on Sunday. It was one of the toughest rides I have done but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The organisation was second to none and the course was well sign-posted. The refreshment stops and lunch were also very generous and certainly much needed and everyone was very friendly. And well done for securing the good weather too!

I will no doubt sign up for next year's event. In the meantime training continues for the London to Paris ride I'll be doing with AMR in July.

Many thanks again and best regards,"

Pierre Ramboaniaina 

"Huge thanks to you both (and a heap of others) for all your efforts in organising the ride yesterday. 
I have to say I questioned your parentage a great number of times as I went up yet another sodding hill....I think your advice to pace yourself as only the first 40 miles is hilly was a tad off the mark (I seem to recall only one short stretch that was in any way flat !).  If anyone every tells me I'm a southern softy and there are no hills in Kent I will through my bike at them.
Anyway, very many thanks - without your efforts none of the 700 of us would have had this ride and I hope you raise lots of money for AMR. 
Strangely within 15 mins of getting off the bike, with a sore arse and legs about to divorce me, I was both looking forward to riding the London to Paris with AMR in July and thinking of signing up to the Castle Ride next year.  But perhaps you might want to think of visiting some castles in flatter parts of Kent (like the Romney Marshes !)"
Chris West

"Hi there just wanted to say thank you for such a well organised Castle Ride event yesterday. The route was good, if not a bit steep at times! and the staff involved were very friendly. Also, I was wearing a Tour de France king of the mountains jersey, (white with red polka dots) black shorts, black helmet and black bike, and saw a lady with a camera on the back of a motorbike taking numerous photos, if I happened to be amongst any of them id be really grateful if you could find the time to e-mail me them (I was number 746). Thanks again for a great day."

Andrew Rawlinson

"Rode the event yesterday and I thought it was very well organised indeed. Excellent signposting, refreshments and lunch were all good, and a big thanks to all the volunteers you had working on the day. It was a tough course and the cold wind made it tougher but still worth doing. Really enjoyed it and believe me all the hard work was worth it."

Mick

"My friends and I really enjoyed Sunday, hard work though it was. The two friends I rode with are relatively new to cycling, certainly riding long distances and they both thought the organisation of the event was excellent. I think they're planning to email their congratulations too.
 
I'm about to collect my sponsorship money and I was wondering if it's possible to let me know roughly how much the Castle Ride raised, so my sponsors know they've contributed to a successful event when they hand over the cash!
 
Thanks to everyone for a great day, I'm already looking forward to next year, hopefully without the chilly north easterly!"
 
Michael Knapp

"Just a quick note of thanks to you and all your colleagues / volunteers at Sunday's ride, it was absolutely fantastic, very enjoyable. A superb route, I even had to stop for a steam train and I was really touched by people cheering us when we finally got back to Tonbridge, how nice was that. I hope to be back next year and will spread the word at my club for a few more recruits. I've been looking at your website and might even try sneaking in another one this summer although I haven't mentioned it to my wife yet....

Look after yourself and thanks for a truly memorable experience."

Patrick

"Just wanted to thank you for a great event on Sunday.....I mean the castle ride of course!  I thought it was very well organised, extremely well sign posted, and all the refreshment stops in just the right places.  There were two slightly demoralising issues - first was the lady doing the ride in a cardy, slacks and moccasins, & the fact that she seemed to be smiling the whole time!!  Second was the distance of 103.5miles, not 100.....you've no idea how hard that last 3.5 was - maybe I need to get my cycle computer checked out!!

Congratulations, you all did a sterling job.  The atmosphere was friendly and encouraging as were other cyclists.  I'd like to pass on my thanks to all the marshals, raynet, and cheery types we met at the refreshment stops.

See you next year!"
Miriam Pownell.

"I thought I’d take this opportunity just to thank you for laying on a splendidly organised event again. I managed to go ‘off piste’ again this year, bombing down the steep hill after the Goudhurst feed station (and banter with the girls), I sailed off after encouragement from the crowd (3), but that was my own fault for inattention, so a couple of miles later I bothered to read the booklet, and had the joy of cycling back up it!

The lunch was excellent – a good variety and lots of it! – and I only wish I could have stayed longer and enjoyed more, but I felt compelled to push on, seeing as how my body felt pretty good prior to lunch. Well, it experienced a completely different feeling after lunch – the body basically telling me “You’re rubbish you are”. Anyway, one just persevered and struggled on.

Could I just thank all the people involved who put themselves out for the day whether it was marshalling or manning the feed stations and other points along the way, who could quite easily have been enjoying a very nice Sunday elsewhere, they certainly helped in my enjoyment of a splendid event."

Cheers, Mark

"I’m sitting here nursing my stiff neck, shoulders, legs and fingers…but thinking that yesterday was a really superb event. Well done on the organisation front…I’ve done a few of these in my team, and this was the best I’ve seen.

Particular highlights for me were:

1. The route – beautiful, challenging, varied and well planned.
2. The route markers – clear
3. The break stops – especially the lunch. Well positioned (just after half way), good environment and good food
4. The staff and supporters – very helpful and friendly."

David

"Just a big thank you to you and your team for the Castle Ride on Sunday. The organisation was first class from the e-mail updates prior to the ride, the organisation on the day all the way to the medal at the end. It was all so much better than the London to Brighton ride that I normally enter. I had a colleague who had to abandon half way and he was superbly looked after by the organisers and brought safely back to Tonbridge.

This was the first time that I had ridden a 100 miles and although it took me 11.5 hours I am so pleased that I entered it.

Just one point though - would you consider having an earlier start ? This would allow some of the slower riders (e.g. me) to complete while you still have the post ride event going on at the Castle ? Although there were still people at the Castle to give my medal at 7:30 pm you couldn't help but think that the main event was over and I do fully understand that you have to close it at some point. An earlier start for the slower riders would allow us to finish during the main event. Of course I could just train harder and ride faster but I passed a lot of people who must have come in even later than me.

As a suggestion maybe have a novice/fun rider departure between 6:00 and 8:00 and then the faster/ club riders from 8:00. That way we should all come in during the afternoon event at the castle.

This is just a minor point as overall it was a fantastically organised event.

Regards"

Mark Phillips (Rider 120)

"I enjoyed  the Castle Ride again this year. I thought the food, organisation and new route was even better than last year. And although, it is not a Sportive, it is fast becoming the main event in the SE cycling calendar. I heard quite a few comments from fellow riders, of how they preferred it to the London-Canterbury and the London - Brighton , so it looks like you will have another Sell Out again for next year !

You'll be glad / saddened to know that I didn't get off the bike, however it was the slowest I have climbed up Hollingbourne Hill. Also I didn't realise we would be tackling Wrotham Hill, which was just as well, as I didn't have to worry about it in advance !

There were noticeably more cyclists out there this year. I wonder how many no-shows you had. 

PS:- My total ride time was 06:43 and time over all was 07:38, so quite pleased with that.

Thanks again,"

Martin