Cornish cyclists endure 'challenging conditions' on Alfie Beard memorial ride

Yahoo

21-04-2025

Six determined cyclists from Cornwall, including a mechanic of the Lizard lifeboat station, are currently pushing through challenging conditions on a gruelling bike ride from Roscoff, France, to Santander, Spain.
Now, several days into their journey, the team is facing wet weather, injuries, and the physical demands of the ride, all while raising vital funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and honouring the memory of Alfie Beard.
Alfie died in a single vehicle collision near Porthleven in 2022 (Image: Penzance AFC) The ride, named 'Beard's Bonkers Bike Ride', is in memory of Alfie, a much-loved young man from Helston, who was killed in a car crash in 2022, at the age of 19.
Before his death, Alfie and his father, Fran, had been planning their fundraising cycle from John O'Groats to Land's End for the RNLI.
A JustGiving page has been set up for donations, you can see this here: www.justgiving.com/page/alfie-beard
Fran decided to honour his son's memory by completing the John O' Groats to Land's End ride himself. Inspired by the cause, Fran's brother-in-law, JP Whaley – a senior station technician at The Lizard Lifeboat Station – decided to join him. Their shared commitment saw them complete that challenge and later conquer another ride from St Michael's Mount to Mont Saint-Michel and back.
The six cyclists have faced some obstacles during their journey (Image: Beard's Bonkers Bike Ride In honour of Alfie Beard) Now, the team has grown to six – Fran, JP, Taff, Gabriel, Richard and Matt – who are undertaking their most challenging ride yet from Roscoff to Santander.
However, the journey so far hasn't been easy. Recent updates shared on the Beard's Bonkers Bike Ride Facebook page reveal the toll the ride is taking.
Read Next: Go-FundMe to raise £3.5k to repair pitch after travellers cause 'unbelievable damage'
After a difficult day three, battling 'troublesome injuries, cycling in wet weather and the grind of necessary daily mileage' which saw morale dip but still resulted in 67 miles covered, the team dug deep. On day four, they achieved an incredible 83 miles, despite persistent rain.
The guys outside Wavecrest at the Lizard (Image: Beard's Bonkers Bike Ride In honour of Alfie Beard) Kimberley Whaley, who has been sharing regular updates, said: 'A whopping 83 miles yesterday in wet weather, not too shabby for blokes who mostly don't even ride bikes regularly.
'A couple of them are also suffering some injuries to muscles and tendons, not to mention the sore butts. I'm so incredibly proud of their grit and determination to keep going despite this, and I know that thoughts of Alfie are helping them drive on and the thought of raising as much as possible for The Lizard RNLI Lifeboat Station, which JP is so very passionate about.
'Keep going, guys, we are rooting for you, and we love you.'