“The Dragon Ride was our first organised/sponsored cycle event, and the connection with Macmillan had special meaning for us since my father was greatly helped by their nurses as he battled with cancer. My son, Morgan, is 27 now, and this is his third Dragon Ride… The event is a great opportunity to meet and chat to other participants on the endeavour, we all have a common aim and interest, and for that brief period we almost become best of friends.”

“I very much enjoyed the Dragon Ride, I am gradually moving through the route options, the one lined up for next year being the Gran Fondo. There is always a degree of apprehension beforehand, particularly since I am increasing the distance and climbs every year and this is usually focussed on one climb, this year the feared climb was the Devil’s Elbow. We were also expecting thunderstorms, with heavy rain, this held off, thank goodness.

So, without the severe weather to deal with, I knew that once I had successfully completed the Devil’s Elbow without getting off and walking it would be all downhill (not literally) and could focus instead on enjoying the views and company. In a sense, the emotion and elation of the whole ride was condensed into that one climb, the rest of the ride was about eating and maintaining a steady pace. Saved a caffeine gel that my son gave me for my arrival into Port Talbot, so I was really buzzing through that last section to Margam Park where I had the joy of being met by my daughter and wife. In the meantime, Morgan was still peddling, arriving an hour or so later after completing the extraordinary Dragon Devil. Since my daughter and son live in Bristol and London the thrill of the Dragon Ride is that extraordinary mix of the joy of a family reunion, relief, adrenaline, and a shared success. What a day!”