Tech Bikers Plan Paris to London Cycle for Charity

On Friday 21 September, and for three days, 40 members of the UK technology scene will cycle the 200 miles from Paris to London, all for charity.

The initiative, called Tech Bikers for Charity, started by Eze Vidra, the Head of Google Campus in London, will see participants cycling from the other side of the Channel all the way back to Shoreditch in order to raise £10,000 for Room To Read, a charity that brings education to children in the developing world.

Vidra was joined in his efforts to organise the event by Gerry Newton, founder of Cyclr, Benjamin Southworth, Deputy CEO of Tech City Investment Organisation, and Pru Ashby, Tech City specialist. Announced in August, it received the interest of 40 participants, varying from start-up employees to venture capitalists and executives.

In preparation for the challenge, the tech bikers have committed to training as much as possible, and Saturday bike rides have been organised in order for the group to get fit.

In order to raise money for the charity, participants have been asking for donations with Southworth even offering to shave off his beard if he raised £2,000.

The cyclists will arrive in Paris early on Friday morning and make their way back to London, finishing the race in Shoreditch and celebrating with a get-together at Google Campus. Friends and family have been invited to join in for the last miles in London. The group is expected to reach London by 4pm on Sunday and to arrive at Google Campus not long after that.