A Ride To Remember: Cycling the Western Front of 1915-6

The Western Front of WW1 may not seem the obvious choice of route for a holiday bike ride. But that’s exactly what three members of Ripon Choral Society did in the summer of 2018. From the Belgian coast to the Swiss border, this is the story of how they followed the front line in its entirety – from Ypres to the Somme, and then on along the Chemin des Dames to Verdun and the mountain summits of the Vosges. The reason was simple. Ripon Choral Society was due to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War with a performance of Britten’s War Requiem. The sponsored ride raised funds for an expensive concert and gained some publicity. More importantly, it was undertaken to respect the humanity of those who died, and in the hope that understanding the grim reality would deter future wars and reinvigorate peace making. But it was also a holiday, and the joys of long-distance cycling shine through the whole journey. The impact was colossal. Cycling through battlefield after battlefield took its toll, but the trio remained upbeat, even when battling a rainstorm on the top of the Grand Ballon. This book is not only a reminder of the horrific consequences of war, but an entertaining and thoughtful account of a rather idiosyncratic and thoroughly enjoyable bike ride.