Blazing Saddles Cycling in The North

NCBI is a nonprofit, voluntary organisation, a registered charity that has been in existence since 1981. They raise money for the visually-impaired through a wide range of fund-raising activities that includes skiing, parachuting and, highest profile of all, cycling. The annual cycle challenge of the Blazing Saddles has taken them all over Europe, to California and Florida, and to Canada, with millions of pounds being raised for the NCBI. The Canadian challenge alone made 125 million pounds for the charity. 1999 was Thailand's turn to host these intrepid cyclists, and in the heat of early April they arrived in Chiangmai to take up the challenge.

The Blazing Saddles themselves represent the official fund-raising arm of NCBI, and their overseas cycling adventures are very much the brainchild of tour director Eamon Duffy. This cycling club has over 2,000 members and competition is keen for the limited places available on their far-flung pedalling tours. For their tour of Thailand, each rider had to raise about $4,500, mainly from friends in their home towns, of which about half goes to meeting tour costs.

For over a year, local mountain biking expert Alex Brodard of Wild Planet Adventure and Contact Travel, Chiangmai planned the detailed itinerary of each day's adventures for this group. To get to Thailand, the 180 lucky bike fans were flown from Dublin on a specially chartered Thai Airways International flight, the first time the national carrier had ever landed in Ireland. To take up their challenge they had to assemble in the north where, on April 3rd 1999, they were marshalled together in their bright yellow and black cycling kit outside Chiangmai's Amari Rincome Hotel.

The welcoming address was given by Khun Pakdi Rattanaphon, the Vice-Governor of Chiangmai Province, who highlighted the increasing interest being shown in cycling in Chiangmai, which now has its own Sunday Cycling Group. He then went on to say "The Amazing Thailand Cycle Challenge will undoubtedly help to expand our tourism appeal among both domestic and foreign tourists interested in cycling, who will have the opportunity to enjoy our tourism attractions and resources, including the delightful natural attractions, the archaeological richness and the beautiful physical features of delightful Chiangmai."

Inspired by Khun Pakdi's words, the cyclists then set off on their journey through northern Thailand's charming landscape, a journey that they completed in seven stages, starting from Chiangmai itself, proceeding to Chiangrai, and finally reaching journey's end on the banks of the great Mae Khong river at the ancient Lanna capital of Chiang Saen, at the very edge of the Golden Triangle. After completing their epic ride, the 180 riders then took their 360 legs to Bangkok and then Pattaya for a richly deserved dip in the cool ocean.

Anyone wanting to know more about NCBI, or to follow up on the success of the Amazing Thailand Cycle Challenge as a fund-raising event, should contact their headquarters at P V Doyle House, Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, Ireland. We hope that the Blazing Saddles' visit to the north of Thailand will have done much to help the blind and the partially-sighted in Ireland, and that it may also have done its bit to inspire the folk of the north to get on their bikes.