MAN RIDE.

Retrospective 2016-2021.

By Black Sheep Cycling

September 27^th, 2020

Looking back. To Move Forward.

Since its inception in 2016, the Man Ride has taken a multitude of guises. Ahead of this year’s ride and our ongoing dedication to making a difference, we look back at the story so far …

Man Ride 2016. Longreach to Airlie Beach, Australia

Riders: John Polson, Craig Mackie, Sam Gifford, Adam Versteege, Dan Pickering, Lachlan Davidson, David Withers

How Mental Health Affects all Walks of Life.

The inaugural Man Ride was the brainchild of John Polson. It lived long in the head. But took just a matter of weeks and a few dedicated people to pull together.

Our rather aptly named Men of Steel teams from Melbourne and Santa Barbara would simultaneously ride 1000km in 4 days. From Longreach to Airlie Beach in the outback of Australia. And from the tip to the toe of California in the United States. Both rides, in rugged, rural areas of their respective countries highlighted the issues being felt by farmers and the drastic actions many men were taking to escape the torment. For those completing ride, it was a war of attrition. A physical and mental battle that would mark the beginning of our commitment to making a difference.

“Getting to know one another as the kilometres ticked over was a great way to rattle off your thoughts. No bullshit. Egos. Or life status – just riding and opening up came pretty easy,” says Black Sheep’s Craig Mackie. “Pushing myself mentally and physically on a bike for four days was the kick up the backside I needed. The sense of achievement at the end was better than any bike race I've ever completed. And with that came friendships. So thanks Man Ride 2016 for kicking me up the arse and giving me back my love for life. Again.”

MAN RIDE 2016. Northern to Southern Califonia, USA

Riders: Aaron Stinner; Brandon Bakes, Tosh Clements, Taylor Clements, Danny Katz, Alex Darville, Stephen Leece

“Pushing myself mentally and physically on a bike for four days was the kick up the backside I needed." – Craig Mackie.

Man Ride 2017. Holyhead, Wales to London, England.

Riders: John Polson, Nik Howe, Miqui Rueda, Ian Whittingham, Lucy Mannall, Daniel Redwood, Juliette Landon, Jason Roberts

Turning Chaos Into Control.

The significance of Day 1 and Day 5 of the Man Ride 2017 were marked. Within hours of setting off from Holyhead, Wales we were greeted by Sharon at our first coffee stop. What started as a simple black and forth about body art ended with Sharon’s confession that her son disappeared in 2010 after a long battle with mental health issues. Justification, if it were needed, that we were on the right path. Doing the right thing.

“When I agreed to sign up to do the Man Ride I knew it was going to be a huge challenge and the biggest cycling event I had ever done. What I didn't quite realise at the time was just how much more it was going to mean to me," Lucy Mannall, Sigma Sports. From tears of laughter to tears of sadness, the conversations throughout these five days were many and have had a lasting impact on me.”

Those same conversations were amplified as these eight journeymen and women who have travelled from the very tip of Wales to the tantalising edges of London were joined by a giant peloton of people from Sigma Sports for the last hour of their epic journey. And furthermore, in eight other locations around the world, hundreds of riders of all mental dispositions, gender, race and ability came together to join the conversation about men’s mental health. Over a period of 48hours, the Man Ride would happen in Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Brisbane, Melbourne, London, Medellin, Santa Monica and Phoenix. There would also be unofficial events and self-organised group rides from South Africa to Salzburg.

Man Ride 2018. Brighton to London, via Land’s End, England.

Riders: Liam Yates & Jake Armstrong

San Sebastian to Girona, Spain.

Riders: Oliver Grenaa & Jojo Harper

Grand Junction to Boulder, USA.

Riders: Andy Stockman & Natalie Starr

Medellin to Bogota, Colombia.

Riders: Ben Hitchins & Carlos Orozco

Swan Hill to Melbourne, Australia.

Riders: Michael Brown & Faz Zamani

Learning You're Never Alone.

Harnessing the worldwide exploits of the Man Ride 2017, we took it one step further in twenty-eighteen. Teams of two would take on 1000km in 5 days across 5 continents. No corner of the world would be unturned in our quest to lend our voice to the issue of Men’s Mental Illness. Australia, America, South America, Europe, and the UK each had dedicated Man Rides, completed by dedicated people dedicated to the cause.

“The standout moments for me were seeing the responses from people both before and during the ride. As soon as we spoke about the project’s purpose, people were eager to share stories, either their own or stories of friends or family. Just by saying that we were here to talk about men’s mental health empowered others to open up about a really difficult subject,” says, Ben Hitchins who rode from Medellin to Bogota in Colombia up Alto de Letras, the longest climb in. the world. “Not going to lie, the ride was really hard! But that was the point, and the voluntary 'suffering' felt insignificant. Riding into Bogota on the final day, I could see that people I’d never met had been following our progress and engaging with the global initiative. It felt truly worthwhile and I was so proud to be a part of it.”

Man Ride 2019. I AM … Campaign.

I AM …

Through three editions of the Man Ride, we had helped the way people thought about mental health. In 2019, we wanted to find a solution to the issue. Not easy. There is no magic pill. No quick fix. So how, in a world that craves immediate treatment to the most chronic of problems, do we deal with mental illness?

We asked you to answer the question: I AM … Believing that people often go to tell someone how they actually feel, and then retreat at the last minute, offering up instead ‘I AM … fine’, I AM … well’, ‘I AM … tired’, but never truly laying themselves bare. The responses we got were overwhelmingly honest. Open. Sometimes confronting. But they were truths. Which is what we after.

As always, some, if not all of this comes easier on the bike. So again, we hosted Man Rides the world over, virtually on ZWIFT and, of course, at our The Woolshed HQ.

“I have been involved in the Man Ride since 2018. And every year it reminds me of how much I appreciate my local cycling community,” says Mike Flynn, a Brisbane Man Ride road captain. “Cycling for me is a vehicle for long-lasting friendships, having tough conversations and supporting your mates. Man Ride is the epitome of this, and all that’s great about cycling, including the focus on mental health and balance.”

Man Ride 2020. one:5 strava challenge.

When the World Shut Down.

Group rides and community events came to a sudden halt in 2020, but that didn't stop Man Ride. This year we shifted things online and partnered with Strava to launch the very first Black Sheep Strava Challenge.

Our Black Sheep ONE:5 Challenge encouraged riders to ride 100km over the course of 5 days, or if you where even ballsier, do it five times through. Why? To bring much-needed exposure to the fact that 1 in 5 men battle mental illness every single day. The challenge garnered over 91, 000 participants and reached all corners of the globe.

GO GET LOST.

Committed to Taking Time.

Riding bikes is a great way to get lost. This year - in 2021 we teamed up again with Strava to reach even more people. We encouraged everyone to get away. Explore. Reward yourself (and those around you) with 300 minutes of riding in 7 days. All in the name of good mental health. This Strava challenge to date has been our biggest with over 150, 000 participants world wide. All committed to taking time out of their day for themselves. To go get lost.

As well as the Strava challenge, the first time we had been able to host a in person cycling event in over 12 months. Man Ride this year hit a little more close to home, with the loss of our mate and in-store bike mechanic, Poul Peterson. As a special tribute, a Ride for Poul event was hosted at Black Sheep HQ in which over 200 riders came to show their support.

Footnotes

Words Nik Howe. Photography Kye Wylde (AUS 2016, UK 17); Mathew Miller (USA 2016); Jake Armstrong (UK), Natalie Starr (US), Jojo & Will Harper (EU), La Charlarka (COL) (2018). Community (2019) Hannah Depper and Kye Wylde (2020), Limmel Co. (AU) (2021)