Support MTB Marathon for Michael Bonney Fund

Life changed for Michael Bonney, Managing Director of Orange Mountain Bikes’, earlier this year when he crashed while riding a sportive, leaving him paralysed from the neck down and requiring 24-hour care.

Since news broke of his horrific accident, the cycling world has rallied around the charismatic Englishman who’s remained positive, urging people to ‘ride for Michael’.

Cyclists from around the globe are organising fundraising events to help pay for the care that he’ll need for the rest of his life – and as a good friend of Michael, CRC staff rider Geoff McComb has organised Ride For Michael NI on Saturday 6th July, where he’ll be joined by colleagues Michael Cowan and Dale McMullan along with Nukeproof Brand Manager Ali Beckett and CutMedia’s Stu Thomson, where they aim to ride 70km of Ireland’s new trail centres, taking on Davagh Forest, Rostrevor, Castlewellan and Barnetts Demesne.

Geoff’s looking forward to the ride with a mix of excitement and trepidation: “ Michael’s accident is something that could happen to any of us who ride, 15 degrees either way he’d have broken his collar bone. After reading his inspiring interview from hospital, the last sentence of which is “Get out there and ride for me”, what else could I do except round up the guys and do something that Michael would enjoy doing himself.”

A close friend of Michael, Stu Thomson is doing all he can to help: “I think anyone who has heard about Michael's story and how he has dealt with such a terrible accident cannot help but be inspired.

“He has got a long road in front of him and by fundraising and growing the Ride for Michael campaign is really important to gain him a quality of life in the future. I think everyone involved in this ride realises that this situation could have happened to any one of us so we all just felt that by setting ourselves a challenge and raising some money for friend and a rider in need was the least we could do.”

To find more information on the Ride for Michael charity fund and to shop for Ride for Michael merchandise, including T-shirts, wristbands and decals, head to the campaign page now.