14th to 23rd April 2007

The Big Heart Bike Ride was a 10-day adventure in Cuba. The trip featured 5 days of cycling (320km) around the island, plus plenty of sightseeing in Havana.

The ride took in quiet roads, passing towns and villages that seemed frozen in time. Highlights of the ride included the Bay of Pigs – famous for US aggression on Cuba in 1961; Trinidad – a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Sierra del Escambray mountains; and Santa Clara with its statue of the legendary Che Guevara (below).

“We returned from Cuba late on Sunday evening after a hugely successful challenge with lots of enthusiasm for the cause and lots of commitment from participants to a future Big Heart ride. The cycling was a real challenge for everyone – including some very good cyclists – with lots of hills and a mountain on day 3, but it really bonded the group and made everyone feel they fully deserved all the sponsorship funds they have raised so far and determined to go out and raise more.”

Money raised by the event was shared equally between 5 heart charities – CRY; British Heart Foundation; Heart UK; Echo UK and Wessex Heartbeat. Each charity received around £13,000 thanks to the efforts of the 37 participants.