Congratulations to saddle-sore Geoff Wheeler and Andy Murphy of the Savile Row Cycling Club, who have just completed the club’s inaugural bike ride, Road to the Row, which took them all the way from Huddersfield to Savile Row.

The Savile Row Cycling Club was founded three years ago with the purpose of highlighting the special relationship between Huddersfield and its famed cloth mills and Savile Row, the world-centre of bespoke tailoring.

Geoff, of Savile Row Bespoke Association (SRBA) Associate Member Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, initially proposed the ride to raise money for the Bespoke Tailors’ Benevolent Association (BTBA) in 2019. Sixteen cyclists – including woollen merchants, cutters, coat makers and Andy from A Murphy Shoe - signed up to take part, but then the pandemic struck and preparations were put on hold.

The ride eventually got under way on October 1st, with just Geoff and Andy taking part. They took the Tour de France route, which included hills, hills and more hills… And on day two they cycled for eleven hours in the rain, starting in the Peak District and finishing in Leicester. The next day daw them reach Hemel Hempstead, which left them a triumphant forty mile run in to Savile Row on day four, October 4th.

Donations can still be made to the BTBA through the Savile Row Cycling Club’s GoFundMe page.