The Dedicated Few: Steve Horne
In a series dedicated to our Dedicated Few – riders who’ve made the annual pilgrimage with us every year since day 1 – Steve Horne shares some of his favourite war stories.
What is there to say about the Heavy Metal Truants? Life changing probably sums it up best. Life changing for the charities and all who benefit from their hard work and life changing for the riders. Having done 5 rides and a 6th coming up, I can truly say that the 3 days of the ride are my favourite days of the year. There is such a great sense of camaraderie with all the riders old and new and a unified goal.
I first heard about the HMT at the Crobar. Being an avid cyclist, it sounded like a great opportunity to ride with a bunch of mates and raise some cash. It turned out to be so much more. The thought of missing out on a year is not an option and I see myself returning again and again.
With my father recently going through prostate cancer and all the associated treatments, it’s teenage cancer trust that holds the most significance for me. After visiting the Nordoff Robbins site in North London, it was great to see what music therapy actually entails. This has always been a bit of a mystery to me but I can now tell people exactly what goes on first hand.
There are so many great moments on the rides that it’s quite impossible to pick out a singular favourite. The final pedal on mass into Download festival always gets the adrenaline pumping. The sense of achievement is huge and I almost don’t want to get off my bike. The worst thing is getting nominated to wear the gloves of shame. Last year I missed an arrow and went miles into the unknown, even though I had done the ride 4 times previously. I suppose there is always a first time for everything including riding in bedazzled marigolds!!!
