PREPARATIONS are now well under way for this year’s Liphook Bike Ride after the Crankers took over the running of the Charity Bike Ride from LiDBA in October.

The 2016 ride will take place on Sunday, June 12, starting at Bohunt School. The ride format will be largely unchanged and participants will find the day will be run in an almost identical manner.

But the Crankers will be modernising certain areas including making the entry system all on-line. They have just launched a new website, which already provides some key information for sponsors and charities.

The sponsorship campaign now begins in earnest where the Crankers will be contacting local businesses to offer them the opportunity to sponsor elements of the ride, from road signs and rider numbers to the website.

The latter is aimed at helping to support the ride’s infrastructure so the sponsorship money can all be allocated directly to local charities.

Ride chairman Alistair Halliday told The Herald: “We are all very much looking forward to the ride this year.

“It will look exactly the same as in previous years and we have been heartened by so many pledges of support we have already received.

“We are grateful for sponsors, charities, marshals and riders who have supported it in the past under LiDBA’s excellent management, and we look forward to them coming on board once again in 2016.

“Charities will be able to register their riders though the new website, reducing some administration efforts, and there will be a charities evening in February to help to explain this.”

The village charity bike ride has been a jewel in the crown in the Liphook calendar over the past 25 years under LiDBA’s management.

The 2015 ride collected over £45,000 for local charities and has totalled more than £1m over the past 25 years.

For more details, visit liphookbikeride.com or e-mail the organisers at info@ liphookbikeride.com.