One of the things I am sure about is that it's people that matter, more than anything. I've written and talked a lot now about riding around Britain and each time I've said that what I remember most are brilliant inspiring people.
One of the people I got to know through Twitter on my bike ride around the coast two years ago was David Hargrave, better known to many of us simply as @roadbikedave. We have followed his life via Twitter through his love of family, people and of course cycling. He wrote about eating, I know Dave and I shared the love of a simple cake after (or before) or during a ride. I loved to hear word from him. Some little tweets have stuck with me. His pride at seeing one of his boys ride for the first time. His first session this winter in the gym. His first ride on his winter bike. You just new this man was the real deal in terms of his love of riding, his love for his family and his love of life.
I met Dave on the road somewhere near Newcastle in August 2009, it was like meeting an old friend and he had invited me to stay at his house that night. So we rode on to Sunderland nattering all the way. I found out a lot about Dave and his life. It's odd but I remember a lot of what he had to say. He told me about his work (at John Lewis in Newcastle), about his brilliant family, about his past, and his sporting background. He told me he had gone to Africa on a charity walk, about how it had affected him seeing real poverty for the first time, and how on his return he had given many of his possessions away. He realised that they didn't have so much value and that it was people who mattered.
On that ride, I remember laughing when he asked me about eating and quickly phoned his wife Hannah to tell her that I didn't eat meat and to put the steaks back in the fridge.
That night we talked late, and in the morning Dave and Hannah had to get off to work and I took some photos of them as before they left. It struck me how close they were, that they were true soulmates, you can see that in the photo. I stayed awhile after they had gone with instructions about eating this and that, so that I had all I needed. David gave me loads of bits and bobs that I 'had to have', he stuffed my pockets with energy bars etc. I just looked out this little bit from my blog that I wrote a day or so later and it says alot him.
'Monday last, I stayed with brilliant folk in Sunderland, Dave and Hannah. Dave is one of those rare folk who spends his life helping and doing things for other folk and giving stuff away (saying he's got two of this and that and I might as well have it, though I wasn't entirely convinced that was the case). Dave and Hannah have three boys who were spending the night at the grandparents, so I slept in a Power Rangers bed (thanks Will) and left with a bag of extra stuff (food, pens and a booster charger) from Dave.'
I have met many people who ride bicycles, but I know of nobody who was happier simply being on a bike than Dave.That much was clear to us all every day. You would get a report on Dave's ride into work, what the weather was doing, who he encountered. I'm sure he gave many a inconsiderate driver a pretty hard time (and told us about it). We knew and looked forward to reports of his rides to and from work. We knew about his friends, and got to know them a little too.
I'm so please I had the pleasure to have met Dave and that I got to keep in touch through the magic of his Twitter feed and messages since.
I'm also convinced that Dave's real passion was just people, he was one of life's total givers. Things of course didn't matter, it was time, effort, love and care that did, and he gave all without a thought. It's just what he did.
Dave died last Monday very suddenly on his bike (of course). It seems he died of a heart attack. All I can feel at the moment is complete sadness.
But I know that lots of people who will have met Dave briefly (like me) or over a longer time, will look back and feel that we are all better people for having met such a champion of a man.
Dave's wife Hannah is raising money for Cardiac Risk in the Young. You can donate here