Going Nuts at the Bike Balls Event

As a testicular cancer survivor and men’s health activist, many people think I would jump on the trend of Truck Nuts, a pair of plastic testicles that adorns the tailgates of pickup trucks. But, alas, I drive a Toyota Corolla and cannot affix the Nuts properly.

However, I have invested in a pair of Bike Balls to hang from the rear of my bicycle. In my opinion, these are actually better than Truck Nuts, as these decorations light up in a soft, sapphire color. Talk about a different (and less painful) form of blue balls.

Going to an even bigger level, Albion in the Community, the official charity of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club in Sussex, England, hosted a Bike Balls event on May 3 to raise awareness of testicular cancer in the local community.

I spoke with the Albion in the Community team to learn more.

What exactly was the Bike Balls event?

The Bike Balls 10K Night Ride started at the football club’s stadium, the American Express Community Stadium, continued through the city of Brighton and Hove, and finished at the British Airways i360. The organization teamed up with the Bike Balls company to provide each cyclist with their very own pair of the lights to use on the night.

After the ride, a reception featured a number of guest speakers including two people who have personal experience with testicular cancer, a local poet who read a selection of testicular cancer-themed poetry, the city’s mayor. A city official talking about testicles is the kind of leader I can get behind.

What got the ball rolling on this novel event?

Part of Albion in the Community’s outreach involves a cancer awareness campaign called Speak Up Against Cancer. Speak Up aims to raise local early detection rates of a range of different cancers. In the last 12 months alone, the team has shared life-saving information about the signs and symptoms of different cancers with more than 19,000 people in Brighton and Hove at more than 100 different local events.

Because May is close on the heels of April’s Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, they wanted to do something ballsy to promote early detection. By approaching a serious and under-discussed topic in a lighthearted manner, they hoped to reach more men and educate them about the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer. To reach the highest-risk population (men in their 20s through 40s), they wanted to do something active that would appeal most to that audience.

The combination of a a Friday night bike ride with the Bike Balls (as a creative visual prop) turned out to be the winning ticket. The ultimate goal was to give the riders a pair of Bike Balls to remind them to take care of the pair they were born with.

Beyond the cyclists, Speak Up also hoped the ride would capture the attention of onlookers. The key aim was to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of the condition, so the larger the ride’s impact, the more people would think about the message.

What were the reactions like from the Bike Balls attendees?

One hundred cyclists (for a total of 200 Bike Ball testicles) took part in the event, with glowing feedback. According to the organization, “The feedback we received has been brilliant and having the Speak Up Against Cancer Volunteers and guest speakers share their own personal experiences of testicular cancer really helped maximise (sic) the impact of our messages.”

Beyond the organization, a number of attendees and participants had some words to share.

Elliott, one of the cyclists, said:

“I signed up for the ride because it sounded like a fun event—that also raised awareness about an important issue. There was a real buzz around the stadium that evening, and seeing everyone ride off with their glowing balls was quite a spectacle!

The speakers were incredible, funny but also quite hard-hitting and really put things into perspective.”

One of the speakers, Matthew, shared:

“I was really impressed by how well everyone engaged with the post-cycle session and how smoothly it went. Often these things are overly drawn out, and people lose focus and concentration, but this was concise and very to the point, and I thought it was a masterstroke to finish with Atilla’s witty and poignant poems.”

Christopher, another participant, really hit the ball out of the park with his takeaways:

“It was great to see a wide variety of people talking about cancer, and testicular cancer specifically. It was especially good to hear from the young chap who was around my age, which really hit home about the age that you can get it. I was impressed by the speakers being able to talk so openly about something that is so intimate.

I learnt that testicular cancer is more likely to occur in younger adults—something I didn’t know about until the event. This highlights the importance of awareness for people my age, so I will be letting all my friends and family know to help spread the message. Each of the speakers iterated the importance of catching it early, so another important thing that I gained is a sense of urgency if I ever noticed any changes, signs, or symptoms.”

The Bike Balls 10K Night Ride proved so popular that they have already had cyclists get in touch to ask if they are running it again next year. When it leaps the pond and makes it over here to America, you can bet I will be among the pack.

Why was this such an important event?

The Speak Up Against Cancer campaign has a focus on the positive outcomes of detecting cancer as early as possible. In the case of testicular cancer in the UK, around 95 percent of testicular cancers can be successfully treated if caught early. Making sure local people know what to look for is therefore incredibly important and, in some cases, life-saving.

Encouraging people to talk more openly about cancer means people are more likely to talk to friends and family about any concerns. Not only does that help spread awareness of the signs and symptoms, but it also means people are more comfortable talking about their worries, which helps ensure they have a support network in the worst-case scenario of receiving a cancer diagnosis.

Beyond the goals of Speak Up, the event aimed to break down the stigma many men associate with the condition. As I’ve said time and time again, encouraging men to talk more openly about conditions like testicular cancer—and men’s health in general—is a critical mission.

Men often don’t have the same opportunities—or choose to ignore the chance—to discuss health issues and are less likely to reveal their concerns to others. They are also more likely to try to solve the problem themselves than check it out with a health professional.

By creating a fun event, the goal was to help participants and observers be more comfortable talking about the subject with friends and family. Based on the above reactions, I would say they’re pedaling in the right direction.

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