All done and thanks all round for the sponsorship. This page will stay open for a while in case there are any last minute donations. The hills on the third and final day seemed to go on for ever, especially the climb out of Alfriston, but lots of great views, Falmer Stadium, the back end of Saltdean and finally Beachy Head.

I thought it would be a good idea to catch the train back, so I cycled down the hill into Eastbourne only to find engineering works, so I had to cycle to Polegate and then again from Brighton to Shoreham. Neither was difficult after the Downs, but I had nothing left and boy was it a struggle. So all in all a brilliant weekend and a tremendous challenge.

First two days complete and just the climb, climb, climb of Brighton to Eastbourne to go. Of course nothing is straightforward. On day one I lost my chain at the top of the first big descent of the day and just assumed it had slipped out of gear. It was a long push back up to retrieve it and then five stops to try and refix it as it kept breaking every couple of miles. At the lunch break I was only able to continue by borrowing the chain from the group leader's bike. I suffered horribly from cramp, rushing to regain the two hours plus I had lost, whilst not having full use of my gears.

By comparison day two was a breeze. A reasonable nights sleep under canvas, plus a fully repaired bike and a hearty breakfast set me up perfectly. In truth it was cold, wet and hard work, but thoroughly enjoyable compared to day one. I didn't quite make it in time for kick off at Withdean, so had to sit in the Brighton rugby club sipping pints of Harveys, until Grainne and the boys came and picked me up.

A quick training update. Bank Holiday Monday I caught the train to Chichester, cycled up to the South Downs Way, just south of Midhurst and set off for home, equipped with essential supplies and repair kit.  Less than 10 miles down the track I hit a flint and got a treble puncture. Despite the assistance of a couple of experienced hands, the tube was not repairable and the spare I was carrying was no good either. The net result was that I realised I needed to focus on more than just the fitness side and have benefited from a crash course in bike maintenance. There is nothing like an 8 mile walk pushing a bike across the Downs to drive this point home. I intend to be better prepared for next weekend.

I have set myself the challenge of riding the South Downs Way from end to end this year. For those of you unfamiliar with the area the South Downs is a chalk land ridge stretching from Winchester in Hampshire through to Eastbourne in Sussex. 160 Km or 100 miles of largely unspoilt natural beauty. That is unless you need to cover the distance on two wheels ! The route is largely off road and consists of a large number of short sharp climbs and descents.

I am tackling this over three days, which I reckon is a fair task, my challenge is to complete all of the climbs without having to get off and push. The weather may yet play a big part, as wet slippery chalk would certainly add to the task. I am tackling this for the Argus Appeal, which supports a large number of local good causes, please click on the link for more details, if you are interested. This is an organised ride, so whilst I will have to pitch a tent for two nights, I will not be expected to ride with it on my back. they have also committed to feeding me, which could be a major task in itself after a day's cycling !

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Thanks

Gareth