... well the first stage anyway.
I did it! On Saturday 6 June 2009 I took part in the TfL / London Rail Charity Challenge 2009 which was a 125 mile bike ride from London to Canterbury via Dartford, Chatham, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford. This was the first leg of the Tour de France in 2007 and includes 4 "significant" hills in Tour terms.
It was a hard but fun day, in the end it took 8.5 hours in the saddle, 10 hours including stops, which works out at an average speed of 14 mph which wasn't bad. Total distance ridden over the day was 135 miles including the 10 mile ride from home Greenwich before the start. The fixed gear didn't prove too much of problem in the end as the hills were not up to northern standards! The weather started out a bit wet, but soon dried up and it turned out to be great riding weather.
We're raising money for Re~Cycle who collect bikes in this country, train up youth groups and volunteers to repair and renovate them and then provide recycled bikes to those who need them in Africa - to enable children to get to school which is often a 20 mile round trip or more; to nurses to get drugs and treatment to those in remote areas; or to enable communities to collect water and supplies so they can survive. The addition of "Re~cycle" bike can have a hugely positive impact on the lives of those who are lucky enough to receive them but it takes time, effort and funding to get the bikes into a suitable state, and then get them to Africa, and this is why your donations are so critical.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Re~Cycle (Bicycle Aid for Africa) gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
I would be really grateful for any sponsorship that you may like to give - either through this justgiving site, or alternatively I'm more than happy to do it the old fashioned way!
Thank you to everyone who has been so generous in sponsoring me so far, for those who haven't - it's not too late!. I'll put some pictures up here when I work out how to.
