I’ve done a lot of writing about cycling over the past year and been to a few races. Seeing these guys whizzing round got me thinking, it really doesn’t look that hard. I can do that. Hell, I’ll probably have British Cycling trying to sign me up for Tokyo 2020 after a few spinning classes. 

And so, without ever having been on a road bike before I signed up for Ride 100, a 100 mile cycle from London to Surrey and back. I figured I’d breeze there, stop off for a pub lunch halfway and still make it back within the eight hour cutoff point. It turns out I underestimated how far 100miles is. I also didn’t account for THE SADDLE. I have no idea why the saddle is so small or so hard. Does anyone know?! And why no cushion?! The wheels look a bit thin, too... Are you sure I can’t just do it on a Boris bike?!!

My confidence was well and truly shattered when I couldn’t get my feet onto the pedals to try out a bike in Halfords last weekend. I’ve still not worked it out.

But I will. I have to because I roped in top woman Cara Casey-Boyce to do it as well and she’s wiping the floor with me at the moment. 

We’re both raising money for World Child Cancer, an absolutely brilliant charity our friend Adam works for. They support children with cancer in developing countries. In the UK over 80% of children now survive cancer which, while still tragic, is an amazing survival rate. In developing countries that can be as low as 10%. It’s a heartbreaking birth lottery which World Child Cancer are trying to redress. 

So please sponsor me (and/or Cara) if you can, just a couple of quid would be wonderful. It will make the saddle sores a lot more bareable.

Thanks so much, 

Martha x