This story starts a long way back. I think I was about 4 years old, and I was in the garden at home in Widecombe-in-the-Moor being taught by my dad to ride my bike without stabilisers.

I remember it like it was yesterday. The grass was very green, and I was pedalling along with my dad holding my saddle. I turned around to check he was still doing that, but he wasn’t – it looked like he was the other side of the garden. I remember immediately toppling over, but soon afterwards I had it.

I didn’t know it then, and I had no idea about the amazing times that were in store, but I had just become a life-long cyclist.

Scroll forwards 45 years and there have been tens of thousands of miles and a lot of bikes (for the cyclists, here is the list)...

...a blue bike, with solid rubber tyres and rod brakes, Coventry Eagle, multiple second hand bikes that were resprayed and rebuilt, Marin Bear Valley, Saracen Sahara Elite, Orange Evo 2, Nicoali Helius FR, Cove Handjob, Wilier Mortirolo, Scott Addict, Kuota Kebel, Kenesis Cross Light, Mojo Geometron, Kenesis Tripster, Trek Emonda SLR...

...and it is my latest machine that has inspired this challenge. It just carries me along relentlessly and creates an excitement that reminds me of my very first bike - I remember looking down and seeing the rod brakes and solid rubber tyres and being awestruck by them and a sense of movement. I now have an amazing machine, that awe is still there, and the adventure of finding out how far it and I could go is just too irresistible. And with that I want to put my efforts to good use for causes that matter to me.

In those 45 years the world has changed a lot too... We now treat food like it is an endless commodity and it is not fairly shared. The rush of modern society takes an ever greater toll on our mental health. We continue to depend on cars for mobility, which leaves the less fortunate at a disadvantage and causes major environmental damage.

Through my challenge I want to raise funds to support causes that work to address and give relief from these issues. In my progress updates on my training I will share more thoughts on these issues and for my chosen charities and support organisations, which are: Mind, FoodCycle, and The Bristol Bike Project.

Please donate as generously as you can and I will train as hard as I can…

My attempt will be a weekend in July 2021 – weather depending…!? I am hoping the prevailing south west wind will do its thing.