Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have friends and colleagues who have been affected by prostate cancer, and I wanted to do something to help. My planned route was using roads and cycle paths shown on the Sustrans map. Estimated 225 miles over three days.

I set off from home on the morning of Sunday 27th August. Nine hours later, after some 70 miles,  I arrived at my first overnight stop: The Boundary Inn, South Normanton, Derbyshire. A generous double room for a great night's rest and an excellent cooked breakfast.

The journey to Northampton on Bank Holiday Monday took longer; many canal towpaths being congested with walkers and other cyclists. That night, after ten hours and 85 miles, I stayed in a very comfortable guest house near Upton Country Park.

The final leg from Northampton to Finchley was relatively easy, being mostly on gently sloping main roads which meant a good average speed. Just seven hours to cover 80 miles. Adding up the mileage it is more than I expected. That's because the signage was poor in places, and I made a few wrong turns. Fortunately the weather was mostly fine and dry, and the sun helped me point south.

I arrived on Tuesday evening at my destination: Tesco's in Finchley Central, LONDON N3. I was delighted to see staff waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers, refreshments, and a photographer.

Why Finchley.? That's where I spent my formative years before moving to Yorkshire in 1980. Father still lives there, aged 90. He's the main reason I still visit the area.

The bike I used was a Raleigh hybrid which was ideal for all the surfaces I encountered. The only modification was the black paint job, and the 'prostate man' character fixed to rear rack. The bike performed well.

Further links and photographs below: