A trusty team of road cycling novices including Barnaby Nunn, Max Weatherby, Hugo Pollok, Ned Tarlton, Hubie Sangster, Flynn Nöe and Tom Kerr-Dineen will be undertaking the North Coast 500 cycle (over 7 days), a 516 mile epic which includes some of the UK’s toughest climbs. Endurance Cycling World record holder Mark Beaumont has described it as a test of one’s ‘capacity for mental suffering’.

If you had told us 2 months ago that we would find ourselves picking out lycra together in mid-August in preparation for a 500 mile slog around the northernmost half of Scotland …. I think it’s fair to say we would have found it laughable. Indeed, we even do now. Despite some our greatest efforts to get up to speed, socially-distanced parties, staycations, and holidays have seriously hindered our preparations. 

Perhaps the greatest indication of how unfit and unprepared for this odyssey we are is the fact that our good friend Mr Tom Kerr-Dineen will receive his bike in the post on the day of the ride.

As some of you may know Barnaby's sister, Arabella, has been struggling with Lyme disease for some time. Lyme disease is an infection spread by tick bites and if not caught early it can cause debilitating symptoms and further complications. This is one of the most under researched illnesses and unfortunately the NHS lacks Lyme disease specialists. The “standard” treatments fail to cure lots of Lyme patients and any alternative approaches, outside of traditional healthcare, require a significant financial commitment, which is not an option for many people. Unfortunately even with the alternative route there is no guarantee of the infection being eradicated and the disease can persist for years. We therefore want to raise awareness in order to help others who may be battling with the same illness. 

We have therefore chosen to support The Caudwell LymeCo charity, whose vision is to correctly diagnose, treat and ultimately cure every Lyme disease patient in the UK.