My name is Harry Homan-Green and in 2009, On Your Bike was started, a fancy dress bike ride through the Cotswold countryside. It's gained a strong following over the years, and in the last 2 years we’ve raised over £1000 for Cancer Research UK!

After the event was set up by my good friend Henry Evans, I took over the reins in it's third year as Henry moved on to pastures new, I relished the opportunity of developing the event so took it on and it is now what you see it as today.

Back in 2010, I cycled from John O’Groats, Scotland over 2000 miles to Tarifa, Spain for Breakthrough Breast Cancer with my friend Josh Potts. Then in 2012, I did ‘Homan Goes Roman’, cycling independently from Cirencester, Gloucestershire to Rome, Italy again raising money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which later became Breast Cancer Now after merging with Breast Cancer Campaign.

I then had the urge to do another long distance cycle challenge, but needed to gain some more career experience first, as I never went to university and had only worked in a handful of entry level jobs prior to this. So I started working at OVO Energy, where I still am today, 5 years on (it has literally flown by) working as a Content Executive in the Brand team. I've gained some invaluable experience here and now have a wealth of knowledge under my belt when it comes to Marketing and specifically Content. Having been at OVO so long, I requested leave to take on another cycling challenge. This is what I bring you now, this is what I’ve been waffling on at you for, this is 'On Your Bike Abroad'.

On Your Bike Abroad is an extension of the On Your Bike brand that has hosted fancy dress cycling events annually since 2009. For OYB Abroad: Norway 2 Spain I plan to incorporate one aspect of fancy dress while cycling through each of the 7 countries the route takes me through: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain. 

I’ve decided to take on EuroVelo 3, also known as The Pilgrims route, a 5100km cycle route from Trondheim, Norway to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I’ve always wanted to visit Norway, and I’m familiar with cycling through France and Spain from my previous trips so this route appealed to me. I say it appealed to me, this is over double the length of my previous trip, so pictures might have made it appeal to me but thinking of the length of the journey has actually been quite daunting.

The two key differences between On Your Bike and On Your Bike Abroad however are:

1. On Your Bike Abroad will be a set of independent challenges

This is a solo mission. It wouldn't be feasible to try and take 40 people on this journey with me, I mean it's difficult enough trying to organise myself, let alone a group of people! Saying this though, one of the negatives when I did Homan Goes Roman was the boredom. Cycling alone down country lanes all the way across a country can be nice and quiet, but sometimes too quiet. So although I'm setting myself independent challenges through On Your Bike Abroad, if you or anyone you know fancies joining me for a stint here or there feel free! I'd very much enjoy the company, as long as we maintain momentum! (I have to come back to work on Monday 23rd October 2017).

2. On Your Bike Abroad is raising money for Cotswold Breast Cancer Now

On Your Bike Abroad is a set of challenges to raise money for Cotswold Breast Cancer Now, instead of Cancer Research UK, the charity which On Your Bike's annual fancy dress cycle event usually raises money for. The reason is that my mother set up the Cotswold branch of Breast Cancer Now over 10 years ago with her friend Eira Hooper who has sadly since passed away from the disease, so this is a charity that I have a strong attachment to and a lot of faith in. With the end goal that by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

And that's it! If you know anybody that lives along the route I’m taking (or near it) that wouldn’t mind putting little old me up for the night as I’ll definitely be going mental without human interaction for a few days at a time, please let me know!