So we made it! After six weeks and about 3500km, Ed, Christian and Charlie finally reached Istanbul on the evening of the 23 of August having left our homes in London on the 15 of July.

Our route took us to Portsmouth from where we got a ferry to St Malo before cycling through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia (very briefly), back into Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.

We set out with very little practical experience of touring cycling. From the intricacies of cooking with a camping stove, to the alarmingly frequent problems with Ed’s bike, there was much for which we were unprepared; we learnt as went. We return as vastly more proficient cyclists (though Charlie may still have trouble staying on his bike), with markedly more toned if equally scrawny legs, and with a profound hatred for hills. But if the physical challenge of cycling across a continent was a large part of what initially excited us, the trip proved to be so much more.

It is impossible to do justice to six weeks of exploration in such a short space, but the places we visited, their foods and cultures, and the people we met will be hard to forget. The views from the top of the Alps, the stunning Croatian coast and islands, the Greek generosity and the bustling beauty of Istanbul stand out as highlights.

It was not always easy though. Cycling 120km day after day is a significant challenge, and became harder with the inevitable niggling injuries. Ed’s bike was written off in Croatia after a spectacular crash, but managed to limp home to Istanbul before being effectively put into retirement upon his return. While the videos we post will no doubt give some insight into the good times, we were less prone to film our struggles: the early starts, the dodgy knees, the fatigue and boredom at the end of a long day, and the sometimes genuinely frightening experiences on busy roads with less than attentive drivers.

We had a superb time together, and loved every minute of the adventure. This should not though detract from our charitable ambitions. Sport Relief does incredible work in reaching out to some of the most deprived, both here in the UK and further afield. It relies heavily on donations motivated by sporting endeavour and we hope that our efforts will persuade you to support their great work. Any money you can spare will be received most gratefully, both by us and by Sport Relief.

Thank you.