On Friday May 9th, I will be cycling The Great Escape to raise money for XO Bikes, a charity specifically set up to break the cycle of re-offending.

XO train and hire prison leavers, giving them the skills to become professional bike mechanics and refurbish donated bikes from their bike shop in Lewisham with all profits from the bike sales going towards training and hiring more prison leavers.

It's not intended to be a multi-day alpine endurance challenge (I suspect those days may be done) but rather a chance to support a great charity and a ride with a purpose.

Specifically, I hope the ride will offer me the confidence and curiosity to challenge my own pre conceptions around how best we can give ex-offenders the means to break the cycle of repeat offending and build a positive and productive life on the outside.

It will be a 120km ride, taking in two prisons and finishing at the Herne Hill Velodrome.

I have paid my own registration and event fee so any donations will 100% go to XO.