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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
4,144
Location
Southampton
Hey peeps,

On 22nd September I'm taking part in the London to Brighton Off-Road bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation; 75 miles from Roehampton University to the seaside..it might not seem too far to some of you but its the furthest I've ever ridden and will be a real test of my endurance. I'm aiming to do it in 7 hours without stopping, although the temptation of a pint en-route will be a difficult one to resist!!

My girlfriends dad suffered multiple heart attacks back in May this year and had to have bypass surgery to fix him up. Thankfully he's made a good recovery but as you imagine the BHF is a cause which holds a lot of meaning to us.

The event is getting very close now and training is in full swing; the weather hasn't been too kind but I'm taking any opportunity I can to get out. Unfortunately my fundraising efforts haven't been too fruitful so far. I have a target of £250 but have only made it to £110, so am asking the lovely people of OcUK if you would be willing to dig deep and donate? No matter how small the amount, every little bit helps and will be the driving force helping me get to that finish line!!

I have a Just Giving page which allows you to donate online:
http://www.justgiving.com/themanthatcan

If you're a UK taxpayer then please don't forget to tick the Gift Aid option so an additional 25% can be reclaimed from the tax man..it won't cost you anything to do this.

Many thanks for your support everyone..I'll make sure the thread gets updated with pics when I cross the finish line.

Andy
 
no-one replied to your begging thread! Should have posted a photo of a cat doing something funny to get our attention. Glad to see you exceeded your target though.
 
hey lamer! Why you so lame and not reply? You post begging on ocuk and then dont bother to come back and deliver the pics you promised!

I put a curse on you!!
 
Lol I'm so sorry I completely forgot to update the thread! e-Stu thank you so much for your kind donation buddy!

Thankfully the weather was really good on the day, although very chilly as I rode out through Richmond Park and along the Thames towards the North Downs. I must admit to struggling more than expected and had to stop more frequently than I would have liked, but I completed the route in 8 hours. The last few miles coming down the South Downs into Brighton was something I will always remember..lots of high-speed downhill riding and everyone seemed to get a second wind when they knew they were almost at the finish.

Unfortunately my sister failed miserably at taking any photos when I passed the finish line, but here are a few others from during the day:

Me looking very tired just about to set off at 07:30. Didn't get to sleep until 1am and was awake at 5

imageghob.jpg


The view from the top of the killer Truleigh Hill on the South Downs. I pushed the bike up the whole thing but even that took 30minutes and required frequent stops to rest the calves which were burning:

imageulb.jpg


Came off my bike 3/4 of the way in on a nasty flint-covered trail and ripped my leg up..nothing too deep but it hindered the cycling somewhat! The photo doesn't do it justice..it was the full length of my lower leg:

imageusbn.jpg


The bike after the ride..surprisingly clean, just very dusty! The lack of any suspension was felt in my hands and wrists for weeks after..my little fingers were numb for almost 2 months!

imagewggm.jpg


Overall though it was a great ride.very challenging but I'm sure I'll do it again. This year though I'm putting some slicks on the bike and doing the road version!
 
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