2006

Action 100 (2006)

27th August 2006, starting at Bristol (Temple Meads), via Chobham Rugby Club and finishing at London (Euston).

This is the first time I have ridden the Action 100, which despite being labelled as Bristol to London, doesn’t officially finish in London. So being the stubborn perfectionist that I am, I decided to extend the official route onwards to Euston station. Which, by the time I had diverted around the Notting Hill Carnaval, turned out to be 143.6 miles and caused me to nearly miss my train home, which left 30 seconds after I got on board.

The total online amount I raised for Action Medical Research for this ride is £245 (excluding gift aid), which is fantastic and sincere thanks go to everyone who sponsored me.

My online sponsorship account for this event is now closed.

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Giro Intorno al Lago di Como

13th June 2006, starting at Capiago, a few kilometers southeast of Como.

When you think about riding around a Lake you immediately assume it’s going to be flat(ish). Well at least that’s what I thought, until I attempted this ride. 37° celsius in the shade, 8 litres of water and a lot of miles later and I can tell you it’s not flat. This is one heck of a challenge ride, and not for the faint hearted.

On the other hand, the scenery and spectacle of the lake make the ride worth every masochistic minute in the saddle. The only flat part is the northernmost end of the lake, but the flatness is short lived as you immediately climb to about 200m (650 feet). I climbed 3,387m (11,113 feet) in the day, and by the time I got back to Como I was absolutely exhausted. There was no way I could make it back to Capiago, so I called for help – which arrived in the form of Sabrina, my sister-in-law, in my hire car (which she’d been dying to drive anyway).

When I’m fitter, lighter, and have a car that can carry a bicycle I will repeat the ride and do a complete circumnavigation of the lake that includes the Lecco leg.

There is no way I will ever again put a bicycle of mine on an aeroplane in anything other than a purpose made hard case, after the damage the bagage handlers managed to do to the one you see in these pictures.

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Castle Ride (2006)

7th May 2006, starting at Tonbridge Castle, the ride is a 100 mile circular route visiting five other castles in Kent.

You may think that Kent is quite flat, when you look at a map there are certainly no significant peaks. However, looks can be deceptive and Kent is far from flat, there are lots of small, steep hills to climb and the 100 miles is literally up and down all day long.

Having got my moan about the Kentish terrain out of the way, it should be balanced by the outstanding natural beauty of the county.

I took on this challenge ride with a colleague, and friend, from work. Gavin is a runner, and not a cyclist, but he agreed to give it his best shot. He did next to no training whatsoever, having bought his bicycle just over a week before the ride and had only ridden 35 miles the weekend before. I congratualte him on his sheer determination to finish the ride, which he did. Which just goes to show that provided you have enough determination and will power you can ride 100 miles in a day.

My online sponsorship account for this event is now closed.

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