London to Brighton Cycle Ride

The video is up!

But for those of you who haven't watched it yet, I did make it!

To be honest the distance wasn't all that strenuous (I walked almost as far in March), the main issues were just the hills (which were a nightmare, particularly the Beacon 50 miles in!) and the other cyclists.

There were FAR too many cyclists on very narrow roads at times, and people just weren't cycling safely. I can't believe how many people I saw not even wearing helmets.

The race also wasn't that well organised. Unlike a marathon you had to pay for any refreshments on the way round, and our medals are positively tacky. Whilst obviously it's run for charity, the BHF underlines that the £30 entry fee is purely for organisational costs, which was surprising considering how little we received, and the fact 27,000 people were paying £30 each.

Ah well ... another challenge down!

Definitely my most spontaneous one too! I literally agreed to do the race 2 weeks ago, so truly in the spirit of Challenge Charly! And I hadn't even cycled my bike in the last 6 months! (which became quite evident, first when we realised the front wheel was on wrong! and then when I realised it was flat!!)

Am keen to do more cycling challenges though ... am thinking of doing 100 miles next.
At the mo my bike is still in Brighton because we weren't allowed to take them back on the train the day of the race, and my mini boot is TINY! So I've been toying with the idea of cycling from Brighton to Bournemouth, which is roughly 100 miles ... though after Sunday I'd try to find the flattest route possible!

Guess I'll need to sort out my hill cycling if I'm really going to do Land's End to John O'Groats in November :)


Charly xxx

Challenges This Week ...

It's not just technical logistics I struggle with (oh dear, I really do need a production team!!!) ...

Sometimes Challenges provide more difficulties than just the physical ones! Take Sunday for instance - I've agreed at very short notice to cycle the London to Brighton cycle ride. 54 miles ... now hopefully my 4 hrs or so of cycling in the gym each week should stand me in relatively good stead for the race, even if, as those of you who have watched the Stockholm video will know, my camera skills behind the handlebars are absolutely appalling!

No, the problem is the logistics of getting my bike to London, and getting home from Brighton!

In the end I decided to start 2 days early, and my bike is currently locked up outside my uni's Cavendish Campus.
What an absolute nightmare taking a bike on the train and the tube! Half the tube lines don't allow them! And I still have to get it all the way to Clapham tomorrow! Oh dear!

I have decided to leave it in Brighton on Sunday and just drive home! (I have a tiny old mini - one tyre wouldn't even fit in its miniscule boot!!)

Though I'm not just being lazy, I promise!! I'm going to leave it on the coast, because I'm hoping to cycle it from Brighton to Land's End, in a warm up for cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats in November!!!


Anyway ... that's months away ... this week in addition to the cycle ride I plan to squeeze in a spot of Ice Climbing, and hopefully a Rally Car Driving Day ... oooh and I'll be filming some more footage of me learning how to jump a horse ... that Challenge to be posted soon :)

Charly xxx