Cycling for charity and I need sponsor

[stretfordendling©]

It’s that time of year again when I go cycling in the London to Brighton Bike Ride 2007 on Sunday 17th June. It’s a 54 mile course starting from Londons Clapham Common and finishes on Brighton’s Promenade. Last year I really enjoyed this ride and was one of the first riders in my team to finish. I have made *My Sponsor Page* and I am hoping to raise around £300 and perhaps more for the British Heart Foundation. I have a different bicycle to last year so its gonna be a change and an experience.

I am also doing another cycle ride on Sunday 8th July this time its Manchester to Blackpool and is a 59 mile course. I already have a *Sponsor Page* set up and already have some donations on there. I’m raising money for Christie’s Hospital.

I know that my asking for donations for two events at the same time is a bit greedy but they are both worthy causes. I will post pictures from the rides and hopefully post them here. Its completely free choice and you don't have to sponsor in either of them if you don't want to.

[stretfordendling©]

My word that was a difficult ride I don’t remember it being that tough before. Well the first lot of people started to arrive at the gym around 7:30am. *Arriving Pic 1*, *Arriving Pic 2*. Once everyone was there we posed for a few *team* *pictures*. We made the journey around the South Circular in London and finally *arrived at Clapham Common*. Once the bikes were unloaded we made our way to the *start area* to *get ready*. We started off fine but the traffic and sheer volume of people leaving at that time made every move slow for a long time. We did encounter some accidents before we reached the more countrified areas of London and as soon as we got outside the M25 we encountered *a really big hold up* because of an accident. We cleared that after about 40 or so minutes and continued on. I had a few stops along the way and then stopped half way at *Turners Hill*, *Pic2*, *Pic3*, & had *my pic* taken by one of the official photographers. I took a few more pics along the route including the approach to Ditchling Beacon *on the horizon*, *getting closer*, and then stopped for refreshments at *foot of Ditchling Beacon*. I did attempt to cycle some of the way up but could only manage around 250-200m up the slope But I did manage to get some *great* *pictures* of the view from the slope going up the hill. Most people were *walking up* but there were some who cycled the whole way up!! Nutters! Thankfully there was the last refreshment stop at the very top of the hill complete with fruit, drinks and Ice cream!

After that stop I continued on and it was mostly downhill after that I went down a few of the steeper hill pretty fast and did reach the unheard of cycle speed of just over 40mph on the last big downhill slope, Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! It was lucky that I didn’t have a number plate in because I was flashed by the speed camera at the bottom!! I finally went over the finish line around 18:04 and took a *picture* after getting of the finish lane. Once all our members had finished we posed for one last *team photo* then made the way back to were our fan was 5 miles away from the chaos of Brighton. We rode there but I had to stop suddenly because to avoid a branch on the pavement and quickly put my right foot down to steady myself but in doing so I gave myself cramp in my right calf I got to the meeting point in the end and we then got changed and got back into the vans and left for home. We got back home just before 10pm.

Bring it on again next year!