It’s been a while since I cycled anything like a long distance in one go – and this weekend I tested my knees, lungs and new bike in aid of getting kids in Uganda through school.

I posted a couple of images while on the road, and will dump a couple more once I can get them off my useless phone.

It was a very rewarding day – a long ride, through some beautiful parts of Southern England. The weather was kind, and we had a lot of fun. As well as burning many calories I’m pretty sure I consumed a fair number due to all the energy bars and drinks I sank – and the pub lunch of course.

Discovery of the day for me was Dark Star Hophead. A delicious beer. Brewed only a few miles from the excellent pub in Wineham where we stopped for lunch.

The route we chose meant that we opted for a climb around Devil’s Dyke rather than Ditchling Beacon. This was chosen in order to make the last section of the ride less daunting – but it was still quite a challenging bit of hill, believe me. I’d definitely do the ride again, and I’d use that route again too – once we were past the M25 it really came into it’s own. Beautiful.

All in all we’ve now raised over £3000 for Action Aid. It definitely makes the sore knees less painful knowing that. Thanks to everyone who pledged support.