We have come a long way. From just a few laps around Regents Park to cycling a distance which trains were invented for: 54 miles from Clapham to Brighton Pier! Truth be told, training was a struggle for us.
Fitting it in around work, BBQs and excuses meant there was little cycling done at all. But luckily, like every novice rider with big dreams, we bought every single bit of fancy kit to ease our rides. Amazon and Halfords quickly became our best friends and our bank accounts' worst enemies.
From the very start the atmosphere was buzzing, with people out in droves to show the 20,000+ riders support in the form of cheering, snacks and even a quick hose down. The forecast predicted temperatures of 30 degrees - fabulous for gliding downhill without a care in the world but when you're slowly roasting your skin whilst painstakingly walking up the Ditchling Beacon it feels more like 40 (admittedly, we walked most of that hill - it's a monster).
We set off at 9am and made a few stops to fuel up on water, snacks and even electrolytes. Amazingly we arrived at the finish line in good time, without any injuries, punctures or tears. As you know, we left it a bit late fundraising wise, but miraculously we smashed our target and raised nearly £3k! So thank you to everyone who supported us.