This weather isn't warming up much but still managing to get out on some nice rides in the South Hams, Tobay and also did some training down on the North Coast of Cornwall...beautiful!


Ive been using my new SatMap GPS system on the bike to plan routes and collect data on the rides I've been doing. Really pleased with it and it'll come in really handy for the trip.
I also took all the cycle clothing from Polaris down to Jim and Sue at Etees for printing today so hopefully that should be back in a week or so.

I've recently been chatting with Kate from the famous Cafe Alf Resco in Dartmouth about the launch of the ride. Kate is also a keen cyclist and has been on some amazing long distance rides with her girlfriends over the past 7 years. She has very kindly offered to supply breakfast for all riders that are cycling the first day with me and is going to follow my progress on a map on the wall of the restaurant and raise money there while I'm en route. Hopefully there should be a bit of media there on the first day. So a big thank you to Alfs and I'll keep you posted on breakfast/departing time on the 14th March.



Finally, I'm now twittering...or trying to! Just getting used to the site really. I'll get a link on the site ASAP (if anyone's interested in following!)
Still loads more to tell you in early March with the launch of various campaigns for ovarian cancer month etc.
Cheers for now

Well it's been a little while since I've updated the blog and so much has been happening. The trip starts 6 weeks today so training has started to step up... although the icy weather is still causing some problems...I came off last night on the infamously steep 'Jawbones Hill' in Dartmouth. No Damage.




OK, update.

I've decided to include Ovacome as a second charity and will be adding another 'JustGiving' button to the website. Ovacome provide support and information for all those affected by ovarian cancer. I'll be including more info about them shortly.

Over the past few weeks I've been talking a lot with a company who are due to launch a new early detection ovarian cancer test in the UK, which
is obviously very exciting and very much needed. As well as this new
development I've also been liaising with the charity Ovacome to help raise awareness for ovarian cancer awareness month in March. We're spending a lot of time planning and working together to see how we can
effectively raise awareness about ovarian cancer and specifically in
identifying the early symptoms. Ovacome are announcing a fantastic new
symptoms awareness project in March. There's a lot happening here so
I'll keep you posted. Very Exciting Stuff!

These guys are also assisting me with PR for the ride and have very generously donated clothing and equipment for the trip.

The big news from AMBA marketing is that my new bike has just arrived from Germany! Its a hand built Tout Terrain and looks amazing (www.tout-terrain.de). Nik's going to be building/modifying it over the next couple of weeks so hopefully I should get a month or so to get used to it before I leave.

Got quite a few more things in the pipeline but will post more in the next couple of days.

Cheers

All good on the training front but not getting in the saddle quite as much as I'd like due to the shocking weather recently. I test rode the first stage of the ride last week, down to Start Point and back. It was only 30 miles but very hilly....beautiful ride!
Riding back up the Teign the other night.

A quick thankyou to the guys in Bendells and Everything Ink in Newton Abbot for photocopying a load of stuff for the event. Also a big thankyou to Judy in Dartmouth who has taken over the fundraising down there.
Big News...My dad has now gone out and bought a campervan and is going to come along on the journey with me as backup which is fantastic news. I'm also starting to get a few friends interested in cycling various legs of the journey.
cheers for now!

So.....Hooray!! the website is live and we've started raising money.
I've been training quite hard this week in the gym and had a couple of Dartmouth rides. out again tonight training with Mr Mat Steel, hopefully on the moors.

First of all a few quick thank yous...to Mark at Frankman Design in Torquay for developing the site, logo and everything else...fab job mate! also to Nik and Ruth at AMBA Marketing in Exeter for the bike and trailer (what a bike!), Mike Davidson for his work on the soon to be interactive map app thingy, also thanks to Miss Fran Newman for the website photography down at start point and finally to the lady in the campervan on the Dartmouth ferry (you know who you are) who gave me £20 towards the charity. And thanks to everyone else who has helped so far

so now all we have to do is train hard and raise the money!

It's live!!!!