Bex & Bern's Big Bike Ride

A week later and it's hard to believe we actually did it! Thanks again for everyone's support and cash ... the Just Giving web addresses are below, if you would still like to donate: they will remain live until 16th July 2008. You can also see how much we've raised there - as we always said, this trip wasn't originally intended as a fundraiser, but we're thrilled that you've donated hundreds of pounds in sponsorship.

In total, we cycled 1021.3 miles and were underway for 122 hours 50 minutes. Our overall moving average speed was 10.6 miles an hour!

If you would like to see a small collection of our photos, click here:
Picture gallery

You can read our daily updates below and the route information is in one of the first posts from April. Everything went to plan and we were remarkably lucky with the weather - not too many wet days and the wind mostly from the east(ish!). Becky and I had a fabulous time, but it's fair to say we were pretty exhausted by the end, especially after the previous day's long haul over Dartmoor! The bikes were brilliant - Becky has a small problem with her steering and I have a buckled back wheel, but the amazing thing is that WE DID NOT GET ANY PUNCTURES AT ALL!!!

The End2End ride is something we'd recommend to anyone - our only advice would be to take as long as you can, as the 80 plus mile days were less fun! Maybe we'll walk it next time...

Becky - Guide Dogs for the Blind
Bern - Cancer Research UK

Yesterday was a really long and hard day - full updates below and pictures to come later - but the news today is that we arrived at Land's End at 5.30! Thanks for all your messages and support - it was great to hear from you! We're in a taxi back to Becky's house now for some fizz, food and a rest!

After yesterday's marathon effort, we didn't exactly get an early start ... I think YHA Golant's excellent selection of malt whiskey may have had something to do with it! We had read that those people who choose to do the ride from north to south like us, say it's better because you feel fitter by the time you get to the hills of Cornwall. We felt mostly knackered, but it was a lovely thought! Give us Scotland any day - the hills are much less lively! This was another day where we started in glorious sunshine and then were completely dumped on by a rainforest-style deluge, before the sun returned to dry us out. Despite our very stiff legs, we pressed on over the downs to the north of The Lizard peninsula and had a late lunch on the beach by St Michael's Mount. Then it was a final push to Penzance and Land's End.

I'd love to say that when we arrived there was champagne and a welcoming party. In fact, as it was 5.30pm, everything was shut, including the pub, and the only place still going was the photographer at the Land's End sign! So we did that and watched the sea mist roll in and the sun disappear again as we waited for the taxi to take us back to Becky's house near Truro, where there was champagne and cake for all (thanks Lisa!).

We've done it, and as I write this the following morning, it seems really weird not to be strapping on my lid and getting in the saddle again for another insane day's cycling! Becky really will miss her honking!

Sunny spells and a heavy downpour with light northerly winds, 64.3m, 8h, bum factor - doesn't matter any more!

Today has been a real test of our endurance and we didn't actually arrive at the Youth Hostel until 10pm. Even Becky found it very tough! Wall-to-wall hills again as we slogged over Dartmoor, then down through Plymouth and into Cornwall - not known for being flat! - on to Looe and finally Fowey. As it was already 8pm by that point, we had some food and then faced another climb to get the three miles further to the hostel at Golant! Despite the hills, it was a really good day; it was just too long. Dartmoor and its surroundings are really beautiful. We also had some obstacles - more torrential downpours, flooding because of all the recent rain, and a cycle path down to Plymouth that started with a scramble down a rocky hillside, carrying our bikes. I'll never trust Sustrans again!

To keep the spirits up, I was singing my nieces', Rebecca and Catherine, special song 'Bottoms are Beautiful' (apparently mine is smellier than the rest) to the bemused sheep, cows and wild ponies of Dartmoor, which was a condition of their sponsorship. They tell me they're working on a new verse to commemorate our achievement!

Sunny spells and heavy showers with light winds, 80.7m, 13h, bum factor - a not so beautiful 8!

It was hard, but we did get out of our bed and carry on our journey! After yesterday's rain, today started sunny and very hot. Brilliant! we thought. But after two hours it had clouded over and started raining again! The way too was kind at first, on the Mendip levels past Glastonbury ... but then became very lumpy indeed. Bex also decided to change our route to avoid the A303 and A30 and we ended up cutting across the grain of the Blackdown Hills - rarely a flat moment! Since arriving in Exeter it has been pelting down once more. We're hoping it clears up for tomorrow - we're heading for Dartmoor and could be a difficult day ... physically we're holding up OK, but mentally I don't mind admitting that I'm getting sick of the hills now, and there are loads more to come! Sunny then heavy showers with light winds, 66.9m, 8h, bum factor 4 - hard as nails now!

Very wet today! It poured the entire time (with a little break for lunch!) and we were glad this was another short day. It was a short ride from St Briavel, with another tiny trespass into Wales, to Chepstow and the bridge over the Bristol Channel. The 'gap' between there and Bristol was far nicer than we'd expected and it wasn't too long before we were in Clifton and having lunch just by the suspension bridge. After that it was familiar roads back home to our house in Wells, although they never seemed so hilly in the car! Now we're enjoying an evening in the luxury (well, everything's relative!) of our little house, and might struggle to leave again in the morning! Heavy rain and light winds, 52.7m, 6h, bum factor flatlining at 5 (dampness = dripping!).

Rain! It had to happen eventually and today was the first day that we donned our wet weather gear. Luckily it cleared up after a few hours. Today we passed through Herefordshire into Gloucestershire, seeing Hampton Court Palace and Goodrich Castle on the way, and the River Wye and Forest of Dean. Tonight we are staying in another castle ... Becky is in the State Room and I am in the Hanging Room at the top of the tower - very Rentaghost! Tonight we were joined by Andrea and Andy for a meal in the pub next door, and it was very nice to see them! They've kindly taken today's picture so we could both be in it! Rain at first, then cloudy with light easterly winds, 67.9m, 7h45, holding steady at bum factor 5!

We've probably lost a little enthusiasm these last couple of days and it's hard not to think that we left the best of our journey north of Blackburn! It's still nice countryside, but not as dramatic. Today was another fast day; nice and flat out of Chester, we were in Wales for a while, and then up the Long Mynd in Shropshire to Clun. The Youth Hostel, which Becky is outside in today's pic, is a very nice, old water mill. We're still being incredibly lucky at avoiding the rain, arriving again just before it shovelled it down! And in case you were wondering whether Bex had packed the umbrella she was sporting in yesterday's picture, she borrowed it from the Youth Hostel. Simple, but devilishly clever... Mostly cloudy with some sunny spells and light rain and strong easterly winds, 68.7m, 7h, bum factor 5 but the arthritis is setting in now!

Today was one of the least scenic so far. After a big hill out of Blackburn, it was also flat and fast as we went through the suburbs of Chorley and Warrington and on to Chester. We crossed motorways five times and had to take a few A roads - all very different to yesterday! Chester is very nice and we just managed to get here before it started raining! Cloudy with very strong easterly winds, 61.7m, 6h15, bum factor 5 and falling!

Firstly a review of IJ4 - fun, but hopelessly over the top! Second, honking is riding out of the saddle, standing on the pedals; a bonk is running out of energy halfway up a a hill; and your lid is of course your cycling helmet ... there, you learn something useless every day! Today was hill after hill after hill and possibly our toughest, if not longest, day yet. We took the high route over the moors of the Forest of Bowland and went within spitting distance of Dunsop Bridge, which Bex tells me is the centre of Great Britain - see, another useless fact! Sunny spells and a very strong east wind, 57.1m, 7h45, bum factor 6.