So I turned to the dark side just over a year ago and purchased a road bike to help with my training for XC racing. The more I used the bike the more I began to enjoy a new lease of life on a bike. I could ride further, faster and find lots of big climbs to punish myself!!  

Looking for a big challenge I decided I would like to see how long it would take to ride to the coast. Weymouth seemed the most logical destination as I have family who live there so I would have a place to crash. With challenge and location chosen it occurred to me that this epic ride could raise some money for charity. I now had all the elements in place and a real purpose to the ride, other than just to inflict pain on myself!!

The chosen charity is Help For Heroes. I selected this charity because I am a Civilian Instructor at my old Air Cadet Unit 1365 (Aylesbury) Squadron and Sqd Ldr Steve Smith, who is a service supporter on the squadron, has close links with the Help For Heroes charity. I approached him to ask if he would be interested in using the ride to raise money for the Charity and indeed he jumped at the chance and the project began to really take flight!! (Pun intended!)

Now we had a green light it was time to rope my team-mate Mark into accompanying me, after all it would be a long way to go on my own. This took all of about two seconds!! Mark, who has been riding his road bike for over two years now, regularly rides sportives and is just as bonkers about bikes as me, relished the idea of the challenge. (This ride should be as easy as pie for him!!)

The date we have set for the ride is Saturday 7^th March 2009. 

The plan is to leave the TA Centre, which is on the Oxford Road (Aylesbury) at 0500 hours. We will have a support crew made up of my fellow staff members and the senior cadet NCOs from 1365 (Aylesbury) Squadron Air Training Corps:
Sqd Ldr Smith,
Flt Lt Fitch (Commanding Officer)
WO Holt,
CWO Gilson,
FSgt Williams,
Sgt Gardener,
Sgt Albourpuor.

From the TA Centre we will head for Oxford and then travel down the A34 towards Newbury. Here we head onto the A343 towards Andover and Salisbury. Then it’s the A345 all the way to Weymouth and then just because we can (hopefully!!!) onwards to Portland Bill. We hope that we will reach our destination in no more than 10 hours!! But as long as we get there before the pubs close I will be happy!!

CLICK HERE to download and view a map showing our route for the H4H fundraiser

If you would like to find out more info on Help for Heroes then please follow the link from this site or type into your search bar www.helpforheroes.org.uk  

Now seeing as you have opened the page to read the challenge I know you will now follow the link or enter in your search bar www.justgiving.com/ride4heroes150 to sponsor us on our ‘mini’ adventure!

Don’t forget to keep checking the website for updates and photos before the ride and for the post ride review and photos.

I would like to thank in advance Mark for agreeing to ride with me; Scott for helping with website stuff and advertising; everyone on the Squadron (as with out you we can’t do this) and Mountain Mania Cycles in Tring who will be supporting us with all maintenance issues. Also a big thanks to my other half Aimee, who is being very supportive in this challenge...!

Look out for more updates both here and on our Help For Heroes Just Giving page. You can also sponsor us via Just Giving on Facebook. Any donations to this fantastic cause would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading

Kind Regards
Kris
bucksmtb.co.uk