The Ride

The British Heart Foundation, LONDON to BRIGHTON BIKE RIDE, 20th JUNE 2004.

 INTRODUCTION 

All of "TeamDec" finished the course,although
Scott bravely continued with a damaged muscle for the last 30 miles.

Gary and Elliott leading the way to the finish in Brighton.

 PROOF

 RIDE DATA 

Ride Data taken from Peter's Bicycle Computer

- Average Riding Speed 		12 miles/hour
- Distance Covered 			56 miles
- Time Riding				4 hours 40 minutes (sometimes very slow)
- Maximum Speed				36 mph
- Minimum Speed				Zero (mainly due to hold-ups on ride)

 THE START 

Queue for start	 The Start
We are there somewhere!

The team left Poole House at 4am on Sunday morning.
Arrived at Clapham Common at 6.45am for our designated start time of 7am.
Due to number of accepted entrant (27,000) we got away finally at 8.10am.

 THE RIDE 

Good going for first 7 miles...then first hill (not that steep!)
and everything stopped...30 minutes to travel half a mile.

After 20 miles stopped for coffee.

Afterwards we made good time until we arrived at Haywards Heath;
there we were held-up for 45 minutes in a "bike jam".

Finally cleared and away to our last stop, prior to Ditchling Hill, and
13 miles from Brighton.  Had lunch from the Girl Guides Tent.

Speeding??  Lunch

Then down came the rain; rain eased off; we started on last leg.
Just before Ditchling village...went very dark, thunder and lightening,
freezing rain and hailstones....we got soaked and freezing cold.

Up Ditchling Hill...most of us walked the last part.

Up Ditchling HillOn Ditchling Hill

Then all down-hill to Brighton (9 miles).

Two miles from finish...all stop...a slow struggle through heavy traffic
to the FINISH. Time to travel 2 miles was ONE HOUR.

But we all got there and all enjoyed the long and weary day.


MANY THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED US.

MANY THANKS TO JAMES WHO GAVE UP HIS WEEKEND TO GIVE US DRIVER SUPPORT.