Day 1 : Bristol - Berlin

Bristol - Bagshot

Well this is it, the trip is underway with a 100 miler back across Salisbury Plain to my folks in Surrey.

Harder than last time despite another cracking day's weather as the last 20 miles or so my shoulders were really feeling it.

I had a couple of minor mechanicals - for some strange reason the pedal bearings loosened despite having been good for the last couple of years hard use! Oh and a bottle cage snapped as I was rolling out the house! Fortunately I had company out of Bristol (cheers Steve and Dan) who came to my rescue with a replacement.

An "old school" garage on the road out of Devizes leant me their spanners to affect a roadside repair on the pedals.

I checked them again in Ludgershall at a local bike shop - the owner surprised himself when he tried turning the cranks and realised I was on a fixed wheel. Friendly chap and very chatty - an almost universal feature of bike shop owners I find.

Thanks to everyone for their support and loads of people spotted me in the Evening Post.

And thanks again to John for all his harrassing, fundraising and general support. I appreciated the hug on the doorstep and being waved off down the road!