The story of the day, and the final total

We've put together the story of our mammoth expedition: you can read it here.

We have counted the coppers, summed up the silver, noted the notes and reckoned what we received.  Thanks to your generosity, our final total is:

£2000!

This is double our original target of £1000!  Thanks to everyone who donated.

Target reached!

We've reached our target for online donations!  Thanks to our generous Karaoke Coordinator for the final donation which pushed us past the target of £1000.  (You can still donate, of course, at http://justgiving.com/BBCM2MODCycle).

We've started to tot up the cash donations.   We have counted cash in the buckets totalling £140, including some £63 collected en route (PWR had to carry the cash pot all the way from Staines!)

If you have pledged on paper, please contact any of us to settle your donation.  We hope to collect the remaining pledges within the next week.

Thanks again!

Slideshow

More photos

Quick update: photos of the start and finish are now available here.

Looking back

So it's now a couple of days since we completed the ride to London, time to look back on the ride.

We started about five minutes late from Caversham, and lost a little more time on the way here & there.  The first section of the ride, to Windsor, was much easier than previously, partly because we knew the route but also because there were no sponsored walkers - we could keep up a steady pace rather than constantly stopping and starting (very energy-sapping). We came up with a relay system for the hateful kissing gates, meaning we breezed through them.

The weather was perfect throughout the ride.  Twice there was moisture in the air but it never turned to rain; the weather was clear without being too sunny or cloudy, and the winds, such as they were, tended to blow with us.

Last Sunday's experience meant that the original lunch planned for Windsor was moved to Staines - good job too.  I was wearing the Help for Heroes T-shirt throughout the ride, so I was detailed to go round the pub shaking the collecting tin.  Luckily PWR had to carry the resulting sackful of coppers!

By the time we got to Sunbury Lock at 1410 we were back on schedule, but from then on we seemed to slow down a little.  Paul's big fall outside Richmond didn't help, nor did the two punctures suffered on Putney Bridge.

Peter Mandelson snubbed us outside Horse Guards Parade, but no matter as by then we were within sight of our destination.  We made it about an hour later than planned, tired but all happy and still talking to each other!

Photos of the start are here and we'll upload more later.

Success!

We did it!  Only one injury and two punctures.  We reckon the ride was about 80 miles all told, so we made reasonable time, arriving at the MOD at about 6pm.

We're all celebrating now, so more updates tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for your support and generous donations.  We think we have easily made our £1000 target, but there is still time to donate at http://justgiving.com/BBCM2MODCycle!

GPSed Track "BBCM to MOD Cycle"

View my new track "BBCM to MOD Cycle" started in United Kingdom, England, Reading.
Follow us live as we ride from Caversham to London
Powered by GPSed.com - Free Mobile GPS Tracking Service

(PS: The battery on my phone gave up well before Staines, so this is incomplete, sorry)

Itinery for tomorrow

Time Duration Location
0730 0 Caversham
0810 40 Hambledon Lock
0815 5 Flowerpot Public House
0845 30 Hurley Lock (include 5 min break)
0855 10 Temple Lock
0905 10 Marlow (include 5 min break)
0935 30 Bourne End
0945 10 Cookham
1005 20 Maidenhead Lock
1020 15 Bray Lock
1050 30 Windsor
BREAK for 15 mins
1105 Windsor
1145 40 Old Windsor Lock
1210 25 Bell Weir
1225 15 Staines
LUNCH for 30 mins
1255 Staines
1300 5 Penton Hook Lock
1320 20 Chertsey Lock
1340 20 Shepperton Lock
1410 30 Sunbury Lock
1435 25 Hampton Court
BREAK for 15 mins
1450 Hampton Court
1515 25 Teddington Lock
1550 35 Kew Bridge
1700 70 MOD Main Building (Finish)

Last weekends ride from Windsor to London

Not our best ride, it was cold, there wasn't much enthusiasm to start with, and two punctures in quick succession and and accident delayed our progress. Still all well in the end.

We went through a further 3 kissing gates and crossed the river another 8 times. The ride is mainly track but that starts just before Staines and starts permanently from a couple of miles prior to Shepperton Lock, until London.

The lack of breakfast caused an initial problem but with the Weatherspoons breakfast at Staines got the team running again. Although there were little hazards the ride is very boring. In fact the only thing that helped us complete the ride was the thought of a Pasty at Paddington station.

This seems like a longer ride and confirmation that this is almost twice as far as the ride to Windsor but it is easier under tyre. As you reach London you think at Richmond you are almost there, but it is at least another 20 miles.

The path in London is under repair in many areas so you have to take diversions. Once you cross Putney Bridge there is no real path and we will be following Cycle Route 4 into the City.