The Why

The first question I get asked is whether I'm doing this for charity; the second, who I'm going with and the third, why I'm doing it.

In response to the first question, I'm hoping to raise £2,500 for the Dreams Come True charity. This charity gives seriously or terminally ill children the chance to live their dreams, and to do something fantastic which they otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity to do. Your support is very gratefully received, and will help make someone's dream come true. You can learn more about the work they do here:
http://www.dctc.org.uk/
And importantly, you can sponsor me here:
http://www.justgiving.com/fredonabike
Remember, every pound you donate will be added to by Gordon Brown, our seemingly infallible and ever generous Chancellor...

My mum in her early twenties

I am going to be riding solo. There are a number of personal reasons for this, but in the main I wanted some quiet time to reflect, to remember, to enjoy the countryside. A small number of people have expressed an interest in joining me for a section of the ride, if you are one of them then please don't hesitate to get in touch, it will be good to meet up with people along the way. I simply liked the idea of doing it on my own, it's more of a challenge and I like it that way.

So why am I riding? I am doing this in honour of my mother Jennifer, who passed away unexpectedly on December 22nd last year. Life was unfairly hard on my mother, and her life was cut short at the young age of 58, only 6 weeks after retiring. I wanted to do something to remember her, and this ride will give me plenty of time to see the length and breadth of my mother's wonderful country, while providing me with ample opportunity to remember her.

And of course, it's also a great opportunity to get fit, lose some weight, and come back with a tan to die for!