...life is full of surprises!

As planned, the Arctic 1000 cycling challenge hit the road in the early hours of Saturday 4th March, heading out from the UK for the long drive north to Oslo, all went well and to plan passing through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and into Sweden.

Heading north through Sweden along the motorway that runs the entire length of the west coast all seemed fine, around one hour from the Norwegian border and just under two hours from Oslo mid afternoon on Sunday. The next thirty minutes were completely unexpected, unforeseen and a somewhat indescribable sudden change of events.

From driving past green fields and through the emerging spring landscape of north Sweden conditions everywhere changed quite immediately and without warning. Watching the weather forecast on tv from a hostel in Gothenburg the following morning confirmed that north Sweden had been hit by an extreme band of winter weather sweeping across the country on Sunday afternoon, the very moment of passing through.  Conditions made the motorway impassable, the side roads invisible, with only the largest and most well equipped trucks being let through to head further north towards Oslo. Being led off the motorway by police just north of Gothenburg the only option, given the remoteness of the area, was to head back to the city also caught up in the conditions.

Advice was being given to motorists that conditions were forecast to be the same for the next two or three days, with vehicle movement further north from the city being scrutinised by police. With this unforeseen delay and the uncertainty of not knowing exactly how & when it would be possible to get across the border by road, different options for continuing were considered, hiring a different vehicle in Gothenburg, switching from road to ferry out of Gothenburg to Kristiansand, all of which were possible but with big cost & time implications without any guarantee of having sufficient time or capability to maintain to the absolute focus of the cycling challenge.

So, all things considered of the immediate situation and wanting to keep alive the real aim of being out here, to ride 1000 miles in 7 days fundraising for Aiden Mitchell and Action Medical Research, the big & immediate decision was taken to abandon with the aim of returning in the next few weeks, same challenge, same route, same landscape just different timing. Heading out of Gothenburg early on the Monday morning was difficult, road and motorway conditions being far from ideal, but driving back south without delay to Calais, at no point did this seem the wrong decision, the main thing being to the continuation of the Arctic 1000 solo cycling challenge in recognising, and continuing to recognise, the support and fundraising that has already started and that will hopefully continue for two such deserving causes.

Finally, an apology, for what almost certainly will be a very large carbon footprint, driving 1000 miles north over two days and 1000 miles south over one very long day, to see seven countries through the constraints of a car windscreen for an unexpected and somewhat brief stay in a hostel, without sheets, in the middle of Gothenburg, a city that we never expected to visit.

This was into the unknown & unexpected for certain, a different to planned outcome on this occasion and needing to readjust the plan to head out again in a few weeks time to see out the same cycling challenge, the same route, the same fundraising purpose, life is full of surprises.....!

....surprising acts of kindness!

Aiden Mitchell was born in June 2014, he suffered a traumatic birth which resulted in 28 minutes of CPR before he was able to take his first breath, wrapped in an ice blanket for 72 hours to stop the spread of brain damage, he was then slowly warmed to room temperature, medical interventions brought about by the work of Action Medical Research (www.action.org.uk).

Aiden is now just over 2 years old and the challenges he is going to face become more apparent, being diagnosed with HIE Grade 3 cerebral palsy causes him to have low trunk and high tone on his arms, Aiden cannot sit unaided or walk, although intensive physiotherapy and specialist equipment enable him to make real progress, much of the specialist treatment that benefits Aiden is only available in the USA.

I got to know to know Keith & Fleur, Aiden's parents, through our connections with Action Medical Research, and from this got to know more about Aiden's story and their very brave & courageous journey for Aiden.

The challenges of riding a bicycle, even long distances through challenging environments and landscapes, seem somewhat minor in comparison to the challenges that Keith, Fleur and Aiden face into, something that, as I have got to know them more, they do so with such unconditional good grace, kindness and generosity. amazingly for others aswell as their own situation.

So, the endeavours of a long distance solo cycling challenge will hopefully encourage the support and acts of kindness from others, to become part of Aiden's opportunity. 

http://www.just4children.org/children-helped-2016/the-amazing-Aiden

A very big thank you to @tonyfisherlive for today's coverage on @BBCEssex 

....a year in the making, and training!

From the beautifully tough training roads of the Lake District, Cumbria and winter roads of Essex, a solo cycling challenge that has been a year in the making and preparation, to the beautifully tough roads of the Atlantic Coast and the Arctic Highway of Norway.

...and so it begins, on road and ice!

Sunday, August 2, 2015, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California USA

'into the unkown is where the magic lies'

Words from the end of 'TransAm' at the Golden Gate Bridge the finishing point of a 3000 mile 14 day self planned solo cycling challenge across the USA, Washington DC to San Francisco.

For Action Medical Research and all of the good things that come out of their work...

.....the end!

The purpose of TransAm 3000 was to raise awareness and funding for Action Medical Research, to continue a long history of support into finding breakthrough medical cures for illnesses and disease that affect babies and young children.

and now the beginning....!

Monday, March 6, 2017 Arctic Highway Oslo, Norway

After a year of riding slighly shorter roads and smaller mountains the time has arrived to take to the road again with another solo cycling challenge, quite different to previous cycling challenges in crossing the USA and solo riding all 21 Stages of the Tour de France, this time heading further north to the much colder climate, remote expanses and  challenging landscape of Norway. 

The aim is to ride 1000 miles in 7 days, crossing the Arctic Circle at latitude 66.5 degress north and, subject to the severity of winter & early spring weather conditions, to ride as far north as possible before handing over to Dr Camila Benouali who will then ski to the North Pole as the second leg of a combined challenge, both of which support of the UK charity Action Medical Research, a team of truly dedicated people behind a cause that touches & benefits so many young lives, like that of Aiden Mitchell, a very courageous little boy!  

Through the kind support of so many people to get this combined challenge onto the road and ice! our
aim is to complete the self planned challenges to raise valuable funding for such a deserving cause, and to share our stories along the way...