The Mission

History:

When I first realised I wanted to do something for the charity (as outlined in My Reasons), I really didn't have a clue as to what it should be. I soon came to the conclusion that it should be something I could already do, and as a result I realised that it would have to involve motorcycles in some fashion.

But what could I do that would hopefully make people part with their hard-earned cash and sponsor me. Clearly I would be riding a bike from one place to another, but in order to be worthwhile, it needed to be a) a challenge, and b) something unusual.

That was when I came up with the idea of riding a stepthrough from Land's End to John O'Groats. The ride would obviously have to include my journey to Land's End from my Home, and also the Journey from John O'Groats on the way back. After a short while I modified this slightly to include the most southerly and northerly points on the British mainland, namely Lizard point in Cornwall, and Dunnet head, way up in the highlands of Scotland.

Whilst trying to find a suitable route, I searched the internet and found several routes as detailed by cyclists (with the relatively low maximum speed of the bike, staying to the more minor roads like a cyclist is no bad thing). I also found out that the whole 'end-to-end on a Cub90' thing had been done before. Several times.

My next thought was to still do the trip, keeping the destinations already mentioned, then adding the most easterly and westerly points of the mainland to make things a bit more interesting. My cousin then suggested doing the whole of the coast. At first I thought it was madness (in truth, it probably is) and that it was simply too far, but a little more research on the internet showed that several motorcyclists had done it before, that it was possible, and as far as I could tell, none of them had ever attempted it on a stepthrough.

Thus was the idea formed and somehow I found myself telling everyone else what I intended to do. No backing out, time to put my money where my mouth is.

Also worth mentioning is my reasoning in choosing the mighty Honda C90 as my weapon of choice. There are many motorcycles more suited to the task at hand, but making it more difficult hopefully makes it more sponsorable, and with a little luck, will also make people more inclined to put their hands in their pockets to support a worthy cause. There is also considerable comedy value in a sixteen-stone, shaven-headed and bearded biker putting along on a stepthrough that simply can't be ignored.

The Route:

I've spent quite some time messing about with road atlases and route-planning software, and have arrived at a provisional route.

The route is almost 3500 miles in length, and I've tried to take the closest practical route to the coast that I can. There are some areas where the roads have meant that staying really close to the coast isn't really possible , especially in Northern Scotland where the coast is very rugged and the roads are far and few between, but on the whole the route rarely ventures further than 10-15 miles inland, and for the majority of the time is much closer to the coast than that. In the 14 days that I have to complete the journey, this seems to be the best route that I can take. The journey will start and finish at King's Lynn, for no other reason than it seems to be the closest point of the coast to my home in sunny North Bedfordshire, and I'll be going clockwise.

Each day will involve around 250 miles of riding, and I could be on the road for ten or eleven hours at a time, not allowing for any breakdowns I may suffer. Navigation will be difficult, as I have almost no sense of direction (I've actually gone and bought myself- out of my own pocket- a Garmin Streetpilot 2610 satnav- assuming the wee generator on the Honda will take the strain, I'll be able to pre-program the route, and know exactly where I am at all times-plus it comes with a car kit so will come in handy in the motor too...), and I suspect sitting on a bike for that long every day will take its toll-both physically and mentally.

Just to add to the fun, and make life even more uncomfortable for myself (and to help keep my organising costs down- I'm covering my own costs- petrol, food, accomodation etc., though if anyone can help, then I'll gladly listen to any ideas!), most if not all, of my overnight stops will be spent under canvas, rather than in hotels or B&B's. Fun.

Don't allow me to make a fool of myself or let my discomfort be for nothing- go to my sponsorship page and donate- all amounts, whether large or small, will be most gratefully received, and it's all going to a very good cause!