counting down

Hi, I'm Lester Evans, a 46-year old father of two from Cheltenham, UK.

Myself and Nick Howard, who like me is old enough to know better and also like me has adopted from China, are cycling the length of Great Britain. That's about 1000 miles and we hope to do it in less than two weeks. Starting on April 28th, we'll be cycling without support (or stabilisers) - just us two old gits and our bikes.

It's not that we are pathetic middle-aged losers desperately trying to cling to the vestiges of our long-vanished youth and vitality. Oh No! We are pathetic middle-aged losers with a mission! We are doing this to raise money for 'Love Without Boundaries'

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/

This is a group of volunteers who work to provide social, health. education, and fostering services in China's orphanages.

Nick and I are paying all the expenses for the trip ourselves. Every pie, pasty, pint, and poultice, every bed, breakfast, banana, and bandage will come from our pockets.

So, every penny/Euro/dollar you donate will go directly to help improve the lives of some of the thousands of children in China's orphanages. Specifically Nick and I are hoping to fund a series of cleft palate operations and physiotherapy services.

You can make a direct credit card donation at
https://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/DonateForm.php?Category=Other,
putting 'UK Bike Ride' in the 'Note' box.

Nick and I are really looking forward to this challenge and we hope you will consider this worthy of a little of your hard-earned cash.

Just about seven weeks to go and the panic is beginning to creep in!

On the plus side, some people have already donated or pledged money. The down side is we are now committed to do it! Also, I've had a load of good advice from fellow cyclists on the route and on what to take/leave behind.

On the forward planning front, I was hoping that Nick & I could use some accumulated BA airmiles to get back from Wick. As luck would have it BA has now sold all those routes to 'Flybe', who don't recognise BA miles so it's back to the drawing board - any ideas?

I guess the real worry is whether Nick & I are physically up to riding 80 or so miles every day. We've been doing half day rides of about 40 miles in the Cotswolds with plenty of up and downs but we're facing twice that distance daily.