Maresfield man's success in London to Brighton bike challenge

Maresfield man Ben Gillam completed the London to Brighton bike ride on Sunday within his target time of five hours and raised more than £300 for the British Heart Foundation.

He started early and 46 miles into the journey managed the climb all the way up Ditchling Beacon without putting a foot on the tarmac.

Ben, aged 28, who lives on the Parklands estate, Maresfield, says there is still time to contribute funds for the British Heart Foundation on his sponsorship/donation page.

Ben tells the story of his bike ride here:

“The day started well with fairly mild weather with a bit of sun which helped motivate a lot of people.

“The early start was a good move as the number of people on the road was far lower and there was a bit more room to move.

“Even so there a were a lot of people weaving about not really paying attention but it then it was before 7am on a Sunday. Everyone was really friendly and happy and having a really good time.

“The early part of the ride went very quickly and quite easily too which just goes to show how my practice runs around hilly Sussex paid off.

“I made it all the way to the foot of Ditchling Beacon with only two five-minute stops to top up on water.

“Like a lot of people, Ditchling was the big stop for me where I took a good 15 minutes to slow my heart rate, get some more fluids down and have a light snack eady for the fight that was the beacon.

“I didn't really go into it with a strategy but quickly decided a smart move was to pace my cycling against someone pushing their bike up and focus on that rhythm. It worked really well and despite a few moments where I felt like giving up near the top, I made it without a foot touching the tarmac.

“The feeling of achieving the climb after some 46 of hard cycling was amazing and I was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“The last few miles into Brighton were a breeze and I finished within my target time of five hours with about 30 seconds to spare!

“On the last count my total raised funds is about £309 including gift aid with some still to come. It’s also not too late for anyone who wants to get a sponsorship/donation on my fund-raising page.

“Overall it was a really good day where not only did I a raise a lot of money for a great cause but also made some great personal achievements in my fitness beating my previous best by a whopping 45 minutes!"