Why I'm taking part in the Bath to Bournemouth Bike ride

World record cyclist Ben Rockett talks about his cycling world record and why he's taking part in the Bath to Bournemouth bike ride.

Wednesday September 12, 2012

In August 2010, I completed the gruelling challenge of cycling from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and back again. It took a grand total of five days, 21 hours and eight minutes, which I was delighted to hear was 23 hours quicker than Bob Brown, who had held the record for nine years. All the pain and hardship I went through was suddenly worth it when I crossed the finish line!

Before that challenge, I had only completed the end-to-end in one direction, which took me 12 days and I hadn’t had much cycling experience at all. So, as crazy as it may seem, when I heard that someone had tried to beat Bob’s record and failed, I wanted to see if I could do it.

I can guarantee the sense of achievement you will have when you cross the finish line

After cycling from coast-to-coast across North America my love of cycling was born and very quickly, riding a bike became one of the biggest parts of my life. I’d encourage anyone to try cycling as it is both a great sport and wonderful exercise and you get a fantastic sense of achievement after doing a personal challenge.

I am always looking for a new challenge and as Bath is the city I grew up in and love, I am planning on taking on the British Heart Foundation’s Bath to Bournemouth Bike Ride on September 30, 2012. The event is 80 miles, which is a challenging, but manageable distance for people to have a go at. There's no denying there will be some tough parts but I can guarantee the sense of achievement you will have when you cross the finish line will by far surpass any reservations you may have about signing up.

Also, let’s not forget that heart disease is still the nation’s biggest killer – another reason I’m keen to raise awareness of this great charity. The route from Bath to Bournemouth is really picturesque and I want to urge everyone to sign up and give it a go. It’s not too late and we can help beat heart disease together!

Sign-up to take part in the Bath to Bournemouth bike ride this year