Two-hundred and ninety miles and four and a half days after leaving Holyhead, we finally pedalled into Cardiff bay on Tuesday afternoon.
Here we are, bitten, battered, burnt and bruised, standing proud in front of the Welsh assembly building on the South coast.
I fully intended on writing about our progress on-the-go but I'd underestimated the ride in terms of how much spare time and home comforts we would have.
So I thought I'd share first that we've completed the challenge with a write up of each, individual day of the tour to follow.
The atmosphere was quite subdued, as the three of us arrived in the plush bay area of Cardiff. I'd been here before watching the Wales football team and we arrived exactly how I'd imagined we would. There was little in the way of surprises. No cheering, welcome party, banners or free drinks; just a humble trio of handshakes. We knew what we'd achieved and didn't crave for anything more than a plate of calories.
We were destroyed. Our bikes limped along the wide paths of Cardiff bay towards a big pub on the front called The Waterguard. I tried to pin point the squeaking sound coming from low down, whether it was my brakes rubbing or my knees! I ordered bangers and mash with onion gravy and some greens with a pint of cider to wash it down with. I honestly can't remember what it looked or tasted like, but I do remember an empty plate and it filling a hole!
The lady behind the bar kindly offered us a plug socket to charge our phones and it wasn't long before I dropped off in the sunshine whilst the other two indulged in a pudding. Sleep being mine.
The rest of the day was spent ambling around Cardiff central station, drinking coffee,sitting on the floor with the bikes and watching fifty or so pensioners rightly protesting outside the BBC Wales building about having their free TV licenses taken away.
We'd gave ourselves six days to complete the ride and had arrived a whole day and a half early. Therefore, we had decided on the way down that we would bring the train tickets forward a day for a small fee and get back to our loved ones up North ahead of schedule.
However, there was only two spaces for bikes on the early-afternoon train with one of us having to book onto the later one at 15:21. This suited me as I lived closer to our final destination of Chester so the other two could ride home together, where they live close by.
Besides, it gave me the chance to reflect on the last five days, charge some devices on the concourse and get some cool shots of the trusty girl outside the grand looking station.
I feel like I've achieved something I never thought I could do. If I had done it alone, I may have gave up a few times during the never ending climbs, sweltering heat, excessive insect bites and desperate camp locations, so I thank my two companions for not letting that happen. Once you watch a man drop his pants, roll onto his back and apply a generous helping of chamois cream to his saddle sores with no shame whatsoever, there is no walking away!
Also a massive thank you to all who have taken the time to sponsor me. As little or as much as you could afford has been greatly received and I have obliterated my target, raising a sweet £1400 for Nightingale House hospice.
I'll leave the donation page live for a few weeks for any stragglers! wink wink!
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jamie-larkin3
Thanks for reading
Day 1 write up to follow...