19/09/2026
Update from Tim who completed the London to Brighton bike ride last Sunday to raise money for That’s Pants! 🩲
Please celebrate 🥳 with him by donating to this Global Challenge Project
LONDON TO BRIGHTON. Mission accomplished.
A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible, from lending me a bike to having a last minute conversation at the pub and offering to drive our minibus to Clapham Common and then meet us in Brighton, to all the support that everyone has given by coming out for rides in preparation, teaching me bike stuff and body stuff, for saying encouraging words, writing me a song to drive me up Ditchling Beacon, and financially supporting a project that means a lot to both myself and Ella.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
A big thank you also goes to the 4 guys who joined me on this adventure and provided great banter and company along the way.
The big question on this ride was, could obese Tim who had been riding for barely 5 months, cycle up Ditchling Beacon with 50 miles in the legs.
About 10 miles from it, you sweep down and can’t avoid the sight of it dominating the horizon.
Going up it, it definitely makes you want to get off and walk, especially as everyone else seems to be doing just that, but the slight levelling out between each steep ramp allowed the legs to ‘recover’ before taking on another steep ramp, and another, and another.
Having been advised beforehand to do my homework and Google street view the hill, I kept an eye out for the final marker I had saved into my brain, the Horse hazard sign at the base of the final ramp - Ditchling Beacon for those that don’t know has a lot of false ends. You think you’re coming to the top but actually there’s just another hairpin with more climbing, and this happens about 5 times so learning the hill helped me know roughly where I was. - In the last quarter, my calves both twinged and announced loudly, ‘we’re going to cramp, we’re going to cramp, we’re going to cramp.’
I prayed hard, please Lord, don’t let them cramp. Help me get to the top. Please Lord.
And He got me to the top. Thank you Lord.
No calf cramping, although I could definitely feel they were there!!
Fortunately my timing was impeccable because Ed, one of the legends cycling with me had just reached the front of the coffee van queue and shouted across, ‘what do you want Tim?’
That really was a great cup of tea!
From the top of Ditchling Beacon to Brighton seafront, it’s mostly downhill which allowed Brad to hit over 40mph as we recovered from the arduous climb and descended into Brighton.
A fantastic day out. If you’re thinking about it, definitely book on for next year.
The terrain in general is much hillier than around Thanet - there’s not a lot of flat, you’re going up or down - but it is so rewarding at the finish.
Thank you so much to everyone who has so generously financially supported the That’s Pants project that my wife Ella helped set up with Global Challenge. I’m so excited to see the results of all the giving, on the ground in Uganda and will hopefully be able to share that with you all.
The go fund me is still open and will remain so for another week-ish if you are able to give and want to, or if you are unable to but still want to support, please share it with your friends.
https://gofund.me/43686b302
There’s no way I could have had a crack at London to Brighton and done it without the help and support of so many people who have poured heaps of time, effort and sacrifice into it.
Cheers all. Thanks.
On 13th September, an amazing group of people will be taking on the London to Brighton bike ride — … Ella Shingles needs your support for Pedalling for Pants!
