They say that the Medway river divides Kent so you are either one or the other. Today we rode right across this County and I have to say it is stunning. From a cycling perspective it almost rivals our very own God’s County. Rolling and sometimes steep hills, orchards and of course our favourite fruit, hops! The Oast house in particular were astonishing, many converted into houses.

We set off from Dartford after a good but hot night in the hotel and into the traffic but soon got on to some great country lanes, just wide enough for the support vehicle but great for us cyclists. The route took us through small hamlets and villages, some we knew and others we didn’t. 

The group split at West Malling, the caffeine needy having Latte time and a couple continuing on. What everybody didn’t know was that the mountains of Kent were calling! One at Hollingbourne just never seemed to end, false summit after false summit. At the top yours truly decided to douse himself not from his water bottle but from the one with isotonic in it! A lovely sticky finish for the next five hours. Others crested the top saying “never again” and thinking that was it, climbing done for the day. Little did they know.

A long dangerous downhill to Doddington, a rock strewn, potholed back road that went on for ever. A few miles into the downhill saw us stop for a very much needed lunch break and seafood tagliatelle’s all round. The bikes don’t like pasta so we gave them a good oiling!

Plus a desert of course. This was the half way point of the whole ride, distance and time wise. Everybody was too tired to celebrate but a real achievement for many, 285 miles in 3.5 days.

Too long spent over lunch and rather full we completed the downhill and on to the other hills. One after the other, sapping our strength and making the last 35 miles a challenge for some!

A couple of mechanicals. One tyre blow out that if it had happened 200m further down the hill could have been a lot more disastrous. Even in deepest Kent our Tech King Brad had a new tyre ordered for Rick to pick up from Halfords in Dover. In the meantime a spare tyre we were carrying was fitted.

The second was a puncture, it was the repair that made those watching rolling around on the ground – if you want to see how not to use a gas filler cartridge watch the video. 

We arrived at our hotel tired but exhilarated. The worst day done but an early start tomorrow, up at 6am for a ferry departure time of 7:25am. Our first day on foreign soil. And here is a taster of what’s to come. Some cycling weirdo we met on the crossing!