If you’ve read Good Vibrations: Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie, you may well remember Iain who I stayed with overnight in Deal, Kent. I look up to Iain as someone who seems to know much more about the technicalities of cycling than me. It wouldn’t be hard. He wouldn’t go back to the bike shop to get his gear cables tightened for example as I did last week; he’d have the bike up on his own stand and spend a considerable amount of time fine tuning every component. He has my ultimate respect. I am a lightweight in every comparison apart from the physical one.

Anyway, Iain sent me an email this week;

“I lodged with a chap who worked for my place when I moved down south at first [Iain is Scottish]. He and his wife were lovely folk and looked after me well. I keep in contact with them and found out their son is attempting JOGLE as a training session/test to see if he is capable for a ride across America. He is attempting it on the bike [upon which] his brother road across America… It’s for charity and in memory of his brother who died in Afghanistan. I never met his brother but heard a lot about him. The website tells you more… You can also follow them on Twitter @longwaydownhill.”

The son Iain refers to is David Downing and his brother was Squadron Leader Anthony Downing. David is completing the cycle with a chap called Chris Tremblett (not the cricketer; he has no ‘b’). You can sponsor them via their Just Giving web page.