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Originally the bike ride was to have been from the Great Wall of China to Tiananmen Square a distance of 245 miles 24th May until 2nd June 2003 to raise funds for the charity Mencap but because of the SARS epidemic the China ride was cancelled and the event was switched to the Sinai Desert and although I had trained hard for the challenge no amount of training in the UK could have prepared me for the temperatures of 35/40 degrees in that part of Egypt. Myself and twenty - one other cyclists set off on the 266 mile journey from Ras Sudr just south of the Suez Canal.
The first day was the easiest, only 34 miles of flat terrain but the two guides insist that we drink as much water as possible as there is a serious danger of dehydrating very quickly. ( I was drinking between ten and twelve litres per day ) We camp that night on the beach, bathe in the hot sulphur springs and sleep in Bedouin tents and try to rest as much as possible.
Day two is the hardest as we must cycle 80 miles and begin our ascent towards Mt. Sinai at night we camp with the Bedouin.
Day three is uphill all the way. Our climb is from 300 meters to 1,500 meters. 47 miles.
Day four 71 miles up and down the wadis which criss-cross the Sinai Desert. We are caught in a blinding, stinging sand storm and are forced to shelter with some Bedouin.
The final stretch today is a wonderful and exhilarating 18 mile downhill to the shores of the Red Sea and our accommodation.
Day five We set off along the coastal road with the Red Sea on our right and the soaring red granite mountains of the desert on our left. We keep on this undulating road for 34 miles until we reach Taba, our final destination
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