This October, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer! Except...

I had genuinely intended to ride this October, but that neck surgery has come up in the last week. I'm now on a 3 month waiting list for it to happen "some time between now and Christmas, hopefully as soon as possible," in the words of my neurosurgeon's surgical assistant. I've been advised to not participate in any "out of the ordinary activity" because of the compression in my upper cervical spine and I will be off the bike completely for a few months after the surgery.

So, my participation might be daily light riding on smooth bikeways, but could just as easily be a one-off donation because of my recovery. I'm happy it's been brought forward (way earlier than I'd expected) but it's quite probably going to knock me out of the challenge this year, and will certainly curtail (on medical advice) my participation. No long adventures away on rough country roads.

I'll do what I can, but it won't be as much as I'd hoped to, like trundling along major highways with my collection bucket on a short boom behind my seat. Next year, maybe.