In March last year I posted a blog about cycling over the South Dorset Ridgeway. From, the Weymouth side, it rises about 100m much of it in the form of a chalk escarpment. From the north it's a longer gentler pull, from the south, a much steeper prospect with nasty hairpin bend about a third of the way up.

In the previous blog I went on about self belief, which though still valid, I won't dwell on here. I rode over this hill on mountain bike, which I have since done many times, often when carrying about 30lbs of equipment with me - it's hard work. I mentioned doing the hill on my hybrid, which I have since done, including carrying the equipment. I also said I had the ambition to do it on a road bike. A road bike, is one which is designed for riding at speed, so has higher gear ratios and usually drop handle bars. Today, I finally got around to riding one up the ridgeway. Up until the last minute I wondered about aborting and finding another way over the ridge, there are two other routes both with nasty hills. In the end I just went for it and did it.

To show how long this has been an ambition, I did a course in NLP three years ago. I was planning it then, although I didn't believe I'd manage it. Today, I didn't plan very much, just felt up for it and succeeded. Sorry if this is boring for lots of you, but I feel quite chuffed with myself, even if it didn't mean a gold medal in Beijing. (What a fight back by Liam Killeen in the MTB race - he fell off in the first lap and hurt himself, but managed to get back on his bike in 48th place - he finished in 7th place. I wish I had powers of recovery like that!).

This is the make and model of bike I rode over the ridgeway today, only mine has SPD pedals.