Prison officer Simon on epic cycle challenge

Mr Chapman set off from Land’s End on Monday morning, and reached the village of Roche, 52 miles away, later the same day.

However, he said the first day had been plagued with difficulties.

‘There were roadworks on the A30, and then I discovered that a lot of the side roads and footpaths I planned to ride along no longer exist, so I had to vastly divert from my initial route. I didn’t end up arriving into Roche until about 8pm. I had planned to be there at 5pm.’

A series of difficult ascents, as well as bad weather and high volumes of traffic, had made Mr Chapman briefly consider throwing in the towel.

‘One of my rear panniers got clipped by a car which threw me off a bit, and some of the climbs have been really hard,’ he said.

‘Nothing in Guernsey can get you ready for some of the hills here, not even the Val des Terres.

‘Add into the mix the rain and I was feeling pretty wet and miserable.’

Yesterday saw Mr Chapman ride 60 miles from Roche to just south of Barnstaple in north Devon, during which he encountered swarms of horseflies and overgrown footpaths.

‘I’ve been bitten about 15 times, and for parts of the ride I have had to get off my bike and push because it’s been so overgrown.

‘The bike struggles on off-road terrain as the tyres aren’t wide enough.’

He said that the encouragement he had received via text messages and calls while cycling had kept him going.

‘It’s been a huge challenge and I’m already feeling quite tender and bruised but it’s fantastic. The first two days are the worst for climbs. I’ve got to do about 19.

‘Once I’m out of Devon and Cornwall it will hopefully get easier.’

• Mr Chapman is raising money for three charities – Diabetes Guernsey, the RNLI and Hannah House Children’s Respite Care in Leeds. Details of how to donate can be found via his JustGiving page: https://bit.ly/4758FYN

• Mr Chapman is documenting his journey via his Instagram account @29chapperslejog.