Kenny Smith has been preparing for today for the last two years. Today Kenny embarked on day 1 of 50 days unsupported cycling around the U.K. in aid of the MS Trust in memory of his much loved and missed sister Kathleen Painter.

Kathleen was diagnosed with MS in 1990 but in 2014 lost her battle the debilitating disease and since then Kenny has undertaken numerous challenges from trekking, running and cycling all over the world to raise funds and awareness of Multiple Sclerosis. Kenny has raised an astonishing £250,000 for the trust to date and on this challenge he aims to raise £50,000. If you would like to support Kenny’s challenge you can donate here.
At 9am Kenny left Chichester Gate accompanied by one of the local fire engines who saw him safely cross the Fishbourne A27 roundabout to begin his challenge in style.
What’s Kenny riding?
Kenny’s been training on his Vaaru MPA for the last few months. Monday morning was spent checking his set-up and making some last minute adjustments to his riding position. We found he was more comfortable in a more upright position so with some minor adjustments he was ready. We are delighted to be a part of Kenny’s challenge and hope that he enjoys his challenge on his Vaaru MPA.
Vaaru MPA titanium endurance frame
Vaaru F:140 custom painted carbon forks
Vaaru custom painted carbon bottle cages
Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset
3T aluminium wheels and Continental tyres
3T handlebars
3T seat post
Fabric saddle
Some Facts About Kenny’s Challenge
“My overall mileage is approximately 2655 miles, providing I don’t go too far off course! (But I will be adding a few miles to see places of interest that are worth a detour) With all of the total elevation gain I ride every day added together this makes things quite shocking…. the total elevation is a jaw dropping 136325 ft, which is equal to 25.819 miles or 41.551 m or 41,551,860 mm or to put it simpler, equal to over 4 and a half times the height of the worlds tallest mountain, Mount Everest, or just under the distance of the London marathon, or over 8. 6 times the height of Mount Blanc and 134 times higher than the shard in London!!
The wheels on my bike will be size 700c with a circumference of 2136mm, there are 1,609,344mm per mile, which means every mile I ride my wheels will turn approximately 753 revolutions per mile meaning for the entire 50 days my wheels will turn a total of 1,999,215 times in total!!
I will be riding anywhere around 8 hours each day, some days I could be in the saddle for well over 10 hours due to the hills and uneven terrain, so this will burn a lot of energy and calories, around calories 6000 a day to be exact! Burning 6000 calories a day is equal to 24 cheeseburgers a day! or losing 1.7 pounds in weight each day, a total of 85lbs over the 50 days, thats 6 stone in weight!!
Riding long days means sweating, and this needs to be replaced by drinking around 4ltrs of water per day, that is 200 ltrs of water over the 50 days, as well as water I will need to drink water with electrolytes in to avoid dehydration and muscle cramps
During my 50 day cycle ride I will be staying staying in 19 houses, 14 guest houses, 10 B&Bs, 7 hotels and one campervan!
Along my way around the UK I will see 5 different seas
- The English Channel
- The North Atlantic Ocean
- The Celtic Sea
- The Irish Sea
- The North Sea
I will ride through 11 of the UK’s National Parks..
- South Downs
- New Forest
- Dartmoor
- Exmoor
- Brecon Beacons
- Snowdonia
- Peak District
- Loch Lomond
- Caimgorms
- Northumberland
- North York Moors
- Yorkshire Dales
I will be riding over 26 of Britain’s largest Rivers River Arun, Avon, Exe, Tamar, Taw, Parrett, Wye, Severn, Dee, Mersey, Ribble, Luned, Eden, Loch Ness, Spey, Tweed, Tyne, Tees, Ure, Wharfe, Aire, Trent, Nene, Great Ouse, Thames, Medway I will also ride through 24 major cities and visit 16 cathedrals, and go through and see various sea side resorts, castles, churches, villages, famous land marks and ports and harbours Finally, in between all the cycling I will get to meet some amazing people around the UK, some who I have met on treks and multi day cycles before and many more amazing people who have kindly offered me a place to stay”
Kenny’s Route Around The U.K.
Here’s Kenny’s route around the U.K., do get in touch if you’d like to join him on any of the stretches!
Day1. June 12th Wednesday Chichester to Bournemouth
https://www.strava.com/routes/13850325
Day 2. June 13th Thursday Bournemouth to Dorchester
https://www.strava.com/routes/13850650
Day 3. June 14th Friday Dorchester to Exmouth
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581135
Day 4. June 15th Saturday Exmouth to Plymouth
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581254
Day 5. June 16th Sunday Plymouth to Falmouth
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581186
Day 6. June 17th Monday Falmouth to Lands End to Hayle
Double day of riding
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581523
Day 7. June 18th Tuesday Rest day in Falmouth
Day 8. June 19th Wednesday
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581652
Day 9. June 20th Thursday Bude to Taunton
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581813
Day 10. June 21st Friday Taunton via Severn Bridge to Chepstow
https://www.strava.com/routes/15581995
Day 11. June 22nd Saturday Chepstow to Glasbury
https://www.strava.com/routes/15582144
Day 12. June 23rd Sunday Glasbury to Machynlleth
https://www.strava.com/routes/15996731
Day 13. June 24th Monday Machynlleth via climb Mount Snowdon to Bangor
https://www.strava.com/routes/15996854
Day 14. June 25th Tuesday Bangor via ferry over the Mersey to Liverpoool
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997079
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997137
Day 15. June 26th Wednesday Liverpool via Blackpool Pleasure Beach to Morecambe
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997359
Day16. June 27th Thursday Morecambe Via climb Scafell Pike to Scafell Pike Area
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997488
Day 17. June28th Friday Scafell Pike Area to Carlisle
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997603
Day18. June29th Saturday Carlisle to Hamilton
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997711
Day 19. June 30th Sunday Hamilton to Crianlarich
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997905
Day 20. July 1st Monday Crianlarich to Fort William
https://www.strava.com/routes/15997981
Day 21. July 2nd Tuesday Fort William To Ben Nevis alongside Loch Ness to Inverness
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998088
Day 22. July 3rd Wednesday Inverness to Tain
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998172
Day 23. July 4th Thursday Tain to Lairg
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998231
Day 24. July 5th Friday Laig to Betty Hill
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998302
Day 25. July 6th Saturday.. half way in day wise, 25 days to go!
Betty Hill to Thurso
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998389
Day 26. July 7th Sunday Thurso via John O Groats to Thurso
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998509
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998558
Day 27. July 8th Monday Thurso to Betty Hill
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998612
Day 28. July 9th Tuesday Betty Hill to Lairg
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998711
Day 29. July 10th Wednesday Laig to Tain
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998848
Day 30. July 11th Thursday Tain to Inverness
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998925
Day 31. July 12th Friday Inverness to Portknockie
https://www.strava.com/routes/15998992
Day 32. July 13th Saturday Portnockie to Aberdeen
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999027
Day 33 July 14th Sunday Aberdeen to Dundee
https://www.strava.com/routes/18183435
Day 34 July 15th Monday Rest Day to Dundee
https://www.strava.com/routes/18183558
Day 35.July 16th Tuesday Dundee to Edinburgh
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999209
Day 36. July 17th Wednesday Edinburgh to Berwick Upon Tweed
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999327
Day 37.July 18th Thursday Berwick Upon Tweed to Amble
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999419
Day 38. July 19th Friday Amble to Sunderland
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999502
Day 39. July 20th Saturday Sunderland to Middlesbrough
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999591
Day 40. July 21st Sunday Middlesbrough to York
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999676
Day 41. July 22nd Monday York to Doncaster
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999759
Day 42 July 23rd Tuesday Doncaster to Nottingham
https://www.strava.com/routes/18185754
Day 43. July 24th Wednesday Nottingham to Peterborough
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999931
Day 44. July 25th Thursday Peterborough to Letchworth
https://www.strava.com/routes/15999976
Day 45. July 26th Friday Letchworth to Seven Oaks
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000047
Day 46. July 27th Saturday
Seven Oaks to Maidstone
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000099
Day 47. July 28th Sunday Maidstone to Dover
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000150
Day 48. July 29th Monday Dover to Rye
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000241
Day 49. July 30th Tuesday Rye To Brighton
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000286
Day 50. July 31st Wednesday Brighton via Boxgrove to Chichester (approximately 15.00)
https://www.strava.com/routes/16000322