Day 12 Helmsdale to John O'Groats

June 30 2007. While Sheffield held its breath in fear of further rain and flooding, Saturday dawned bright and clear in the north east of Scotland. After a pretty appalling two weeks of weather it felt as summery as 11 degress celsiuis can. Dawn, of course, is a loose term this far north. It had still been light at 11.30pm when Dad retired to bed the night before, and the sky was bright when I woke, full of adrenaline, at 5 am. Even better, the morning was still. Foregoing the traditional fry-up in deference to the four mile climb straight out of the village I set off on the final leg. The rest of the first 20 miles was equally tough, including a 1.5 mile 13 per cent climb. The inevitable north wind picked up over the last 30 miles, which thankfully were flatter. Cresting the final hill with just 1.5 (downhill) miles to go I felt a lump in my throat. Cruising into the sunny harbour with one arm aloft - I certainly wasn't going to chance letting go of the handlebars this close to the finish - was a wonderful feeling.

52.3 miles, 17.4 mph

Overall, the actual mileage I covered in 11.5 days - 910.9 miles - exactly matched the estimated trip total, despite several small changes to the route. Average speed came in at 14.92 mph, with early illness and the strong winds in the Lake District preventing me from creeping over 15 mph. I suffered no punctures, exceptional considering the wet conditions. The rain, however, did mean that I wore through a pair of brake blocks by Day 6 and had to fit a new set. I lost just one pound in weight, although I have taken my belt in a notch, so hopefully have converted some fat to muscle. Despite daily cooked breakfasts, Dad lost 4 pounds, testimony to the stress of the soigneur's role.

A big thank you to all of my sponsors, including the kind strangers and B&B owners en route who contributed, helping push the total raised for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability over £5000. Anyone still wishing to make a donation can do so at www.justgiving.com/vinceheaney

Most of all, huge thanks to my Dad, without whose help and moral support - not to mention lashings of coffee and cake - I would not have made it through such adverse conditions.