Day 1: Cape Wrath to Inchnadamph: Karen has developed a squeak, the source of which she cannot track down, so we all took shifts riding with her so she could tell us about it.

Day 2: Inchnadamph to Inchbae: We woke to a glorious morning: bright, sunny and still. Ideal conditions for midges. Swarms of them were out for an early breakfast. The jungle spray I bought at Birmingham airport did not do what it said on the tin and I now have polka dot legs.

Day 3: Inchbae to Spean Bridge: We had to use the A82, a winding single carriageway which is fast and with a high proportion of oversized vehicles. Nick was bumped off the road into roadworks. Fortunately he was unhurt, but disappointing to see such negligence and wanton disregard for safety. Today’s other mishap was with Mike, a spoke snapped and his front wheel immediately buckled. Fortunately it was just a couple of miles from the hotel so he was able to walk his bike in.

Day 4: Spean Bridge to Cairndow: Conditions were atrocious, driving rain and strong winds. And we had 93 miles to do. We were all well prepared in terms of clothing. All garments were high visibility. Since I had a bright yellow jacket and helmet cover, Kate likened me to a Lollipop Lady; note Lollipop Lady not Lollipop Man.

Day 5: Cairndow to Kilmarnock: Another brute of a day: 88 miles, mostly in headwinds, with an exacting start and even more exacting finish.

The Gare Loch was a place I visited regularly as a boy. We were regular visitors to Rhu, courtesy of a paternal grandfather. He would take me, my brother and sister, and an assortment of others there a couple of times each summer. The routine was always the same: he set us off foraging for mussels and went to the pub; when he returned he retrieved a black cooking pot hidden in a bush; we’d then cook and eat the mussels and head home. The beach is still there and judging from the broken shells on the road so are the mussels. The pub is still there. I did not going looking for the pot, it would have broken a spell.

In Glasgow we rode along the side of the Clyde. It is now a very different waterfront and emblematic of the city’s extraordinary regeneration. The bike track runs all the way to Glasgow Green, from where we headed to the east end: first Parkhead, where another wave of regeneration is taking place in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, then in to Shettleston. It was a trip with great personal resonance. I grew up on Chester Street. The tenement where we lived is now gone, though the Shettleston Town football ground and Social Club at the end of the street is still there. The visit meant a lot to me and was a perfect reminder of why we are doing this ride.

Day 6: Kilmarnock to Annan: 461 miles and 25,000ft. All the riders are creaking, but are in great spirits. They are an outstanding group of people to do this with.

Day 7: Annan to Kirkby Lonsdale: Google Latitude is an app which gives you the location of other riders in real time. When Chris R was leaving Penrith he checked it. To his amazement Chris J had overtaken him. He was about half a mile ahead. Affronted, Chris R set off. After a few miles at full pelt, Chris J was, if anything, stretching the gap between them. Chis R couldn’t work out what was going on. He pedalled harder. After 18 miles, he seemed to have gunned him down in Tebay. When he got there Chris J was nowhere to be seen. However our minibus was, and in the minibus was Chris J’s broken phone with Google Latitude still switched on!

Day 8: Kirkby Lonsdale to Wetherby: Simon’s chair collapsed under him at breakfast. He alleges sabotage on the part of the support team, for a cheap laugh (and it did get a lot of laughs); they have another explanation… A second mishap occurred on Settle Hill; Mike’s momentum became so slow he was more or less stationary and just keeled over. Fortunately Kate is a really fast draw with her camera and got a picture (and Mike is fine by the way).

Around this point on Life Cycle 1, Moves Like Jagger was top of the download charts and it was immediately adopted by the team. There is no equivalent at present, so I have suggested they adopt Summertime by TJ Bilham. He is my nephew and it is his first release.

Day 9: Wetherby to Lincoln: Another 83 miles. Some bodies are hurting, 12 to be precise. Hardly surprising, after 701 miles and cumulative climbs of over 37,000ft. There is also a fair amount of fatigue. That comes partly from the battering our bodies from day after day of 80 or 90 miles on a saddle. There is also the unrelenting daily routine. And it is not just physical fatigue. It is essential to maintain full concentration for six to eight hours on the road.

But, for all that, spirits remain remarkably high. Breaks and dinners are times to catch up with and wind each other up, and despite lengthy and full days, the support team play a vital part in lifting riders when needed. It is also clear that the cause for which we are doing this not only keeps riders motivated, it lifts them.

Day 10: Lincoln to Nottingham: What a fabulous day, better than we could have hoped for. The start was at Lincoln Cathedral. It was a real thrill to see more than 50 leg riders preparing to take on the 54 miles to University Park. Our welcome at the Sports Centre was wonderful. It was really uplifting to see that so many family, friends and colleagues had turned out to welcome us. There was a real party atmosphere.

Day 11: Nottingham to Banbury: After such an uplifting afternoon on University Park, waning enthusiasm could have been forgiven. But, there was none of that. Quote of the day: I called Sarah who runs my office. ‘Anything you need from me?’ ‘No’ she replied, ‘the University seems to be running quite well without you’. Thanks Sarah, I’ll try not to rush back.

Day 12: Banbury to Winchester: Chris J took over wayfinding. I am not sure whether he was using his Garmin or his new iPhone. Either way, he led a pack of riders into a pedestrian zone and then down a one-way street. That double traffic violation has earned him some My Little Pony style streamers on his handlebars to remind him not to do it again. Incidentally, Chris J is getting to grips with his new phone. He has installed a photo of himself as the screen’s wallpaper. It has turned out to be a highly effective security measure. There is absolutely no chance of anyone stealing it now.

Day 13: Winchester to Eastbourne: Chichester is a lovely city with a fine cathedral. We were longer there than planned, partly because I sensed a willingness to dawdle over lunch; partly because Barry lost the van. I know Chichester is not a village, nor is it a metropolis and it is a pretty big van, so that took some doing.

Day 14: Eastbourne to Dover: I was last out, but Gavin and Andy had waited for me. They were not the only thing waiting for me. My bike was adorned with every bit of tat you can imagine: streamers, bells, a pink chicken, even an orange warning bar to stick out from my back wheel. It was a fair cop after the fun I had poked at all and sundry through my blogs over the last two weeks This is a really tough challenge, tougher than Life Cycle 1. The support team have been marvellous, working long days, bearing the responsibility of ensuring bikes are roadworthy, keeping track of riders on the road, and helping keep their spirits up. As for the riders, they put their lives on hold for two weeks and their bodies through the mangle. I have nothing but admiration for their spirit and resilience. On many days, getting to the end was a mind over body triumph, and every rider completed every leg.

Read the Vice-Chancellor’s blog in full at: blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/lifecycle