Congratulations to Jamie Plumb

Knee surgery in January and no ride over 3 hours in the last year - Jamie still enters the Hall of Fame. Chapeau!

In Jamie's Words

In hindsight, attempting it on what turned out to be the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK was probably both foolish and dangerous! That said, it was the only window I had available, with my wife taking the children off to see their granny for a few days.

My good mate Ollie Winwood started the ride with me but, displaying far more common sense than I did, wisely bowed out halfway through. Looking back, he may well have been the smartest person involved. Ironically, when I bailed on my previous attempt in 2022, it was Ollie Beresford who was riding with me. He went on to complete the Double himself in a remarkable 16 hours, which rather puts my own efforts into perspective!

From 10:00 until about 19:30, the heat was unimaginable—like riding in a sauna all day. It simply never eased. I found myself stopping at every available tap to cool down, often giving myself what amounted to a full shower before carrying on. By the end of the ride, I reckon I’d drunk more than 20 litres of water.

We set off with the idea of completing the Double, but in truth neither of us was especially focused on achieving a sub-24-hour time. The main aim was simply to enjoy the ride and see how things unfolded. By the halfway point, I was convinced a sub-24 finish was out of reach and didn’t really give it much thought. However, somewhere around Cocking on the return leg, I realised it might actually be on after all. From that point, I started pushing much harder. A large part of the motivation, if I’m honest, was the thought that if I could get it done this time, I’d never have to do it again!

I was also grateful for some very last-minute advice from my long-time friend Jonathan Stedman, himself a member of the Hall of Fame. In fact, looking through the names on the website afterwards, I realised I know at least nine other people who have completed the Double. Perhaps that should have been a warning sign!

Looking back, I should have planned it far more carefully, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Regardless, it feels good to finally get it done and put to rest something I’d abandoned in 2022. There’s something a bit magical about this route and what the Double represents—a challenge that is as much mental as physical, and one that gets under your skin long after you’ve finished.

Although I suspect this may be my only attempt, I’ve learned never to say never. For now though, it’s a monkey off my back, and I’m glad to finally have it ticked off.