The group from the Royal British Legion (RBL) Big Push covered 855km in just eight days to raise money for the RBL Bangkok, finishing with a grueling 110km day from Khao Lak to the Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa, in Phuket.
The most common complaint upon arrival: a sore backside.
What day was the most challenging? “Every day,” according to Peter Werby, 44. “Every day was hills and heat. Every day was difficult, but it was also very exciting.”
“Four tyres, six inners tubes, a brake cable, bad knees, a fall, torrential rain; we’ve had a bit of everything,” Antony Bell, secretary of the RBL Bangkok, said.
“But we also took in some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. The only way to see it is on a bike.
The group – all RBL members from Bangkok – was made up of a mix of age groups, with the youngest being Thai rider Nattapongpan ‘Chang’ Ponphol, 17, and the oldest Tony Margetts, 65.
“On a very long bike ride, it’s a lot of sore backsides, so getting here [to Phuket] feels really great,” Mr Margetts said.
Not far behind him in age was Dave Haddon, 63, who said: “The London Marathon was definitely easier.”
By all accounts though, Mr Haddon had a particularly tough time of it, having one nasty fall and being attacked by a street dog on his way into Phuket, much to the amusement of the other riders.
Though he couldn’t give an exact figure, Mr Bell said the ride had raised more than the target of B500,000, which will go to the RBL Bangkok to help support ex-British service men and women.
British Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter, who was present to greet the team on their arrival at the Westin, said: “The Royal British Legion are such a wonderful organisation, especially with the support it provides to ex-servicemen and the activities it gets involved in.
“With probably hundreds of ex-servicemen and women on the island, I also think it would be truly wonderful progress for the Royal British Legion in Thailand if a Phuket sub-branch was set up.”
Anyone interested in helping set up a Phuket sub-branch should contact Mr Carpenter on 076 318 188.