east in just 32 days might be an arduous asignment for most people.

But apparently not for former Ironman competitor Jim Butterfield, who has already completed two thirds of the journey without so much as an ache.

Butterfield is riding with fellow Bermudian Steve Petty, who joined him at around the halfway mark, and around 40 others in the America By Bicycle non-competitive charity ride.

Several of the starters have fallen by the wayside with a variety of problems, but 50-year-old Butterfield, speaking after yesterday's 80-mile ride to Crawfordsville, Indiana, believed they had simply lacked preparation.

"We did the preparation, so we're OK,'' said Butterfield. "But there are people who are suffering. One guy had such bad saddle sore, it almost turned to blood poisoning.

"Some people have got their ankles taped up because of tendon problems. And some have got sore necks.

"But I guess we're lucky, living in Bermuda, where we've been able to put in thousands of miles of preparation. Those who live in Wisconsin or Maine just haven't been able to do that.'' Another rider dropped out after an accident on Monday, when two bikes touched wheels and the unfortunate cyclist hit the ground so hard the impact broke his helmet and he ended up in hospital with concussion.

After yesterday's ride, Butterfield had clocked up 2,248 miles since departing from Irvine, California, on April 24.

To reach his destination of Boston, Massachusetts, where he is scheduled to arrive on Friday, May 26, he will have to cover another 1,122 miles.

Butterfield, who finished seventh in the gruelling Hawaii Ironman contest in 1981, said there was no boredom problem as the miles went by.

"I'm still excited to get up every morning and go out,'' he said. "The countryside is beautiful, the weather's been pretty good and the drivers are very considerate.'' Most of the terrain covered so far has been reasonably flat apart from a stretch involving miles of climbing going out of California and into Arizona, but Butterfield expected hillier roads ahead when his journey will take him through Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Butterfield and Petty are raising money for the cancer charity PALS and having initially aimed at raising $25,000, pledges during their journey from Bermuda residents have now left them hopeful of amassing something approaching $100,000.

Jim Butterfield: faces another 1,122 miles to the finish.