Cycling pals go the distance to raise £8k
DESPITE horrendous weather, punctures and the odd fall, taking the easy route was never going to be an option for a four-strong Macclesfield cycling team who’ve just raised more than £8,000 for East Cheshire Hospice.
The four friends added on more than 300 miles to the shortest known route from John O’Groats to Land’s End by ensuring they covered every last inch of the furthest northern point to the furthest southern point.
Averaging around 86 miles a day, the cycling quartet took in some of the country’s top beauty spots including Loch Ness, Cheddar Gorge and the Clifton Bridge by sticking to the more difficult eastern route rather than take the easier west coast route.
“We wanted this to be a fun challenge and not just a hike so we didn’t shy away from any of the tough parts,” said veteran cyclist Steve Leonard.
“Maybe we were mad but we added on extra miles along the route including when we turned up to get the Nigg Cromarty Ferry on the east coast of Scotland only to find it wasn’t running – adding a big hill and an additional 15 miles on our first day’s journey.”
Steve, who works as an IT manager for a firm of Manchester solicitors, is no stranger to long bike rides having completed the Coast-to-Coast and the London to Paris routes a few years ago and so he was determined not to cut corners on the trip, which actually started at the cliffs of Dunnett Head and ended at Lizard Point.
With his cycling pals, Nick Stanley, Terry Butler and Sam Baker, their two-week trip was all the more noteworthy as the group stayed at B&Bs with no support vehicle to carry spare parts or luggage.
Fellow cyclist Nick Stanley, who owns Park Lane Working Jewellers, said that although with heavy panniers the going was tough, it was the hills he enjoyed the most, including Porlock Hill near Tintagel which is listed as one of the toughest cycling climbs in the UK.
He said: “Life is too short not to take on these challenges. We’re already talking about the next one.”
The group exceeded their own £7,777 target and their fundraising is still ongoing. To support them go to justgiving. com/4bikes-4riders4ECH. Their ride is part of the Challenge Series of fundraising initiatives for East Cheshire Hospice. For more details go to eastcheshirehospice.org. uk/challenge2016.