Banjo Cycles team complete 205-mile Chase the Sun bike ride in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK

A group of Newbury cyclists took part in a race from one side of the country to the other to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Representing the Hambridge Road bike shop Banjo Cycles, a team of 13 local people took part in the UK south ride of Chase the Sun, a 205-mile ride from Minster on Sea to Weston-super-Mare.

The race, which took place on Saturday, June 24, began at 4.41am at sunrise, and finished at 9.33pm at sunset.

Sarah Austin, a 51-year-old music teacher from Woolton Hill, was part of the Banjo Cycles team.

She said: “It was amazing. It was absolutely incredible actually. We really had a great time. I’ve never done anything like it but it was really good.

“There were definitely hard bits. Cycling through London was really difficult because it was so busy with traffic lights and stopping and starting. That was really hard.

“But coming into the local area that we knew was just fantastic.”

The Chase the Sun route passed through Woolton Hill at around its midway point, and Mrs Austin’s husband Dave made the group bacon rolls for lunch, as well as providing them with flapjacks and ice cream.

Mrs Austin added: “We had a whole fanfare of people out in Woolton Hill. It was really good. It was like a big party atmosphere.”

Unfortunately, the group arrived 10 minutes after the official end time of the ride, but they started 20 minutes late due to issues at the starting line so they still feel as if they completed the challenge.

Everyone met along the seafront in Weston-super-Mare before the finish line so they could all cross the line together and they did still watch the sun go down on the horizon out to sea.

The team were fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK because team member and Speen resident Tim Pyatt’s young grandson was recently diagnosed with a very rare form of the chronic condition, which gradually causes the muscles to weaken over time.

They have currently raised over £3,600 for the charity, which supports people with the condition and conducts research into it.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit http://rb.gy/ocby5

Mrs Austin said they were “really, really happy” with the amount raised but they were also anticipating that more would be added to the total soon.