Tadley cyclists to ride from Land’s End to John o' Groats for charity

A group of local lads will embark on a test of extreme endurance this month.

Four cyclists will ride from Land’s End to John O'Groats to raise money for a Tadley-based charity.

John Braithwaite and his son Daniel will be accompanied by Grahame Nisbet and Simon Timperley on the 900-mile trip.

“LeJog is quite a well known challenge, but there is no set route” said John Braithwaite.

“It’s a big challenge, and you have to put some thought into the mechanics of it.

“Dan and I are leading the fundraising, but there are four of us going and we’ve been planning since the start of the year.”

Such a gruelling journey must be approached strategically, and the group have broken the trip up into fairly equal chunks.

All being well, they’ll clock around 100 miles per day for nine days, with each stint taking between six and eight hours.

That’s over 40,000 pedal strokes per day, whilst climbing a total of over 18,000 vertical meters.

“The first thing is choosing the route,” Braithwaite said.

“The boys really wanted it done in nine days, so I worked out some waypoints.

“We go from Cornwall, through Somerset, skirt up the English-Welsh border and then through Lancaster and Morecambe.

“We get to Cumbria and then we go for the most direct route, diagonally to Edinburgh.

“From there it’s Perth, Inverness, John O’Groats.

“Our longest day is the second, about 124 miles from Oakhampton to Chepstow.”

The group will have two support drivers following along, and have booked a series of hotels and B&Bs along the way.

Hitting each checkpoint on time is therefore very important, so the group are making sure to be prepared for any surprises along the way.

“All the bikes have been serviced and they’re good quality,” he said.

“We want to do everything we can to make it easier.

“We’ve got lots of spare parts too, and a huge amount of nutrition.

“Getting your hydration and nutrition right is the most important thing.

“Energy bars, gels, and actually Stroopwafels are very popular.”

The group are looking to raise money for SAMS, a Tadley-based charity that aims to improve emotional and mental wellbeing in local schools.

The group set off on Monday, July 7, and are aiming to raise around £5,000 for the charity.

“SAMS is a young charity and we know the founder Sam Dunn really well,” he explained.

“They work with young people who have faced disadvantages.

“If you can’t help people when they’re young, the issues can last for life.

“And we know that the impact of the internet can also have severe implications.

“SAMS is a very lightweight charity, so you feel like every pound you give is going straight to this work.

“Their volunteers work in schools and help with things like illiteracy and numeracy, mental health and wellbeing.

“We’ve already raised around £2,500, so we’re halfway there.”

To donate and learn more about the challenge and the charity, visit tinyurl.com/4py6265j