A pair of volunteer mountain rescuers are getting on their bikes to raise cash for their team.
Ceri and James Bicknell are gearing up for Europe’s longest ultra cycling event, the North Cape 4000, and hope to raise over £4,000 for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team.
The North Cape 4000 starts near Verona in Italy’s Trentino region on Saturday July 20.
Participants have a maximum of 21 days to complete the 4,410km route, which runs through seven countries and finishes inside the Arctic Circle at North Cape on the northern tip of Norway.
Riders in the event are unsupported, needing to carry all their own kit.
Ceri said: “We like to challenge ourselves; we always need to have a crazy adventure booked in the diary. This one is double the distance of any of the other endurance events that we’ve done: these include the Panceltic, Great British Divide, and, in April of this year, BikingMan Sri Lanka.”
The pair will be carrying very limited kit, including a lightweight tent, sleeping bags, wet and cold weather clothes, a spare change of cycling outfit and some bike tools.
Ceri added: “Despite it seeming a daunting adventure, it’s also exciting to think we’ll be riding our bikes over mountain passes, alongside lakes, through big cities and past vast Scandinavian forests. The scenery will alter so much and we’ll meet many different people – on the event and as we travel through communities. Hopefully it will be an incredible journey that we can share.”
Beyond the obvious challenge of riding over 200km a day for three weeks, James has upped the difficulty by deciding to ride a heavy Cargo bike. This has a front trailer and would usually be found on the streets of Copenhagen transporting children to school and doing every day deliveries.
Ceri added: “We’re expecting the bike to create a lot of interest. At 22kg, it weighs over twice that of my standard bike and will then have the 10kg of luggage as well. And there’s no electric motor. Quite probably no-one has raced a Cargo bike on the event before and we may be about to find out why!”
While undertaking this epic challenge, Ceri and James, who live near Penrith and have been mountain rescue team members since 2017, are raising funds for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team.
Their target is to match the 4,140 kilometre distance with the same sum in pounds.
Ceri added: “Mountain rescue teams rely on voluntary donations and fundraising initiatives. This is such a challenge for us and we’re hoping that we can work with team members back home in Penrith to raise awareness on social media and, we hope, raise significant funds too.”
To support the pair’s fundraising go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/ceri-bicknell-1717674737523
