15 June, 2010

Kent cyclist trains during Bike Week 2010

Ian Sheppard, from Aylesham in Kent, is preparing for a mammoth 10-day, 750-mile journey in September - by bicycle from John O’ Groats to Dover.

Sheppard, 46, will be training from now until September and will be travelling with his brother-in-law, Peter, 49. The pair chose the bike ride as an opportunity to raise money for the charity ASPIRE, which looks after people with spinal injuries.

The duo have received some sponsored hotel stays along the way from HolidayExtras.com near Hythe, where Ian works, and there is a giving page where any donation towards the cause will be most gratefully received - http://original.justgiving.com/iansheppard1

Sheppard said of his planned trip: “I am passionate about cycling and doing my bit to save resources. I couldn’t resist the challenge of the 750-mile journey and will be out training during Bike Week and beyond; I’ve even ordered extra padding for the saddle.

“We nicknamed our bike ride from John O’ Groats 'The Mid-Life Crisis Tour'. To be honest I’m not as young as I was and neither is my brother-in-law and I’m sure that at some point that there will be a crisis!”

To find the nearest Bike Week event in Kent, visit www.bikeweek.org.uk and enter your postcode. If you’d like to take part but don’t have a bike, this shouldn’t stop you – you can simply search for your nearest bike rental outlet on the website.

Notes to editors
Bike Week (19-27 June 2010) is one of the UK’s biggest annual promotions of cycling and provides a national umbrella for locally organised events and activities up and down the UK. For more information visit www.bikeweek.org.uk
Team Green Britain, founded by EDF Energy, is a movement that enables people to live in a more sustainable way. Team Green Britain aims to help Britons reduce their carbon footprint by 2012 and includes advice on how to make everyday journeys as sustainable as possible. To find out more, visit www.teamgreenbritain.org