A team from Ryebridge embarked on a brutal 160-mile cycle from London to Bristol which saw them in the saddle for a staggering 15 hours.
Founder Daniel Coyle and managing director Sean Scully joined a team from Bristol Airport on the challenge in aid of the airport’s charity partner Great Western Air Ambulance.
They started off at The Brunel Museum in London on Monday and made their way along the Great West Way, finishing at Bristol Airport the following Wednesday.
They rode 100 miles over eight and a half hours on the first day and the remaining 60 miles over six and a half hours on the second, pushing themselves to the limits of their stamina and endurance.
Sean said: “It was by far the toughest thing I’ve ever done. The weather was horrific, it was mental torture and I didn’t think it was ever going to end.
“I knew it would be brutal, but had no idea just how bad it would be. I’m glad I did it as it took me completely outside my comfort zone, but now I need to recover.”
Part of the ride took them off-road for 40km, cycling along bridalways, tow paths and gravel roads, but the team worked together to overcome these obstacles, making sure nobody was left behind.
Then just 20 miles out from Bristol, they hit the wall, and found themselves struggling to complete the final stretch: “I didn’t think it would ever end,” Sean recalled. “It was relentless. Nobody was speaking, we were just desperately pedalling to reach the finish line. I couldn’t feel the tips of my fingers and there were pains all the way down my legs.”
They arrived to cheers and celebrations on Wednesday afternoon, having raised in excess of £87,000 for the charity.
Daniel added: “I don’t think either of us appreciated quite how challenging this was going to be, but every penny raised from our pain will be going towards ensuring this vital service keeps flying, so it was all worth it!”
Last year Sean and Daniel took part in a gruelling 220-mile charity bike ride organised by London Luton Airport which took them across the Republic of Ireland in aid of the Luton Foodbank and the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
At the time Sean said it was the most challenging thing he had ever done, but the Bristol ride has since upped the stakes: “With a lot of charity events people end up paying to take part in something they’d always wanted to do, but this was not something you’d ever want to do!”
You can still make a donation in recognition of Sean and Daniel’s efforts here: https://greatwesternairambulance.enthuse.com/pf/london-bristol-cycle-2025
