Chemistry Nottingham's 130 mile charity cycle

The North of England, August 2010 - On 8 August a group of mad keen cyclists took to the roads of northern England for a mammoth coast-to-coast bike ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care and St Luke's Hospice.

After four months of training, Neil Twigger, Ed Hallam, Charlie Gentle, Chris Bailey and Morgan Cox set off at an eye-watering 5.30 am in Whitehaven on the west coast, where they were accosted by a drunk pestering them for cigarettes ("Got a fag mate?").

They were cheered on by a support network comprising Pete Rix (who would have been riding had he not broken his hip - ouch), Robin Garms, Claire Davies, Amy Court, Zach Pillinger and Ruth Carter.

The cyclists arrived in Sunderland after a gruelling 13 hours and having conquered a very big hill. Unfortunately Neil Twigger had to pull out due to injury.

We can only hope that they had the forsight to wear cushioned shorts, which would have meant they were able to sit down and rest their weary legs once they got home.

Special mention must go to Russell Cavell who decided to take a more leisurely approach to the challenge. Instead of trying to attempt it in one day, he decided to enjoy the journey.

He project managed the entire trip in the kind of detail only a technical director could imagine, taking three days to complete the ride, roping in his partner and staying at luxurious hotels and dining out along the way.

The team raised a whopping £2,500 and made a film of their achievements, which you can watch here.

You can still help them reach the target of £5000 by visiting the sponsorship pages for Macmillan and St Luke's.