A Whitchurch cyclist will be finishing off a trio of challenges by cycling the length of the UK.

Gavin Speed will be cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats next month to finish of a series of challenges that include cycling 200 miles across the UK as well as a 24-hour bikeathon.

“I’ve been a keen cyclist for 10 to 15 years and I had always wanted to do the Lands End to John O’Groats ride,” said Gavin.

“I decided I was going to sign up for the ride across Britain which organised by threshold sports. Last winter I signed up and thought I would raise money for Prostate Cancer as well.”

Gavin Speed and Mark Musgrove are both taking part in the final challengeGavin Speed and Mark Musgrove are both taking part in the final challenge (Image: Gavin Speed)

However this gave Gavin an idea to set some challenges for himself, which he has been joined on by his friend Mark Musgrove.

“I thought rather than do some fund raising over the year let’s set a couple of challenges. The first was the 200 mile ride,” said Gavin. “That was completed by me and Mark in July.

“Today (Friday, August 23) is the second cycle challenge which is a 24-hour ride. I am going to start about 2pm today and running until 2pm tomorrow.

“There will be various routes that loop in and out of Whitchurch.”

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However the big finale to these challenges will see Gavin and Mark take on a the mammoth challenge of cycling the length of the UK in just over a week.

“The third challenge which is Land’s End to John O’Groats. I travel to Land’s End on Friday September 6 and we get started on the Saturday.

“It’s nine days of averaging around 100 miles a day. We should finish on Sunday, September 15.

(Image: Gavin Speed)

“I’ve done lots of training rides. Pretty much most of the rides I do are 100-mile rides even in rough weather.”

So for Gavin has been surprised by just how generous the public has been in backing his fundraising efforts.

“Fundraising has gone really, really well,” he added. “It’s been way better than I expected.

“We are at about £6,000, I was just hoping to raise a few hundred quid here and there – it’s been really, really good.”

You can donate to Gavin’s fundraiser here.