The adventurous young students of a Blyth school are making final preparations for an incredible cycle journey which will take four days to complete.
Pupils from the Morpeth Road First School in Disraeli Street are taking on the challenge of a coast to coast bike ride which will begin on Monday the 4th of July, when they leave their school at the early hour of 7am to drive to their start point. Their epic journey will begin as soon as they arrive at Whitehaven on the Cumbrian coast and will finally end on the opposite side of the country, at Tynemouth in North Tyneside. The two towns are over 100 miles apart and the exact route chosen will require the team to cover around 144 miles. Undaunted, the 10 young cyclists, who range in age from 10 to 11, are aiming to cover at least 40 miles a day. The team have knowledgeable and professional support in the form of Dave Buchan, the famous Cycle Doctor in residence at M. Steels Cycles, Gosforth. Dr. Dave will join the team to check that all the bikes are in tip-top shape on Wednesday the 6th of July at their stop off in Alston, and will then ride with the children for the rest of the route.
The trip has been extensively planned and prepared for and places have been booked for the group to stop and rest overnight each day. There will be at least one adult for every child riding to provide sufficient support and guidance. The children themselves have taken their training very seriously and began their build up to this challenge at the start of the year, from taking longer cycle rides at home with their families to a practice run around Kielder reservoir a few weeks ago. The dedication and enthusiasm they have shown has impressed everyone involved in organising the trip, and leaves no doubt that they will complete the ride, however grueling a task it becomes. Dave Buchan explains:
“The children have been amazing in the whole build up to this cycle ride and have displayed a serious and responsible attitude beyond their years. They understand that they must be fit and well prepared to meet this challenge and have all maintained a regular regime of training to ensure they can cope with the distances involved. They’ve learned how to take care of their bikes and why it’s important that their bicycle is in good condition before you start a ride of this length. They have researched their route and know exactly where they are heading and what particular areas might present the most difficulty. I’m looking forward to joining them on their ride and hearing about what they have got up to so far, and being with them as they complete the journey, I’m sure they’ll be delighted at their success.”
If all goes to plan, the students will arrive in Tynemouth on Thursday the 7th of July, but. Dave says, although this is their official finishing point, the ride will not end there.
“The children decided that what they really wanted to do was continue riding all the way back to Blyth, to see their friends before school finishes. So if we can, if everyone’s not too tired and the time allows as we need to get there before 3pm, we’ll carry on the cycle ride down the coast to Blyth. That’s going to be another 10 miles or so, but if we’ve managed over a 100 by then I guess it won’t feel like much more!”
The trip is expected to officially start at around 10 am on the 4th of July, once the children have arrived in Whitehaven and readied themselves and their equipment for the road. Dave Buchan works at M. Steel Cycles in Gosforth, a store which caters to cyclists at all levels, from amateur to professional, and he and the team are always happy to offer advice on all cycling-related subjects. Customers can call into the shop, telephone 0191 285 1251 or visit online at www.msteelcycles.co.uk.