AN intrepid group of friends pedalled their way to fundraising success with a gruelling cycle ride from Edinburgh to Bury.

Friends Keith Ingham, Jason Smith, Simon Smith, Ian Astley, Stephen Cahill and Martin Grime organised the ‘Fat Lads Bike Ride’ in aid of Bury Hospice and ultimately raised more than £4,000.

The group rode about 50 miles a day for five days, camping at various points along the route, after expanding on their initial plan to cycle from Blackpool to Bury.

Despite their lack of athletic prowess, the team completed their challenge on schedule, arriving safely back in Bury on Friday, June 12.

Keith, aged 42, of Dawson Street, said: “The first couple of days went alright but once we got to the Lake District it was pretty horrendous.

“The hills were difficult and it felt like someone had turned up the heat for those days as well because the temperatures were ridiculous.

“We were expecting that part of the ride to be tough though. We aren’t athletes and it was always going to take us four or five hours of riding to do the 50 miles or so that we needed every day.

“After a few days of doing it I think we all had bums like baboons.

“Everything went really well apart from the camping. For the first night we were next to Edinburgh airport, then near a railway line where they were loading coal all night, then next to a load of cockerels, so we didn’t get too much sleep.

“Despite that we all managed to get on well and we all finished on time.”

The Fat Lads have presented a cheque for £4,226.50 to the hospice, after raising the massive total through an online charitable giving page.

He added: “It was a great total for us to get, we are all so pleased that we were able to raise that amount of money.

“It’s a fantastic cause and knowing that people had been generous enough to donate thousands of pounds made all the effort worthwhile in the end.”