Four disabled cyclists to tackle 100 mile fundraising challenge through the Calder Valley

Clockwise from top left: Simon Lord, David Wilson, Paul Suthers and Paul Howell

Four disabled cyclists and their support riders will take part in a ten hour, 100 mile fundraising challenge through the Calder Valley.

The ride will start from Morrisons’ Car Park in Todmorden on Sunday, January 29 at 9am, heading south. From Littleborough they climb two-and-a-half miles to the summit of Blackstone Edge, crossing the Lancashire / Yorkshire border.From the top of Blackstone Edge the riders then head towards Ripponden giving the teams a chance to get their breath back on the long downhill towards Baitings Dam.The route then takes the riders onto some testing climbs and steep downhill sectionstowards Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge.

The route then heads towards Todmorden finishing back at Morrisons.

David Wilson, 67, from Todmorden, who had motor neurone disease and skin cancer, Simon Lord, 64, from Todmorden, who has secondary multiple sclerosis and Paul Suthers, 60, from Todmorden, who has myopic macular degeneration, will be joined by their support riders and a fourth rider, Paul Howell, from Clitheroe, who has spastic paraplegia.

The challenge is being done in aid of EMpowered People, an all ability cycling charity.

Their pilot bikes have been in service for over seven years and through that time have had major modifications carried out to enable them to support their current and new riders.

However, the bikes are becoming unreliable with metal fatigue in the frames and electric motors and batteries now needing replacement.

Replacement parts are very limited to source and extremely expensive to purchase, but new cycles are needed that have strong frames, powerful motors, and a range of frame sizes to suite their pilot Support riders. The cost for five replacement bikes is £27,500.

Paul said: "Riding with EMpowered people has allowed me to enjoy activities and freedom that I was unable to do, due to my condition."

Simon said: "EMpowered cycling enables me to enjoy the freedom along with the health benefits that cycling offers."

David said: "Our chance meeting, when the charity was out on a social ride, allowed us to see that a bike train would be the answer we had been looking for."

For more information, visit https://empoweredpeople.co.uk/2023/01/11/pilot-bike-appeal-100mile-challenge/.