HILPERTON man Terry Sinclair pushed his refurbished recycled bike from Trowbridge Bike Workshop to the limit, after completing an epic cycling challenge for his milestone 50th birthday this year.

Instead of having a party to celebrate his birthday, Mr Sinclair decided to take on the ride from Lands End to John O’Groats in aid of Julian House to raise at least £2,000 for the homeless charity.

He wanted to raise money for Julian House after learning about the training and work experience it provides to vulnerable and homeless people through the Bath and Trowbridge bike workshops.

Following advice from the team at the Trowbridge workshop in Duke Street, Mr Sinclair chose a second-hand Orange Clockwork model, which was refurbished to cope with the demands of covering 900 miles in 14 days.

Mr Sinclair said: “I wanted to complete the ride on one of their bikes to raise valuable funds for a charity I have long admired, while proving what a great job the guys can do in refurbishing bikes.

“Early indications were that they had built a great bike, which I felt would stand the rigours of the arduous test which stood before us. The ride started on March 10 and my aim was to do about 70-80 miles per day.

“I would describe myself as a ‘non athlete’ of average fitness for a guy of 50, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. The two days up through Cornwall and Devon didn't disappoint on the challenge front, the hills seemed endless but the bike rolled endlessly without a glitch.

“Pressing on through the Bristol area and then the midlands, I started to feel I might stand a chance of completing the ride, now in a steady routine of ride-eat-sleep the miles seemed to pass quicker.”

Mr Sinclair added that one of the biggest milestones was reaching Gretna, where he was aided by the beautiful scenery, while he welcomed a strong tail wind during his final push to John O’Groats.

“I wasn't disappointed by the scenery and each day saw me stopping more and more just to admire the breathtaking views,” he said. “Yet again the one constant was my oh-so reliable bike built by the team at Trowbridge.

“I reached John O'Groats at 4.30pm, which allowed just enough time for a photo at the iconic signpost before dropping my trusty steed with the bike courier and heading for the train home to finally put my feet up and reflect.”

As well as completing the challenge, Mr Sinclair managed to surpass his fundraising target, with his Just Giving page total currently standing at £2,150.43.

Julian House’s social enterprise manager Simon Brand said: “Terry has achieved a really amazing feat and not only has he raised a significant amount of much needed income but he has helped to put the Trowbridge Bike Workshop on the map too.”

Bike Workshop Trowbridge depends on donated bikes which can be dropped off anytime between 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday. To sponsor Terry, visit www.just giving.com/le-jog50/