Avid cyclist and supporter of Congleton Youth Orchestra, Jim Elkin has set the bar high – cycling 350 miles up the spine of England.

Jim has entered the Congleton-Rotary Bikeathon and is setting off on June 19th to ride the Pennine Cycleway.

Averaging 50 miles a day, riding with a friend and being entirely unsupported, he will be taking everything he needs in two pannier bags – adding a further 10 kilograms to the weight.

So far, with the help of friends and supporters, he has managed to raise over £550, with the money divided equally between his chosen charity, the youth orchestra and Rotary-Congleton's own causes.

He has been planning his ride for some time and saw the opportunity to combine it with Bikeathon in order to raise some money.

His wife, Helen is a trustee of the orchestra and his children both play. He says that music is important for children and expects careers in creative arts to become more important in society in the future.

Jim has been ramping up his training since March. The Pennine Cycleway is the single most epic and challenging ride on the National Cycle Network.

Starting near Derby, it passes Hadfield, near Glossop and over the Woodhead pass before travelling on through Hebden Bridge on the way up the Pennines and ending in Berwick upon Tweed. There is a mixture of road surfaces from tarmac to rough tracks.

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He said: "I am hoping that this ride will help raise some support for the good work that is done by Congleton Rotary Club.

"As we all know, many charities have suffered a great deal due to the pandemic lockdown restrictions, as they have been unable to undertake their usual fundraising activities.

"Rotary supports many local initiatives and charities to help the community to bond and thrive."

In the spirit of helping others, he also hopes that his overnight stopovers might allow a little time off to help the ailing hospitality industry.

If you wish to support Jim's ride, raising money for both rotary and Congleton Youth Orchestra use this link.

There's still time to create your own fundraising event using this link.