Melksham duo take on 54-mile charity cycle

Two Melksham friends have taken on a 54-mile cycle ride from London to Brighton to raise funds for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance.

Steve Nicholls and Richard Phillips joined around 6,000 cyclists taking part in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride on Sunday 13th September, raising money for a range of charities.

Richard helps organise the annual Sarum Avenue Christmas Lights, which raises money for the air ambulance. He took on the cycle to raise additional funds for the charity and increase awareness of its work.

Richard had little cycling experience before taking on the challenge, so Steve helped him prepare over the summer.

They cycled together once or twice a week to build up their mileage and get used to spending several hours in the saddle.

The pair completed the route in three hours and 37 minutes, stopping just once at around the 30-mile mark for food and to refill their water bottles.

One of the biggest challenges came around 45 miles into the ride, when the pair faced a steep hill stretching for about a mile and a half in temperatures of around 22°C.

“We tackled it with our heads down, chewing the handlebars, just fighting our way through,” said Steve.

The pair have so far raised £860 towards their £1,000 target.

Steve added, “The event was really good. Everybody was in great spirits, so you were able to have conversations with people as you were cycling.

”It was a heartwarming journey, seeing my best friend who’s new to cycling come through and finish the race, and the emotion that was in his face after completing the race was really lovely to see, because we knew that we’d achieved it.”

To donate to the fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/rich-phillips-84