Quartet complete Edinburgh to Burnley cycle ride

Nigel Ramsden (46), Ronnie Cheetham (47) and 42-year-old Matt Kayley completed the 225 miles in 17 arduous hours. The fourth member of the team, Nick Emmott, had to drop out part way through due to illness.

The pals set off from the Scottish capital at 4am on Sunday and finally reached their home town at 9-30pm the same day.

The group, who ended their epic ride with a welcome home party at the Ighten Leigh Social Club, have raised a tremendous £7,000 and counting for Brain Tumour Research.

Ronnie, a veteran of many cycling challenges over the years, said: “That was the hardest ride I’ve ever done.

“The fact that it was done in just one day made it so intense. We all felt very tense and nervous beforehand because it was such a monumental challenge.

“There was no comparison to other rides we’ve done. I think we all felt numb afterwards but it was a great experience.”

The group, who had a break every 30 miles, had an “incredible” support crew of Keith Cheetham, Craig Simpson, Kristin Cheetham, Gilliam Isherwood and Simon Hartley.

Ronnie added: “I would like to thank everybody who helped us including our incredible support crew and those who have pledged money.”