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Cousins complete Land's End challenge

It isn't all cycling into the sunset with the wind in your hair when you attempt to cover the country from top to bottom for charity.

Cousins Brad Harris and Ryan Franks averaged 100 miles a day over 10 days to raise more than £1,400 for Care for Casualties.

The 19-year-olds pedalled in memory of Corporal Richard Green, a 23-year-old rifleman from Tilehurst who was shot dead in Afghanistan last year.

Brad, from Basingstoke Road in Spencers Wood, and Ryan, from Northumberland Avenue in Whitley, tackled the end2end Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge under the banner of Team Green, the name the corporal’s family and friends have given themselves.

Brad’s mum Elaine, who runs the Spencers Wood post office, said everyone is very proud of the lads’ effort and watching them arrive at the end was “very emotional”.

But it wasn’t all glory along the way – particularly as Brad and Ryan had no support crew for their ride, as many do when tackling the famous route.

Mrs Harris said: “One day was really hard, they did about 115 miles. Mainly, they were camping – they had bed and breakfast a couple of nights, which meant they had a shower and a meal.

“After the hardest day, they were on a campsite that had a pub and food, but it was closed when they arrived.

“Somebody there fishing kindly took them by car to the next town to get something to eat.”

But the boys’ spirits stayed high. During a break on the Thursday, July 21, two days away from the finish, Brad told the Reading Post: “We are bang on target and we’ve had no disasters so far, it’s going very smoothly.

“Our longest day was Tuesday, when we did 112 miles – we set off at 7.30am and finished at 8.30pm. We cramp up now and again, but sitting on the saddle all day does make you sore.

“At the end of each evening, when we’ve showered and found a pub or restaurant and reflect on the day, it looks like a good day.

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