Men saddle up for penny farthing charity challenge

A group of friends are taking on a 60-mile (96km) ride on penny farthing bicycles around Cornwall for charity.

Lee Stanbury said the challenge, Ed's Ride, was in memory of his brother Ed, who suffered from mental health problems and took his own life last year.

He said his brother had been a talented artist who was "very well known and respected", as well as a musician who could play multiple instruments, including drums and guitar.

Stanbury said his brother suffered with mental health problems for about 15 years "if not longer" and that he wanted to do something different to raise money for the charity Sunrise Cornwall CIC in his honour.

He said: "I wanted to do something and then I thought well what do I do that's a extreme and it was by chance being able to ride a penny farthing, which I learned to do about four or five years ago."

Penny farthing is the nickname for a vintage-style bicycle which has a large wheel at the front and a much smaller one behind. It takes its name from the penny and farthing pre-decimal coins, and their size in relation to each other.

The height of the bicycle also means riders may need help to climb aboard and, once up, can be difficult to keep their balance.

Stanbury said: "If you fall off, it really hurts - I was relatively lucky with the balance, I guess 30-years plus of surfing did help a little bit."

Stanbury said he and four others would begin the journey on Saturday in St Ives and go through Connor Downs, Camborne, Redruth, Poole, Scoria, before ending in Truro.

They were then due to be heading the same route back on Sunday, Stanbury said, adding the journey would probably be "painful on the bum".

"Apart from that, we should be fine," he said.

Sunrise Cornwall CIC said every mile ridden "honours Ed's memory" and would help the charity "continue in providing free safe and supportive, events, workshops and activities for adults affected by loss through suicide in Cornwall".

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