With 2019 being one of the hottest and driest summers on record, chances are June 2019 will see torrential downpours and strong winds. But don’t let that put you off signing up for Transaid’s latest and possibly greatest fundraiser – a 972-mile cycle ride across Britain from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG).

The event marks Transaid’s 20th anniversary and kicks off on 11 June, so there is plenty of time to get in shape. You also don’t have to do the whole 12-day trip as it has been split into four three-day stages.

MT has teamed up with colleagues across Road Transport Towers to enter a four-man relay team to take on the challenge, which includes myself, Commercial Motor editor Will Shiers, RTM MD Andy Salter and exhibition manager Steve Cox, whom many of you will have met at the CV Show, Tip-ex or any number of our range of excellent events.

None of us are exactly mega fit at the moment, and while Coxy has already completed LEJOG in reverse – the hard way – this is going to be quite a challenge for all of us.

Will and I have both done Transaid cycle rides in Africa, which were just as tough in their own way as they involved riding on rough roads in sometimes unbearably high temperatures. As well as raising money, completing one of these trips in Africa gives riders a real insight into the essential work Transaid is doing to reduce the shocking death toll among truck and bus drivers there.

Read this article to see just how vital this work is and how supporting Transaid makes a huge difference to the lives of people who may be out of sight but should not be out of mind, and then sign up for LEJOG. As well as doing a good thing, you will get to see four middle-aged blokes from RTM suffer!

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