CYCLING the route of Land’s End to John O’Groats has become a common challenge for fundraisers, but a group of volunteers has decided to do the round trip on a static exercise bike.

More than 100 volunteers from the Fitness Flex group in Brighton Hill are currently on the journey on the stationary bike outside of Asda in Brighton Way raising money for St Michael’s Hospice.

The cycle started on Saturday and the group will run through until tomorrow evening when they will have travelled approximately 1,940km on the bike.

The fundraising idea is the brain child of the Fitness Flex Bootcamp owner Steve Dennis, who has worked in partnership with St Michael’s Hospice before.

He told The Gazette: “They are a local charity who have helped a lot of people who come to the bootcamp and the work they do is just fantastic.

“People who have been passing by have been so generous especially at this time of year, and I think that just shows how well loved the hospice is in the town.”

Volunteers take it in turns to have 30 minutes on the bike covering as much ground as they possibly can.

Event organiser Sally Goodenough from the bootcamp added: “Everyone is of different capabilities the main thing is that we want people to take part, everyone has been in such high spirits and supportive of what we are doing.

“Initially we just wanted to do Land’s End to John O’Groats, but we had so many volunteers we thought we would do the round trip.”

When The Gazette visited the group on Tuesday they had already covered more than 690km and raised £900.

Simone Oram, who was on the bike at the time, said: “It has been a bit overwhelming how generous people have been.

“I was quite nervous to get on the bike at first, but then you remember why you are doing it and you just push through.”

To donate to St Michael’s Hospice visit stmichaelshospice.org.uk.