Four people from the Harrogate district have set out on a coast-to-coast quadtandem challenge for charity.
Thebike ride along 170 mile Way Of The Roses began yesterday in Morecambe at 8am and is set to end tomorrow evening in Bridlington.
The team are raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Their target is £5,000 and will be split between the charities.
On the way the team have passed through Pateley Bridge and Ripon, they stayed in Applewick last night and will dismount in York tonight.
The quadtandem is handmade using parts from four scrap bikes that the team found on scrap piles and Facebook marketplace, which have been welded together. The creation took a few months to complete.
The team is made up of Pete Wyldbor, riding in first position, Tom Hardy, in second, Ed Yates in third and Paul Abbott at the rear.
The team on their 170 mile ride
The team have honoury members in the form of their substitute rider, Ian Lythe, who will take over third position tomorrow, and John Marshall, the team’s top supporter and is at the ready with spare parts.
The team are all from the district, with members from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Scotton.
The challenge began as an idea from Mr Wyldbor, 40, who crafted the four-person bike. He revealed the inspiration behind the challenge was the 2006 film ‘Beerfest’, in a scene where five people ride one bike.
Mr Wyldbor said:
“I just thought I’d make one, just for something to do and it all escalated from there. It is a mad idea so I thought it would be good to put it to use for worthwhile charities. If we were doing it for the sake of it that would be nuts.
“We all know someone, friends or family who have been touched by cancer in the past and you really never know when you might need an air ambulance.
“None of us are cyclists and the weather has been against us, we are tired and the hills have been horrific, I will be scrapping the bike when we are done, but we are keeping going for good causes.”
The team at Morcambe, the start of their challenge
To donate to the team’s fundraiser click here.
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Land Rover found on its roof after Knaresborough collision
Fire crews were called to a single vehicle collision near Knaresborough last night.
Knaresborough and Harrogate firefighters arrived at the scene at 6.13pm on Market Flat Lane, in Scotton, and found a car was on its roof.
The vehicle, which was a Land Rover Freelander, had lost control, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue reported.
The incident log added:
“Witnesses had seen two persons running from the scene and no other persons were involved.
“Fire crews used a thermal imaging camera to check the nearby vicinity for any casualties, none were found.”
The incident was left with the police and no further details were provided.
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Temporary lights at Knaresborough’s Bond End to remain until Friday
Drivers are set to face delays at Bond End in Knaresborough until Friday.
Temporary traffic lights were installed yesterday by North Yorkshire Council.
According to the council’s roadworks map, the lights are necessary because scaffolding has been erected to enable roofing work to take place.
Motorists have taken to social media to report long delays at the notorious bottleneck.
The council website shows that the lights will remain in place until Friday.
Further roadworks at nearby Scotton are also due to last until Friday.
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MP calls for clarity over Scotton solar farm plan
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has called for clarity over a planned 88-hectare solar farm on farmland north of Scotton.
Sustainable energy company Gridserve is proposing to build the power plant and substation at Lawrence Moor Farm.
Its plans envisage thousands of solar panels generating up to 49.9 megawatts of green energy that could power up to 14,000 homes.
However, Mr Jones has called for clarity over the plans after the proposals have yet to be finalised.
The Conservative MP was prompted to write to the company in March after residents in Scotton, Farnham and Brearton contacted him concerned about the lack of information about the proposals.
Mr Jones wrote to Gridserve, which is headquartered in Buckinghamshire, to ask for an update, but was told there had not been “any material update to the status of our potential development in Scotton”.
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At the end of July 2021, Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that a detailed EIA would be required, but Gridserve has taken no action since.
Now, Mr Jones has called on the company to decide whether it wishes to continue with the proposal.
Andrew Jones
He said:
“People in the area need certainty on what is happening with this proposal. I want Gridserve to bring them that certainty sooner rather than later.
“All that we really know about the proposal is that it covers a massive area and will dominate the landscape.
“Surely after all this time Gridserve can decide whether it wishes to proceed and, if it does, get a formal planning application in so that its merits and otherwise can be properly debated.”