A group of 11 workmates more used to working on heavy machinery will be resorting to pedal power next week when they set off on a 1,000-mile marathon.

The colleagues will be swapping their overalls for Lycra for the charity cycle ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End. To help them on their way they have enlisted the support of Europe’s largest trailer manufacturers, Ifor Williams Trailers.

The cyclists are all employees of Gloucester-based Mill Engineers and Vaughan Agri, who are dealers of the CLAAS agricultural machinery.

They aim to raise over £20,000 for two main causes, Cancer Research and the five air ambulance services which cover the companies’ trading area in the Midlands and South-West, though some of the riders will also be raising money for their own charities.

The ride was the brainchild of Nick Evans and Steve Blackwell, both of whom work for Mill Engineers at Bilbury. Steve has completed the 1,000-mile challenge once before.

Originally there were 12 members of the team but one has had to withdraw through injury. Nick said they were confident of completing the marathon in 10 days, which means riding an average of 100 miles a day. "The training has gone well despite the bad weather in December," he said.

Realising that they needed to transport the bikes to the start in John O’Groats and that back-up would be needed on the route, Mill Engineers’ General Manager Simon Mannaseh approached his friend Chris Boulter, of Boulter Mead Trailer Centres Ltd, an Ifor Williams Trailers Distributor based in Somerset.

"As agricultural dealers we recognise the invaluable service that the air ambulance provides for farmers and those who live and work in rural areas," said Simon.

"Also Cancer Research UK is a cause that is close to everybody’s hearts as many of know people who have been affected in one way or another by this dreadful disease."

"Simon just asked for a trailer, but it soon became obvious that what they needed was a box trailer to carry their bikes and store other equipment," said Chris.

"We were happy to be able to help them out, and they can be totally confident that an Ifor Williams trailer will be totally reliable the whole way."

The BV126 Ifor Williams Box Van trailer will be towed by a minibus driven by Simon Mannaseh, who will support and encourage his colleagues along the route.

"We needed a van with decent headroom and the BV126 is ideal," said Nick.

Chris, who established Boulter Mead with prominent local farmer and businessman Derek Mead, said that once the marathon ride is over the trailer could take on another role – by being converted into a display unit to go to local shows.

"We have been in need of a display unit for some time and the box trailer will serve the purpose admirably," he said.

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