Friends set for charity trek - on old mopeds

Eight friends will be transporting themselves back to their teenage years as they rev up for a challenge which will see them travel 750 miles across the country on their first ever 50cc mopeds.

Inspired by the wacky adventures of Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear sidekicks, the group will ride from John O'Groats to Spooner Row, near Attleborough, to raise money for cancer charity Star Throwers in a challenge they've dubbed The Wrong Way Down.

The bikers, all in their 40s and 50s, have scoured collectors' websites, eBay and even scrapyards to find the mopeds they first fell in love with as young lads.

Some of the bikes are more than 40 years old and in varying states of disrepair. So far on test runs, the group has got no further then 40 miles before a breakdown occurs.

But despite the lengthy route they've set themselves, which winds through some of the most mountainous regions of the UK, they remain undeterred and fully expect to roll into their end destination of The Boars pub, in Spooner Row, on July 23 - just five days after they set off from the northern Scottish town.

Markus Mundford, who came up with the idea, said: 'I was sitting in front of the TV one evening watching Clarkson and his two sidekicks on Top Gear. It was the episode where they were driving battered old cars across deserts in Africa and I thought to myself what a laugh it would be to do something similar with a bunch of good friends.

'I have always fancied a road trip, but to travel the length of our island on my Harley would not be much of a challenge so I came up with the idea of the first bike you ever rode, mine being my mate Martin's Puch VS50, three speed twist gears and a back brake which you have to back pedal to apply.

'I asked a few friends who thought I was totally nuts, but luckily they are as insane as I am and now we have eight riders plus support.'

The group aims to cover 160 miles a day, which with an average speed of 26mph, could see them riding for 14 hours a day. They will be followed by a large motor home which will carry spare parts, fuel and be where they sleep.

They hope they're efforts will inspire people to reach into their pockets and pledge money to Wymondham charity Star Throwers which is dedicated to helping people affected by cancer, offering advice on the various treatments available.

The bikers are also appealing for a sponsor to help towards the costs of fuelling the motor home which will be supporting them throughout their challenge.

For more information or to donate, visit www.wrongwaydown.biz

Markus Mundford took three months to find the former moped he drove across the fields when 16 - a VS50 Puch.

The 44-year-old, from Spooner Row, bought the rusting bike for �150 from a Staffordshire seller on eBay.

Despite its aged appearance, the 1971 model has only had to have its piston rings replaced for it to be ready for the challenge.

But Mr Mundford, who runs his own lead roofing company Eastern Foundry Lead, said repairing the bikes had been part of the experience.

'It's part of the fun of it. It's half the reason I thought of doing it. People are going to breakdown and the rest of us are going to enjoy laughing at them. It's about helping each other and mucking in together,' he said.

Stuart Pearson's 1982 Honda C50L has had a complete makeover to the point it is still without an engine, wheels or handlebars.

The fellow Spooner Row resident repairs heavy construction equipment as a career and saw the challenge as a chance to take on a project.

His bike, the same he rode as a 15-year-old, was a �95 wreck which was just about running. He has completely stripped it down and re-painted the parts with the aim of putting them all back together this week.

For the 40-year-old the trip will be the first time he had ridden a motorbike for two years.

He said: 'It's going to be great. I haven't ridden a bike for two years. I had a bad crash on a motocross bike so it put me off a tad because I was out for eight to 10 weeks.'

Buying and repairing the bikes has become an obsession, according to James Jones, 46, who found his Puch MS50 on eBay.

'When I bought it I was so excited. I didn't bother going into work the next day. I went straight to Winchester (where the seller lived) to get it,' he said. 'I put it in the back of the car and I kept looking at it in the mirror all the way home.'

He added that he can't resist searching the internet for spare parts, which have been flown in as far as Germany.

His �270 1969 bike, which he last rode as a 14-year-old, has already blown a piston on one of the test runs, but Mr Jones said the moped engine only needs a bit more tuning before it will be ready to go.

Mr Jones lives in Black Carr and is the managing director of Foursons Mitsubishi, in Norwich.

As a retired paramedic, Iain Colquhoun, from Suton, will be on hand to cure the back ache the riders are likely to experience from their hours on the road.

He also grew-up near Edinburgh so is fully aware of the size of the mountains the bikes will have to scale - and the mosquitoes they will encounter.

It's his motor home, used in a former career as a Formula One side car racer, which they will take on their challenge.

His 1979 Puch Maxi, which he had aged 12, was bought for �150 from another eBay seller in Loughborough. Mr Colquhoun, 51, who now works at Dingles Toyota in Attleborough, intends to paint the bike St Andrew's blue and is determined to improve its speed.

'I'm a tinkerer. I used to race Formula One side cars and I'm trying to get it perfect and smooth so you get an extra mile out of it, but that's going to be quite hard,' he said.

David Nickalls has affectionately nicknamed his bike The Tango due to its bright orange colour.

The Attleborough resident, 47, bought his distinctive �250 Honda PC50 from a collector in Felixstowe.

The 1976 moped, he remembers as a 16-year-old, is in good condition which is just what Mr Nickalls wanted as he often works abroad as part of the Comtec Racing team.

'It's very fortunate as I'm not mechanically minded and this should get back without a problem,' he said.

He has an extra need to complete the challenge on time - he is due to attend a wedding on July 24.

Richard Allen, 40, paid �800 to make sure he had a bike which was likely to go the distance.

He said it's going to be 'strange' to jump onto the saddle of his restored 1972 Garelli Tiger which he has not ridden since he was 16.

He also found his bike from an eBay seller in Northampton.

'It was pretty much restored when I got it. The suspension is quite hard - it won't be too comfortable. We're hoping for very few bumps,' he said.

The Spooner Row resident works for fruit label manufacturer Sinclair International, in Norwich.

Mal Andrews was unable to find his former Mobylette bike which he rode as a 14-year-old at the gravel pits in Hethersett.

Instead the Spooner Row resident plumped for a similar 1980 Puch Maxi which Mr Jones found.

Despite a gasket already having blown on the bike, Mr Andrews, 40, is more worried about the physical test the riders will have to endure on the lengthy route.

He said: 'We've got to cover a lot of miles every day on those seats. We'll be sitting for about eight hours a day. It's going to be back-breaking.'

Mr Andrews runs a computer company called Techmal Solutions Ltd.

Car architect Richard Rackham, of Spooner Row, is hoping to draw on the experience of his colleagues at Lotus to make sure his bike performs at its best.

His restored �670 NSU Quickly, from 1961, is being examined to see if any improvements can be made. He bought it from a private seller on the internet within an hour of searching.

'I feel very familiar with it and it's lovely to have it again. It rekindles all the childhood memories,' he said.

'You get all those feelings when you were 16, riding with your mates. If all eight of us ride in at the end it will be incredible because it's a massive task.'