Man completes cycle ride from Hull to French Alps on Chopper

BBC News

25-02-2025

A personal trainer who has cycled 900 miles (1,450km) from Hull Marina to the highest ski resort in Europe has described completing the challenge on a Raleigh Chopper bicycle as "unreal".Mike Humphreys, from Hedon in East Yorkshire, took on the cycling task to raise money and awareness of motor neurone disease (MND) after he ran 30 marathons in 30 days last year.The 33-year-old, who was inspired by TV personality Paddy McGuinness' exploits on a Raleigh Chopper for Children in Need, completed his ride last week.He said he expected the ride to Val Thorens, in the French Alps, which sits at an altitude of 7,546ft (2,300m), to be "a stepping stone to something bigger in the summer".
Mr Humphreys began his endurance challenges after losing his friend Carl Giblin to MND in 2013 and to help another, Craig Eskrett, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2023."After my 30 marathons, I thought I don't want to do something too big, but this was really, really tough," he said."On the second day, I lost the gears and was stuck in second, which made the ride extremely challenging."
Mr Humphreys, who has spent the last few days skiing at the resort, said he had intended to reach Val Thorens in 10 days but later decided to take a detour, riding his Chopper around Paris, clocking up 1,000 miles (1,609km) to his destination."It's taken a few extra days, but we've got there in the end," he said.He said the hardest part was the final 22-mile uphill ride to the French town."I didn't push it once, but you could have probably walked faster than I was riding the Chopper," he said."I arrived to a huge crowd outside all the bars - it was unreal," he added.
Mr Humphreys said he was determined to get to the top despite the tough climb, sub-zero temperatures, and technical problems with the bike."This is nothing compared to what people with MND go through," he said.He said he was now planning a triathlon challenge in the French Alps, involving the Chopper."I'm going to keep doing these challenges to raise money and awareness of MND," he added.Mr Humphreys has so far raised about £32,000 of his £50,000 target.Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.