A ROOKIE Halesowen cyclist is recovering after an epic 106 mile charity bike ride.

Darren Chatterley and his Pedmore based pal Malcolm Holmes were raising money for Lye based Let’s Dance group who cater for disabled youngsters.

They chose the group as 42 year old Malcolm’s own daughter Laura attends.

Darren 41, who lives in Hurst Green, said: “At one point , I seriously doubted whether we could do it.

“I ruptured my ankle ligaments eight weeks ago and that coupled with the bad weather meant any training for the ride went completely out of the window.”

They set off from the Orchard Centre in Lye and took in a route that included Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Bewdley and Kidderminster before returning to their starting point.

Darren added: “We were cycling in total for around eight and a half hours.

“To be honest, I don’t think we could have done much more.”

“My legs were starting to give way over the last couple of miles, even though we were so close to home and the last two miles were by far the hardest”.

The pair have already chalked up over £700 but are hopeful that figure will continue to rise.

Money raised will go towards supporting the group and the shows they put on.

Anyone who would still like to support them can contact www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/cycle4letsdance