RONDJE NOORDZEE
Echo
27 april 2007
Loneliness of long distance biker, Bernie
By Mikarla Marsden
THE muscles may be starting to ache, but the determination is still as strong as ever for a former Echo sports reporter who is now more than two weeks into a gruelling cycle ride for charity.
Bernie Friend, from Leigh, has been on the road for 17 days and has already cycled through the Netherlands and Germany.
He is pedalling through the route known as the longest bike track in the world - the 6,000km North Sea Cycle route.
Bernie began his ride by crossing from Harwich and will continue through Denmark, Sweden and Norway before crossing back to Great Britain via Shetland and Orkney.
He estimates it will take three months.
Bernie decided to take on the challenge to raise funds for cancer research after his mother Marylyn, 56, and his mother-in-law Marion West, 52, both died of brain tumours last year.
Speaking from Germany, Bernie said he had been heartened by the support of locals he had met along the way.
"Everyone waves as you ride by, which is really nice.
"One family I met in Holland let me put my tent up in their back yard."
Bernie also stayed with Horst Radmer, 71, in Germany who was the first person to complete the North Sea Cycle route.
Bernie has been cycling from 8am to 3pm each day and has now survived one of his biggest personal tests - being alone.
He said: "I was on my own for the first 11 days and on several occasions along the route I thought about stopping and going home.
"I haven't been married very long and I was missing my wife.
"But I knew I couldn't give up, so I kept going."
Bernie said while he had wanted to complete the cycle on his own, he was chuffed to be joined by buddy Rhys Chism who had flown in from Rayleigh last week to ride with him into Sweden.
He said they were running ahead of schedule thanks to days where he kept riding into the evening, clocking up to 130km a day.
Bernie said he had been visiting local newspapers along the way and was once again heartened to see Europeans giving to his cause.
He has so far raised almost £2,400 for Cancer Research UK.
To donate to Bernie's cause, visit www.justgiving.com/ northseacycle or to send him messages of support, e-mail: berniebike@hotmail.co.uk
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