A Dalbeattie man has cycled around the world – without leaving Europe.
And in the process, Guy Bryson has raised more than £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The 54-year-old initially took on a ride in Wales to raise money for the charity – but decided to extend that to cover 7,926 miles – the equivalent of the diameter of the earth – by the end of 2024.
And he managed it by reaching the Heartstane in Dalbeattie Woods with just a couple of days left.
Guy said: “It took a lot of motivation to get out the door as I had to do 150-200 miles a week. It’s not easy when it’s pouring!
“Once I was out I enjoyed it, it was just getting out the door.
“I split the gravel mileage up between gravel biking, road biking and mountain biking so I wasn’t doing the same thing the whole time.
“I know every single back road gravel road and mountain biking trail in the region now!”
In 2023, Guy took part in the Letape du Tour de France, cycling a stage of the world famous race a week before the main event, to raise money for Macmillan.
His 2024 plan was to complete the 185 Dragon Ride in Wales, which has 13,000 feet of elevation – but then decided to take things to the next level.
He said: “I was talking to the Macmillan people and because I’d done so many miles training I thought I’d keep my page up and keep fundraising until the end of the year and rename.
“I did another one in France, not under Macmillan, and it was absolutely baking hot. They were opening fire hydrants and spraying the riders as they went past.
“You don’t get roads round here like the one they make you do in France and Wales. There was 14,000 feet of elevation in one day.”
Guy’s fundraising page is still open for sponsorship at https://www.justgiving.com/page/guy-bryson-1713446511797