Banbury cyclist triples money target on successful charity ride

Joby Mullens was delighted to raise over £1,500 for the mental health charity MIND by completing his epic cycle to the southern French city of Marseille.

However, the journey was not all smooth sailing. Joby found himself in a number of situations that tested both his bicycle and his commitment to the challenge.

Joby said: “On the second day, when I was travelling from London to Dover, I had to check in with the ferry at 5pm and I thought I had plenty of time, but there were sections of the route that were wooded areas or steep rocky tracks that were not suitable for road bikes at all.

“Then at one point, I couldn’t unclip my feet from the peddles and fell off, putting my foot through the rear mud guard, which I then had to bend back into shape. After that, I came across a police cordon which resulted in having to do a 10 mile detour to get back on course.

“It was a catalogue of disasters, as during the detour I received a puncture! Thankfully, I reached the ferry on time and everything worked out ok.”

Joby set off from Banbury on Saturday September 10 and travelled the length of France, passing through the cities of Reims, Dijon, Macon, Lyon, Valence and Avignon before arriving in Marseille on Thursday September 22 just as the sun was setting on the French Riviera.

An experienced cyclist with the Banbury Star Cycling Club, this latest adventure saw Joby rack up close to 100 miles on some days and an average of 80 miles per day over the two weeks.

Joby said: “I would like to thank all my friends and family that supported me. Without their moral support on the way, it would have been much harder. I am delighted with the amount of money raised. People’s support buoyed me along, particularly in some of the tougher moments.

"I wanted to do as much as I could to support MIND because they are a great charity, so I’m delighted with the money raised.”