CYCLE mechanic Rob Green is to give up repairing other people's bikes to go off on a 2,500-mile bike ride of his own.

Rob, who works at Halfords in Bury, is to embark on the epic solo ride on June 3 to raise money for Bury Hospice. His marathon adventure will start in Brittany from where he will cycle the length of France to the Pyrenees, through the mountains, and into northern Spain. He will then turn round, and cycle all the way back to Brittany!

He has been planning the trip and saving up all winter.

He will be staying at campsites throughout the journey, and carrying all his gear, including a tent, on his bike.

Rob (27), of Hillsborough Drive, Unsworth, said: "A trip like this is something I have always dreamed of doing. Halfords have been great in letting me take my holidays and some unpaid leave, and I really hope I can have a trip of a lifetime while doing something useful by raising money for the hospice.

"I rode 750 miles in France last summer, but then I only had a fortnight off work. That's when the idea for this trip really began to take shape."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Rob can contact Bury Hospice's fund-raising office at 89 The Rock, Bury.