But seeing as he has quickly established himself as one of the best 24 hour racers in the country, the Barrowford biker gets little chance for a bit of 'shut eye'.

For if he's not racing, he's training and if he's doing neither then he's planning his next event.

A rough estimate shows that the Barrowford biker rides about 8,000 miles a year and when he's training 250 miles a week.

He said: "I've ridden two 24 hours this year, set a new coast-to-coast record and come first in one of the legs of the Trailquest National League.

"When I am in training I cut down on the drink, eat plenty of pasta and ride about 1,500 miles in my six week training programme.

"Now I am planning for the big one -- the Trans Alp off road race."

The big one indeed -- an energy sapping seven day 800km race that includes an awesome 120,000 feet climb.

This is Westwell's first serious season in endurance racing and he has picked up two top 10 placings to rank him up there alongside the best.

The 33-year-old finished ninth in the Red Bull race in Birmingham where he rode a total of 226 miles.

He followed that up with a third place in the Sleepless in the Saddle event in Stafford where he clocked up 206 miles and climbed an astonishing 24,000 feet.

He said: "Riding through the night can be quite tiring because you have to focus so much.

"Another problem is actually keeping your concentration because your mind begins to wander and you start thinking about what you are going to have for tea!" So the coast-to-coast ride must have seemed like a leisurely day out.

He added: "I covered the 143 miles in 19 hours 30 minutes which I had independently verified so I am very proud of that record."

So what are his plans for the future? His main aim is the Trans Alp race and making a big impression in the Trailquest National League.

Westwell stamped his authority on his last outing in the event last month which was based a Todmorden High School.

The orienteering style event meant riders had to navigate their way around a pre-marked map gathering as many checkpoints as possible in a certain time.

Westwell was first male solo and overall winner after amassing a staggering 360 points in the designated time of five hours where he covered 42.8 off road miles.

The rider has managed to achieve what he has thanks to the Blazing Saddles in Barrowford -- the shop who sponsor him and the team he rides for.

He added: "John and Heather Ainscow have been brilliant to me. They've given me the support and backing and I owe a lot to them."

Blazing Saddles Mountain Bike Club are always looking for new members and for details contact John on 01282 615560.