FOUR men with a combined age of 263 have taken to the saddle to cycle from John O' Groats to Land's End.

Long-term friends David Balment, Angus McPhie and Charlie Beilby from Tavistock and Brian Steward from the Truro area made a pact over a pint in the pub in the depths of winter, and despite dodgy knees and hips, they are now on their way, having left the tip of Cornwall on April 10.

'We were talking of times past and the occasional achievement or two when someone suggested they would like to do that John O' Groats to Land's End bike ride,' said David, 65.

'Before the second pint we were all committed and since then we have been doing 100-120 miles a week to get fit.'

The trip is totally self-funded, but the cyclists are aiming to support two charities which are particularly significant to David, who lost his son in a surfing incident 16 years ago, and a good friend last year to cancer.

Tom Balment was 19 when he died trying to save friend Nick Woods, 16, also from Tavistock, at Polzeath beach in September 1996. The pair had been surfing when Nick got into trouble and their deaths highlighted the lack of beach safety equipment for cliff rescues at the site at the time.

Since that time David, who was a director at estate agents Mansbridge and Balment until he retired five years ago, has been an avid fundraiser for the Polzeath Surf Life Saving Club, which he will once again be supporting with the cycle ride.

The club is responsible for the training of beach lifeguards and also teaches beach safety to all ages of children.

'Over the last 16 years the people of Tavistock have donated almost £20,000 to the charity and this has contributed enormously towards the cost of building its new clubhouse in 1999/2000,' said David.

'Further funding will shortly be needed to build an extension to this wonderful facility.'

The team will also be raising money for St Luke's Hospice who cared for David's good friend and business partner Martin Gibbs, who died a year ago.

David said: 'Martin would think I was bonkers, he would say I was too old and he is probably right.

'I can't pretend it isn't hard work, at 65. Your body does not recover like it does at 30 but I am looking forward to it. There is a huge amount of the British Isles I haven't seen so it's going to be an adventure and I am going with good friends.'

Staying in B&Bs and youth hostels with a golden rule only to drink local beer and not too much, the men aim to complete the ride in two to three weeks.

To sponsor them go to: justgiving.com/bikathon (for St Luke's) and http://www.justgiving.com/5K5star">www.justgiving.com/5K5star (for Polzeath Surf Life Saving Club). Or meanwhile people can contact Sue Balment on 07909 903210.