A YOUNG man has on his bike to conquer the length of Britain.
Ashley Dykes, 20, of Dolwen Road, Old Colwyn, cycled from John O'Groat's to Lands End, taking a full 985 miles in just seven days.
Ashley, a former student of Ysgol Bryn Elian and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, undertook the cycle to raise money for the NSPCC - his mother, Tami Dykes, is a volunteer counsellor for Childline in Prestatyn - and the personal challenge of completing the route in less than 10 days, solo and unsupported.
In the first leg of his journey, Ashley cycled 153 miles from John O'Groat's to Inverness, averaging 120 to 140 on the following days. On the final day, Ashley covered the 204 mile distance from Bristol to Land's End.
The distances were no major challenge for Ashley, who has previously cycled across Vietnam and Cambodia, and the length of Australia, as well as taking part in expeditions such as trekking the Himalayas and the Great Wall of China.
He said his previous experiences had motivated him to take up the new challenge.
“I wanted to do this cycle because when I was travelling not so long ago, my friend and I, on two occasions, bought a cheap and nasty bike each and cycled to our next destination in order to see more of the local life off the beaten track, for the pure adventure of it, and to save on funds.”