AN engineer from Mangotsfield shared a bike with two colleagues as they rode for 500 miles to raise money for charity.
Scott Baker is a member of the Engineering & Maintenance team at Oldbury Power Station, near Thornbury.
Along with colleagues Andy Smart, from Yate, and Nigel Reed, from Keynsham, cycled from the power station, which is being decommissioned, to another nuclear plant at Sizewell in Suffolk, and back again.
They did it on a three-seater ‘triplet’ bike they named Scarlett, towing a trailer, called Bob, behind them.
The trio did the ride in July to raise money for JIGSAW Thornbury, which works with children and young people aged under 25 who have additional needs or disabilities.
Andy, who has worked at Oldbury for 37 years and is currently head of maintenance, said: “Like all good plans, it was hatched over a curry and pint.
“I’ve never cycled to the Sizewell site, so it seemed like a good idea.
“JIGSAW is the chosen site charity this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to support the wonderful work they do.
“During the ride we were regularly checking the amount of donations that were being made and seeing people’s generosity was a huge motivator for us.”
Scott, a senior system engineer, said: “We chose to take Scarlett and Bob on this ‘coast to coast’ ride as we thought it would provide an unusual challenge.
“Although the three of us are experienced solo cyclists, riding Scarlett was physically challenging, especially when going up hills.
“We were also extremely fortunate to have great weather and no punctures.
“After a total of just over three days on the road, we arrived back at Oldbury site to the most incredible reception.”
On route, the trio caused a stir going past Buckingham Palace.
Nigel, the plant’s engineering section head, said: “The sight of three people on one bike, with a trailer in tow, generated huge amounts of interest wherever we travelled, especially in London.”
The ‘coast-to-coast’ return trip took the team just over three days to complete, and had raised more than £4,700 as the Voice went to print.
The donation page is still open at bit.ly/4hjSSNp.
Nuclear Restoration Services staff and JIGSAW representatives cheered them to the finishing line at Oldbury.
JIGSAW spokesperson Bonnie Rayment said: “I have been astounded by the team-work and determination of Andy, Nigel and Scott.”