Veteran raises hundreds in charity bike race

Charles Church, 79, completed the ten-mile journey in about two hours with his pacemaker of five years and circulation problems in his legs failing to stop him.

But he had to nurse his Paris Cycles straight handlebar bike home because of problems with its five gears.

"I was almost the last to finish because I had two mechanical hold-ups," he explained.

"My chain came off twice and I had to finish the ride in one gear because I didn't want the chain to come off again."

Mr Church, of First Avenue, raised 842 to be split between St Wilfrid's Hospice and Macmillan cancer support.

It was the second year in which he had taken part in the ride from Chichester to West Wittering. He collected 501 in sponsorship in 2007.

Mr Church, a former clerical worker in the London store of Peter Jones, has been a lifelong cyclist. Most of his thousands of miles have been achieved on the same bike.

He said: "I bought the bike when I came out of national service in 1950. It was 18 months old then."

Various parts have been replaced but the frame has remained the same. "I used to do a lot of cycling," Mr Church explained.

"I belonged to a club in London between 1950 and 1965. I've been abroad on it as well to Austria and Germany."

His cycling is more limited nowadays but he would like to be back in the charity cycle ride in 2010.

"You can never tell at my age, and it's too early to decide, but I hope to do it again," he added.

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