JAZ BAR STAFF PEDAL FOR POUNDS IN COAST TO COAST CHARITY BIKE RIDE

 Management and staff at The Jaz Café Bars in Hull, Beverley and Bridlington will be swapping pint pulling for pedal power this month when they take part in the gruelling 140 mile coast to coast bike ride for charity.

Jaz proprietor Simon Mountford, along with some of his staff, including Callum Marsden, Hull's bar manager, bar and supervisory staff Rich Petre, Joanne Firth, Sarah Fawcett, Ben Jackman and Carl Pisarkiewiez, will be cycling the

3-day route on March 18/19/20  to raise cash for the Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind, as part of their Business Challenge 2008 project.

The coast to coast route was developed by Sustrans in partnership with various Local Authorities, Groundwork West Cumbria, North Pennines Tourism Partnership, Forest Enterprise and the Lake District National Park amongst others.  The route was opened in 1994 running from Whitehaven on the west coast of Cumbria to the North East coast at Sunderland and has an average of between 12,000 and 15,000 cyclists competing the route every year.

At 140 miles long the coast to coast, which is the much larger National Cycle Network of over 5000 miles, is Britain's most popular long distance cycle route and is based on minor roads, disused railway lines, off-road tracks and specially constructed cycle paths.  The route is designed for a whole range of cyclists from families to club riders and starts in the former coal mining and industrial lands of West Cumbria, travels through stunning scenery of the northern Lake District and heads into Keswick before passing through Penrith and the Eden Valley. 

It then climbs up to Hartside and onto the unspoilt Northern Pennines, the roof of England.  This is followed by a section through old lead mining villages, such as Nenthead and Rookhope and down into the Durham Dales before entering the old steel town of Consett.  From here it's an easy ride through one of Britain's old industrial heartlands to the North Sea and Sunderland.

Commenting on the ride, Jaz's Simon Mountford said: "The team are really excited to be taking part in the coast to coast bike ride.  We have all been in training and hope to raise a huge amount of money, which will go towards our efforts to help fund a mini bus for the Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind.  I know it will be a challenge for us, but the end result will be worth the sweat and aching legs!"