NAME:Mike

AGE: 43

BIKE: Kawasaki ZZR600D

STRATEGY: To keep the bike (and me) going at all costs!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Everything after hour 3.... Which is the longest I've ever previously been in the seat for without stopping.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: From my home to watch the Northwest 200 over in Ireland, it was a long ride out (for me anyway) but broken up into a couple of 2/3 Hour stints which pales into insignificance against this monster of a challenge!

NAME: Iain

AGE: 52 (going on 12)

BIKE: 1997 Yamaha XJ600s Diversion

STRATEGY: Not to run out of fuel and keep heading North!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Getting the bike running and through an MOT!

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: Southampton to Heerlen in the South Netherlands via Dover. Left Southampton at 10pm on a Thursday night to meet others in Farnborough then a 4am Ferry from Dover and another 300 miles in Europe all for a few beers and a bike rally to do the return trip on the Sunday with a massive hangover!

NAME: Bob

AGE: 41

BIKE: 1996 Kawasaki ZZR600 that, as of 25/03/24 still doesn't run properly……

STRATEGY: Ignore the pain from my knackered hip, forget my advancing years and head north!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Convincing myself after 15 hours I can get to the finish!

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: 450 miles - not quite half of the LDC….😱😱😱

NAME: Andrew

AGE:

BIKE:

STRATEGY:

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE:

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP:

NAME: Nige

AGE: 51

BIKE: 750 SRAD 1996

STRATEGY: head down and push on, just keep going!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: the last stint always the hardest, mostly as very tired by this point and will be dark. The last 100 miles are tight and twisty in places so vision becomes a struggle.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: well I’ve done this event now a few times, first time was its second year when it was longest day DOWN! 3 of us did it together and had some unscheduled stops plus got lost, we got to LE just in time for last orders and I decided then that it was possible to beat the sunset rather than the following sunrise.The next year I took part I did it alone in 2016. I beat the sunset to JOG, just! It’s not a race and I don’t really mind if there first I just really enjoy getting my head down and enjoying the ride. If anyone buddies up with me from the morning then great but if not I’ll happily crunch the miles whilst singing my favourite songs.

NAME: Harry

AGE: 62

BIKE: Honda Dull Ville

STRATEGY: To keep peddling.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: The uphill Bits

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: 500 Miles

NAME: Richard

AGE: 60 + a lot more months!

BIKE: Honda CB 500

STRATEGY: Hold on tight, keep pointing north and not to run out of fuel.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Staying focused, not getting lost and, when the going gets tough, remembering why and for whom I am doing it, as my discomfort is nothing compared to those battling this cruel disease.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: Four previous LDU’s and one LDD (when we started at JOG) in 2015.

NAME: Ian

AGE: 50

BIKE: Yamaha xj600 seca 2

STRATEGY: Steady away but keep moving.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Worrying about the bike making it all the way unlike last time.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: LDU 2021, Roughly 1000 miles.

NAME: James

AGE: I’ll be 50 by the time we do the event. That’s the first time I’ve typed that, I might need to lie down now!

BIKE: 1989 Honda CBR 600 – an oldie (like me) but hopefully a bit of life in her yet!

STRATEGY: Just try to keep going and don’t stop for long. I can do a mean power-nap so if I need a 10 minuter I’ll take it

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Probably when I get into Inverness. It’ll feel like I’m home and my family will be there to say hello but I’ve got another 2 hours to ride!

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: I went with some friends from Inverness to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and we did that in one go. Was pretty knackered afterwards and that was only about 650 miles or so!

NAME: Richard

AGE: 6' 4"

BIKE: ‘96 Honda CB500 Superleggera, tall seat, tall bars, low pegs and low expectations

STRATEGY: Fly low, hit hard, stay awake.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: 100% confident in the bike but fatigue management scares me.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: 730 miles in 9 and a half hours using the French péage system. And I thought that was tough!

NAME: Dan

AGE: 42

BIKE: ‘99 Honda NT650V Deauville

STRATEGY: Make it up as a go

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Waking up for the 4am start!

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: 70miles to Dorset to get my hair cut.

NAME: Dan

AGE: 61

BIKE: knacked 23 year old yamaha r1

STRATEGY: Faster pussycat kill kill!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Avoiding being so knacked towards the end that I'm doing emergency stops for things that don't exist.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: Recently? Getting back from portimao in three days with no option for proper sleep

NAME: Phil

AGE: 67

BIKE: Honda CBF600S 2005 Bought for the event in Oct 23

STRATEGY: keep going North with us both in one piece

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: the bit between the start and the finish

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: about 4hrs in the saddle

NAME: Matt

AGE: 50

BIKE: Honda VFR 800 (It looks like a Honda Monkey with my lanky 6'5" frame).

STRATEGY: Put the phone down and enjoy riding a sports bike!

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Riding a sports bike for the first time and being away from the fridge.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: 100 miles on this bike - until it ran out of electricity.

NAME: Sam

AGE: 38

BIKE: Kawasaki ZZR600

STRATEGY: Ride, ride and a little more riding. Only stopping for fuel and a bite.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Other than the 500+ miles home once we have finished, sore and tired. Keeping the bike going is going to be the biggest challenge on the day, its' been a minute (or 10+years) since it was on the road and electrical issues have plagued it.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: In one day of riding 3-400 miles, wasn't counting as we were just enjoying ourselves in north Wales.

NAME: Dale

AGE: 52

BIKE:Honda CX500

STRATEGY: Try not to take too long at the pit stops, thinking back to the 2021 event I seemed to hang about too long at them.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: If like last time, Scotland in the dark, and cold even though it's summer I was freezing when I got to the Inverness pit stop.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: as mentioned this event in 2021. 1036 miles according to my bike.

NAME: Paul

AGE: 41

BIKE: Honda dullsville by obsession engineering

STRATEGY: Start enthusiastic and at speed. And loose interest and get bored half way through..then struggle to finish.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: I think the toughest part will be the boredom. I only do about 1000 miles a year on the roads but lots and lots on the track. I plan to combat this using podcasts and generally abusing my fellow riders .

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: from Leicester all the way up the west coast and then over to York. Then back down to Norfolk. Then back to Leicester.

NAME: Martin

AGE: 50

BIKE: Honda XL600v Transalp

STRATEGY: from Land's End keep going north until I reach the sea then ask for directions to John OGroats.

WHAT YOU THINK THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE: Enduring the saddle again all the way home, this aint going to be comfortitble.

PREVIOUS LONGEST BIKE TRIP: Birmingham to Cardiff and back again in a day.