TWO men have completed a 3,800-mile USA coast-to-coast bike ride to raise money in tribute to a 12-year-old boy who died from a brain tumour.

Nick Entwistle, 51, a builder who lives in Crawshawbooth, and John Hargreaves, 47, a stonemason from Water, set off on March 26 from San Francisco.

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The intrepid pair spent six weeks travelling up to 100 miles per day, sometimes sleeping at the roadside but often being put up by generous members of the public they met.

After scaling deserts, ascending to 11,000 ft in The Rockies, riding through snow storms and traversing states the pair arrived in Virginia.

Nick and John are raising money for children’s hospice Derian House in Chorley where their friends’ son, Tom Smith, a keen Burnley FC fan, died in 2006.

Nick has previously done other bike rides for the hospice, riding from Turf Moor to Fulham’s ground between Clarets games and an epic John O’ Groats to the Olympic stadium trip in 2012.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Apart from the effort of the challenge itself, both men are self-employed and gave up six weeks’ earnings for the journey.

On arrival at the east coast in Virginia, father-of-three Nick, said: “We did it at 5.45pm tonight, we landed in Yorktown.

“I can’t believe we cycled 3,800 miles .

“We’ll be back on the bikes when the sores mend and promise you more of the same from glorious Lancashire.”

The pair have raised £1,460 for Derian House.

Sophie Saunders, fundraising manager at Derian House said “What an amazing achievement, we couldn’t be prouder.

“We never cease to be astonished at the challenges people undertake to raise money for us, and we’re so pleased for them personally that they’ve almost trebled their fundraising target.

“We look forward to welcoming them back to Derian very soon.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

To celebrate their achievement the pair decided to ride their bikes in to the sea to cool off.

Those wishing to support Nick and John can go to www.justgiving.com/Nick-Entwistle