A police officer is currently embarking on a challenging 825-mile off-road cycle ride to raise money for COPS.
DI Jim Fincham, a Suffolk Police officer who’s currently seconded to Bedfordshire, started The Great North Trail Ride this week, after he was forced to postpone for a year due to Covid and injury.
The trail runs from the Pennines to the northern tip of mainland Scotland and Jim is cycling it self-supported, carrying his camping kit himself.
Jim said: “The idea came to me two years ago, but then Covid hit and during my training for the cycle I managed to break my leg in two places.
“But now it’s finally happening. Luckily a colleague who recently retired was looking for a challenge too, so I persuaded him to do it with me.
“Both of us are pushing 50, so we’re not spring chickens anymore! And our demanding jobs have made training hard.
“But we’re estimating it will take us about three weeks, depending on the weather and the conditions of the trail, especially when we hit the highlands of Scotland where it’s very remote and exposed. There could be 30mph headwinds and the elevation is significant – it averages at 4,500ft of climbing every day.”
Jim admits that training in the relatively flat conditions of Suffolk may not have prepared him for the Scottish Highlands.
He added: “The other thing is the kit we’re carrying makes the bikes so heavy, probably an extra 20kg on the bike.”
But Jim is determined to raise money for COPS.
He said: “COPS is such a worthwhile charity. Unfortunately, I’ve lost colleagues… so I know first-hand the amazing work they do.”
Visit Jim’s fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jim-fincham
And you can follow his progress on his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/jimsgreatnorthtrail/
