TWO cycling veterans recovering from an arduous 15-day, 953-mile sponsored bike ride are now getting ready to tackle a 50-mile course at the Cycle4Life charity event.

Tom Pailor, 67, and Ron Best, 64, will take to the streets of Hartlepool at the weekend after they completed their Land's End to John O'Groats trip.

The two Rotarians hope to have raised £3,500 for charity from their marathon ride.

The pair, friends since childhood, covered 60 miles a day during the first week of setting out from Land's End, but stepped up the rate to 82 miles a day when they crossed into Scotland.

"It was tough going, but one of the main spurs which drove us on was our fear of failure," said Mr Best, managing director of a Teesside building company.

"We were warned in advance that apart from fatigue, one of the likeliest physical problems we would experience during the 15-day ride would be saddle-soreness.

"Happily, a friend who knows about these things suggested taking with us tubes of baby nappy rash cream, which worked like a charm."

Tom Pailor, a member of the committee organising the fifth Cycle4Life ride on Sunday, said: "A friend, who I suspect did not believe I would complete the 953-mile ride, offered me sponsorship of £1 per mile. This really boosted the money I managed to raise."

The 50-mile ride, in Hartlepool, is the longest of three available to the sponsored cyclists of all ages taking part in Cycle4-Life.

The other courses are nine miles and 25 miles.

The event will start at 8.30am.

Anyone wanting to take part in the ride is asked to call Hartlepool Hospice on 01429-855555 or visit www.cycle4life.org