A MEMBER of Okehampton Cycling Club has pedalled more than 500 miles to the Basque Country and back again — not as part of a charity ride but as a long commute to work while raising awareness of the importance of organ donation.

Fifty-year-old Nigel Hale-Hunter is a cycling coach and was contracted to provide support for another company’s cycling tour in the Basque Country.

Instead of just flying down to Biarritz, Nigel decided to hop on his bike and cycle from the Roscoff ferry port down to his destination in four to five days and then back in four to five days, unsupported, to try to raise awareness for Transplant Sport and organ donation.

Having set off on September 19, he completed his long commute on October 3.

Nigel said: ‘I rode 950-kilometres from Roscoff to Biarritz in four days and returned from Poitiers to Roscoff in four and a half days, so I had a total ride time of 59 hours and 46 minutes, averaging 27.7-kilometres per hour.

‘The ride was completed solo and unsupported so I had to carry all my clothes and belongings with me in a seven kilogram rucksack.’

Nigel was busy on social media during his escapade — you can look back at his monstrous commute on www.facebook. com/BPMcyclecoachandguide and www.twitter.com/bpmcoaching