A MAN who cured his arthritis with cycling has completed his 27th Manchester to Blackpool bike ride.
John Thorpe, 64, from Bury took part in his first ride back in 1989 when he was 37.
At the time he had been to see his doctor with a painful right knee and was told he had arthritis.
He explained: "I liked cycling and my doctor was a keen cyclist and I was reading all sorts of things that said that if you kept it moving that it could make the arthritis better.
"It just so happened that it coincided with the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride so I thought I would give it ago.
"My thought was that it would either kill it or cure it and thankfully it cured it."
Since his original flare up of arthritis 27 years ago Mr Thorpe hasn't suffered from it since.
The route for the ride covers 60 miles from Manchester, along the scenic country lanes of Lancashire, and then finishes on the South Promenade in Blackpool.
This year's event took place on Sunday July 10.
Mr Thorpe enjoyed it so much that he decided to do it another 26 times, cycling a total of 1,620 miles, the equivalent of cycling from Bury to Moscow.
The Haslam Street resident said: "I was hooked after the first one. It’s become a habit now every year I sign up to it and I look forward to taking part.
"I'm not sure whether it’s stupidity or doggedness that make me keep doing it but I know that my efforts are appreciated by the charity.
"It's a great atmosphere and some of the scenery is beautiful. It's not a race so I'm in no rush to finish it and I make sure that I stop for some lunch and a drink.
"It's a long way, so you’ve just got to make sure you ride to your limitations and as I've got older my times have got slower.
"One of the reasons I keep doing it is because it’s a sobering thought to think that there are other people who psychically can’t to do. So while I'm still able and want to continue. I'm hoping to hit the 30 mark."
Mr Thorpe contacted Bike Events who put on the event each year to see if anyone else had done as many rides as he had.
He said: "Unfortunately their records don’t go back that far so I wasn't able to find that out, which is a great shame."
In addition to the personal achievement of completing the 27 rides Mr Thorpe has also raised thousands of pounds for charity.
His chosen charity is Three Owls Bird Sanctuary and Reserve charity, based in Rochdale.
He said: "It's a charity that's close to my heart because I have always been interested in animals and I used to volunteer there when I was younger.
"It's a fantastic charity and they do amazing work."
Mr Thorpe is now planning for his 28th ride.
He said: “If I survive long enough then I plan to 30, I reckon that will probably be a record that won’t be broken.”
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/14635784.Man_cures_arthritis_by_cycling/
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