Pedal power for pair on two-year cycle trip around the world
It is a trip of a lifetime – two years travelling the world, seeing sights and raising money for charity at the same time.
But it will not be a case of planes, trains and automobiles for Zoe Ashbridge and her boyfriend Stewart Law.
Instead the pair will be going under their own power, on specially designed bikes made here in Shropshire.
Setting off on Sunday, they will head from Telford to Dover where they will catch the ferry to Dunkirk, then it is on to Paris before heading south through Europe and on to the Middle East before heading on to China, South Asia, Australia and the USA and then return to Paris.
Zoe, who has just quit her job at Clear, a creative design company in Shrewsbury where she worked as an accountant manager, is in charge of accommodation and food while Stewart, who also worked in Shrewsbury has been plotting the route and will be the pair's mechanic.
Zoe, 28, who grew up in Ludlow but has been living for the last couple of years in Telford while saving money for the trip, said: "The whole thing was my boyfriend's idea. He planned it for his 30th and as we told people about it they said they would sponsor us. So we decided to raise money for CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, after a friend of mine died a few years ago.
"Over the years I have raised £15,000 for CRY and so Stewart and I decided to raise money for them with this ride.
Blog:
Follow Zoe and Stewart's adventures at roadtoframe.com
"The biggest challenge will be riding the bike every day. We have done some long journeys. We did Land's End to John O'Groats and we have frequently done 60-mile long rides but doing it every day will be hard. I have a good pair of padded pants and a nice touring saddle.
"My biggest fear is being chased by a dog. I have read many articles from people who have done this type of thing and they have all be chased by dogs, so that is a worry for me. I have been reading up on riding through the Middle East and have an idea of what to wear."
The pair will be staying in hostels and Airbnb rooms as they make their way around the world.
"Stewart has planned the trip from town to town and has also learned how to put the bikes together. He went along to Bikes by Design in Coalport where they taught him how to maintain the bike so if anything goes wrong along the way he knows how to fix it," said Zoe.
It will be all new for Zoe as she adapts to life on the open road, having only travelled to a few places in Europe before.
"I have to say, this is quite big for me," she added. "My family have been very supportive of me doing this but as it has got closer to departure day, they have become a little more worried. They have been asking more and more about how to keep in touch. But I am just going to go with the flow. I will always be able to get back home if I need to."
