Revving up for Mongolia ride

Two regulars of Old Nick's Tavern in Horncastle are putting down their pints and picking up their motorcycles for the 8,000-mile expedition of a lifetime.

Charles (Chaz) Ing from Potterhanworth and Steven Ross from Horncastle (known as TeamREMIT) are embarking on an epic ride from the Horncastle pub to the capital of Mongolia, Ulan Bator.

The pair depart on July 19 and will cross five mountain ranges and two deserts on classic British Royal Enfield Bullets.

Although making the trek alone, Chaz and Steve are taking the same route as the Mongolia Charity Rally.

The Rally supports the Children's Development and Protection Fund (CDPF) in Mongolia and all vehicles that complete the journey will be donated to the charity for auction.

Chaz and Steve are also raising money for When You Wish Upon A Star, a charity supported by Old Nick's Tavern, and the Cambridge Mongolian Disaster Appeal, which works with the nomadic communities of Mongolia.

The team came up with the idea after an evening in Old Nick's.

"The Mongolia Charity Rally just seemed like a fantastic opportunity to do something exciting for a worthy cause," commented Chaz.

The expedition will be a challenging one for the pair.

Chaz explained: "We need to deal with many personal challenges along the way. We will have to make repairs ourselves and will be riding in 40 degree heat as well as camping every night."

In order to complete the journey in five weeks they need to average 250 miles a day, six days a week - and that could mean spending up to 14 hours a day on their bikes.

Their planned route will take them through Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

Chaz has been interested in bikes since the age of nine but friend Steve only passed his bike test in October to enable him to take part in the challenge.

The journey would not be possible without the support of their sponsors who have provided essentials such as kit and fuel. Sponsors include Jim Allen Motorcycles, Hein Gerricke, and Millets of Lincoln, among several others.

Chaz and Steve hope to raise around £6,000 through their expedition, including the auction of their bikes at the end. You can donate money by accessing their justgiving page through their website www.teamremit.co.uk/donate

A fundraising evening will be held at Old Nick's Tavern on July 11 from 7.30pm.