The television presenter Paddy McGuinness is set to ride a Raleigh Chopper bicycle during a 300-mile ultra-endurance cycling challenge for this year’s BBC Children in Need.
McGuinness, who British audiences are more used to seeing in cars on Top Gear, will ride from Wrexham to Glasgow in five days as part of a three nations challenge. The overall aim of the project will be to engage the public in order to continue to raise funds for children and young people across the UK through Children in Need.
The organisation is the BBC’s charity for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK, and has raced hundreds of millions over the years; it is based around a TV telethon.
Due to the length of the cycling challenge, the 51-year-old will be riding a specially adapted Chopper in order for the bike to withstand the pressures of being ridden for the huge distance.
A popular child’s bike in the 1960’s, the Chopper set to be used by McGuinness will feature a modified saddle. The normal Mk4 the bike is fitted with will be replaced with a standard saddle and seatpost, similar to the Mk3 Chopper set up launched by Raleigh in 2004.
According to Raleigh, the saddle adaptation will ensure a more ergonomic fit to mirror the set up used by McGuinness on a bike he has used during training for the challenge.
In order to improve the bike’s performance, McGuinness’ custom Chopper will also be equipped with more durable brake callipers, levers and pads in order to enhance braking efficiency. Aluminium rims with grooved braking surfaces will also be installed on his setup.
The final modification is the installation of an Mk3 handlebar and stem setup in order to improve McGuinness’ riding position without losing the bike’s famous appearance.
“The Raleigh Chopper is the most iconic bike we’ve ever made, and seeing it being used in this incredible challenge for BBC Children in Need is a proud moment for us,” Raleigh’s Michelle Jakeway said. “The Chopper has always been a symbol of fun, adventure and nostalgia, and we’re excited to see it play a part in bringing communities together for such a worthy cause.
‘”Of course the Chopper was originally designed as a child’s recreational bike, so we needed to scale it up a bit to ensure Paddy gets through what will be an absolutely brutal challenge. We have every faith that he’ll smash it out the park and raise some significant funds for the UKs leading children’s charity.”
McGuinness’ challenge will begin on 11 November and is set to conclude just before the BBC’s Children in Need night on 15 November.
