THE manager of a Bradford superstore is gearing up for a gruelling 150-mile charity bike challenge.

Steve Dawson, 42, who is manager of Tesco in Queensbury, says he is about to tackle the most difficult cycle ride of his life next month.

He will be cycling from a beach near Seascale in Cumbria to Whitby in North Yorkshire on Saturday, June 27. The trip will also include 14,000 feet of climbing.

This challenge is usually completed over three days but Mr Dawson and his team will be attempting to finish it in just one day.

The route passes through the Lake District and Northumbria National Parks.

It also includes the Hardknott Pass, which is the country's steepest incline at 30 per cent. It carries a minor road between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley in the region of Cumbria, England, in the Lake District National Park.

He hopes to complete the ride in just ten hours.

Mr Dawson, who is a member of Ravensthorpe Cycling Club, will join hundreds of other cyclists who take on the coast to coast challenge.

All proceeds will be split between Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.

He says it is his biggest test to date after he tackled some of the toughest climbs of the Tour de France last year.

He completed the ride between Modane and Alpe d'Huez, raising more than £5,500 in sponsorship for Diabetes UK.

The 110km course saw Mr Dawson, and co-rider Carl Foster, climb 4,000 metres on gradients as steep as seven per cent.

They completed some of the Tour's most iconic summits, the Col du Telegraphe (1,566km) and Alp d'Huez (1,850km).

Mr Dawson, of Mirfield, said: "It's going to be pretty intense.

"It's going to be hard but I'm looking forward to it.

"It's a great way to tackle a mid-life crisis. Being the wrong side of 40 doing this, I'm trying to fight the clock.

"If I could raise £500 I will be made up. I have had some interest from customers who come into the store who want to sponsor me.

"This ride is even tougher than my one in the Alps that I did last year. This one is a step up from that.

"There will be a few hundred people doing it on the day.

"I have put in plenty of miles for training and done 18 to 20,000 feet of climbing each week. I have been averaging about 180 miles on the bike each week so far this year in training."

To make a donation, go to the Tesco store in Brighouse Road, Queensbury.