A group of cyclists built up a head of steam to beat the Keighley and Worth Valley train.

The 29 cyclists joined Keighley & District Travel's three busmen, who are cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End, on the five-mile challenge to race the train between Keighley and Oxenhope stations on Sunday. They were helping the busmen -- Steve Brier, Brian Thorpe and Russell Wilkes -- to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Sue Ryder Care.

The three set a challenge to the people of Keighley three weeks ago to raise awareness of their 891-mile ride by racing the train. Steve said: "The main thing is that everyone has put in 100 percent effort today to help the cause and have really enjoyed themselves."

Brian said: "The race was very, very successful. There was a wonderful turnout and everyone raced and beat the train.

"One guy who took part, Philip Goss, hit a piece of debris in the road at Bocking Garage and fell, cutting his arm and grazing his shoulder.

"But he bravely got back up and raced on to beat the train. We congratulate him and would like to offer our thanks to him."

The fundraising exercise was also designed to give the three men a chance to put in a training exercise at the same time.

Brian added: "The three of us went up and down three times during the day. Although it is not a great distance, because of the extremely high temperatures, it served as a fairly good training exercise."

The cyclists were set on their way by town Mayor Cllr Nancy Holdsworth, who rode on the train. She congratulate the successful athletes with vice-chairman of Oxenhope Parish Council Cllr Reg Hindley.

A spokesman for K&WVR said the bikers had been helped by a delay on the train. He said: "It has to be admitted that the train was mysteriously delayed at Damems Junction Signal Box and did not arrive at Oxenhope until 2pm, fully five minutes behind schedule, by which time all the cyclists had reached Oxenhope and beaten the train."

Among the other participants were Keighley's deputy mayor Cllr Amjad Zaman, SportKeighley's John Dennis and Karen Buckroyd, Keighley's Metro Bus Station manager, who even added the bus station to her route.

And 68-year-old Peter Mahler also beat the trains on the uphill and downhill routes on his traditional pushbike.