Members of Tenby Aces are undertaking a gruelling charity ride in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance tomorrow (Saturday).

The ride is 200 miles with over 14,000ft of vertical elevation which will see the riders set off from the Wales Air Ambulance Base in Caernarfon, North Wales, travelling through the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, heading south to the new South Wales Air Ambulance Base in Llanelli, and passing through Machynlleth, Aberystwyth and Lampeter.

It is estimated that the ride will take approximately 17 hours in the saddle! There will be two support vehicles travelling along with the group. They will be travelling up to Caernarfon on Friday evening by minibus, very generously supplied by Manorbier Community Minibus, and the bikes will be transported with the van supplied by West Wales Motorcycles.

Back in December, two of the Aces club members were involved in a near fatal car accident and spent a number of months in hospital. Two air ambulances attended the scene and consequently flew Mike and Paula Smith independently to separate hospitals to receive their life-saving treatments.

For the air ambulance, a single call-out costs a minimum of £1500. However this is nothing compared to the value of the lives that they save.

The people of Wales are proud that they have such an asset at their disposal. But without the fundraising that takes place they would be without it.

The Aces are very pleased that both of Paula and Mike’s children will be takign part in the ride. Aled is riding the full 200-mile route and his sister Lorna will be joining it from Llanelli.

For this special event, Aled has designed one-off cycle jerseys, t-shirts and hoodies, which all will be sporting on the day, supplied by Corrie Williams, general manager from Olurun, Carmarthen.

Twenty-four club members will be starting this epic ride up in Caernarfon, with further members joining along the way at the 100-mile mark in Tregaron, and again extra riders joining at the new Wales Air Ambulance base in Llanelli and finally at Carmarthen for the 25-mile home stretch, coming home to a hero’s welcome in Tenby’s Tudor Square.

It is anticipated they will arrive in Tenby at approximately 8 pm, where there will be family, friends and Aces members shaking their buckets to greet them, hoping for a carnival atmosphere.

Please turn out on Saturday night or cheer them as they ride past!

If anyone would like to donate to this very worthwhile cause, then please see the just giving page. www.justgiving.com/Tenby-Aces1