A CYCLIST has returned to his Worcester home after completing a charity ride around China's capital, Beijing.

Nigel Rees pedalled his way through a five-day 280-mile trip, raising £2,600 for the Alzheimer's Society in the process.

The 50-year-old has previously taken part in a £2,500 charity ride through Vietnam and a fixed five-hour bike challenge raising £500.

"I decided to sign up for the China cycle challenge as I know many families who have been affected by Alzheimer's disease, including my mother's family.

"I know how difficult it is to cope with, particularly for the carers," said Mr Rees, of Oaklands, Newtown.

"It was really enjoyable. The weather conditions were pretty good and China was much more modern than I expected, though it certainly isn't flat!"

"We did 75-mile rides on two days and that was pretty demanding because it's very mountainous and there were a lot of steep climbs on some fairly average road surfaces.

"But I loved it - you get to see a fantastic amount while you're cycling it was really interesting to see parts of the country that are literally off the beaten track."

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