Maxi Moran, seven, the youngest of 108 cyclists to tackle The Taps Lytham's 28th annual charity bike ride

A peloton of 108 cyclists was waved off by Steve Norris, landlord of Lytham’s The Taps, on Sunday to tackle the Henry Street’s pub’s 28th annual charity bike ride.

Riders aged between seven and 81-years-old elected to ride either a 15 or 30 mile route through local countryside to raise funds for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, Lytham youth engagement charity Live like Ralph and anti-poverty charity Feeding Dreams Cambodia, which supports health and education programmes for children in the country’s Siem Reap province.

Last year’s ride paid for 10 re-conditioned bicycles to help children from Siem Reap villages reach their nearest school.

Organisers of this year’s ride are hoping to double that donation to buy at least another 20 bikes.

Ride organiser Danny Kirkman, proprietor of Ansdell hair salon Salvation Hairdressing, who also rode on Sunday, said: “Our entry was up this year on last despite a terrible weather forecast.

“The bad weather didn’t really materialise but we are very grateful to everyone who took part and supported the event for not being put off!”

Danny added: “We are also very grateful to all our many event sponsors. We had some terrific individual performances this year, which we are predicting is going to be a good year for our three charities.

“We hope to announce the total raised by this year’s Taps bike ride very soon.”

Among the most outstanding performances were those of 81-year-old John Smith, who completed the 30 mile course and at the other end of the age scale, rides by seven-year-old Maxi Moran and nine-year-old Rohan Jackson, who both finished the 15 mile course with their respective dads Dan Moran and Kieran Jackson riding alongside them.

Maxi’s cycle raised £2,188 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation after Dan set up an online fundraising page in support of Maxi, a pupil at Lytham Hall Park Primary School.

For the last of coupe of years, Maxi, who plays football for Lytham Juniors Windmills U7, has joined grandad David Cam in the rescue van that drives behind the peloton to collect route signs and broken bikes. This year, he decided he wanted to swap the van to pedal a bike he received as a gift for his 6th birthday so he could ride all by himself.

Rohan also made his Taps debut in terms of pedaling the course solo. In previous years, he has ridden in a seat attached to dad’s bike and last year, rode on a “hook up” bike also attached to his dad’s cycle.

Sue Swire, fundraising manager for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “Congratulations to everyone associated with this year’s Taps bike ride but special congratulations to Maxi, Rohan and John on their sterling efforts. This year’s ride seems to have been a vintage one in terms of its many triumphs.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free.

For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk