A 100-kilometre bike ride beat bad weather to raise £35,000 for an Ilkley and Harrogate-based charity.

The ride, around a circular route in North Yorkshire, took place in pouring rain earlier this month, raising money for the Acorn Charity.

The charity, largely supported by people in the Ilkley and Harrogate area, raises money for people with dementia – and their carers – in the Harrogate, Ripon and Wetherby area, and for research into scleroderma disease at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The ride started at Bishop Monkton and followed a 100 kilometre route through Boroughbridge, Helperby, Easingwold, Sheriff Hutton, Linton-on-Ouse and Marton-cum-Grafton before returning to Bishop Monkton.

The route was marshalled by more than 50 volunteers and lunch was provided at Sheriff Hutton, with tea and cake at the finishing point in Bishop Monkton.

St John’s Ambulance were on hand to deal with medical emergencies, while Chevin Cycles of Otley dealt with mechanical difficulties and other businesses helped with signage, sponsored lunch, and Bettys donated a Fat Rascal for every rider who completed the route.

The whole event was sponsored for the eighth consecutive year by Lights4Fun.

The two cyclists who generated the largest amount of sponsorship money will receive a ladies’ or gents’ mountain bike which has generously been donated by Chevin Cycles of Otley and Wetherby Bike Shack.

As soon as all the sponsorship money has been collected, these will be presented.

Acorn Chairman, Louise Hanen, said:”‘We were concerned that the weather might dampen the enthusiasm of some of our cyclists but they didn’t let us down, turning up in droves and completing the course despite the adverse weather conditions.

“We could not, of course, run this event without our fantastic volunteers who not only marshall the event, help at the start and finish, but also bake a huge number of excellent cakes so our cyclists are rewarded for their efforts at the end.”

She added: “£35,000 is a huge amount of money to raise at a single event and one which will make such a difference in the community, enabling us to support many people locally with dementia and to continue important research into scleroderma at Leeds General Infirmary.”