A 24-hour bike ride in Douglas has raised more than £5,000 for three Isle of Man charities.

The challenge was completed entirely on a stationary exercise bike on the ground floor of the Strand Shopping Centre.

It began at 4pm on Friday, with Stephen Pitts, Stephen Corey and Brian McGovern taking turns to cycle around the clock through to Saturday afternoon.

The trio aimed to cycle a total of 483km – the equivalent of riding around the Isle of Man three times.

That distance was completed ahead of schedule in just 22 hours, with the riders going on to cover a total of 535km by the end of the 24-hour period.

‘It all went really well and pretty perfectly,’ Stephen said.

‘The toughest part was definitely from 4am on Saturday morning until about 7am. All the Christmas party-goers were very supportive and were putting money under the door to add to our total, but once they had all gone home it became difficult.

‘I also preferred it when the Strand Shopping Centre opened again on Saturday morning.

‘It’s definitely better having other people around you. You get so much encouragement, and the time flew by. The last eight hours, from 8am to 4pm, went very quickly.’

The three men had initially planned to cycle in two-hour shifts, but soon realised this would not be possible.

‘We did half-hour slots, because we found out at the very start that two hours each was going to be too long,’ Stephen added.

‘We kept swapping right the way through until Saturday morning, when we reduced it to about 15 to 20 minutes each. It was important to try and break it up as much as we could.

‘I want to thank the team at Bikestyle Isle of Man for lending us the bikes and electrical equipment. Big thanks also go to Wayne at the Strand Shopping Centre for supporting us the whole way through.’

Although the final total has yet to be confirmed, Stephen said he is confident they have surpassed the £5,000 mark.

The money raised will go to three local charities as part of Douglas Mayor Steven Crellin’s charity appeal. They are Dot’s Dream Foundation, Hospice Isle of Man and Riding for the Disabled Isle of Man.

Dot’s Dream Foundation was set up in memory of Stephen’s mother, Dot Pitts, and provides support to seriously ill people and their families.

Stephen said: ‘The Mayor chooses a selection of charities to raise money for every year, so I was taken aback when he contacted us to say Dot’s Dream would be part of that.

‘The other charities are great as well. My mother spent the best part of four years at Hospice and they do a fantastic job, while loads of people spoke to me during the bike ride about the good work done by Riding for the Disabled.’

Donations are still being accepted via JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mayoral-appeal