A GRANDMOTHER has cycled in six countries in six weeks in celebrate her 60th year,

Carole Jones, of Yarm, took on the epic journey, along the longest unbroken cycling route in the world, after contracting arthritis in he knees and glaucoma, which limits sight.

"I felt the need to have an adventure," said Mrs Jones. "It was empowering, doing it all myself.

"I took a cycle mechanics course before I set off and there were times I fixed other people's bikes. One time two young mountain bikers came in to a cafe I was in and asked a man if they could fix a chain, I mean, they didn't even look at me. I stood up and said, 'I can fix that.' I was buzzing inside."

Mrs Jones, a married mother of three, explained that she cycled from Yarm to Harwich, took the ferry to Hook of Holland and cycled on through Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway and completed about 2,500 miles. She is now raising money for Sustrans, the cycling charity.

* Tomorrow (Saturday, July 25) Mrs Jones and other members of the Cycle Sisters group will be taking part in a special ride to commemorate the life of Billie Fleming, who died last year, aged 100.

In 1938, Billie gave up her job as a typist to ride her bike every day for a year, to show how beneficial cycling was to women. She rode almost 30,000 miles on a heavy three-speed Rudge bicycle and on 25th July 1938, she reached Guisborough.

The Cycle Sisters will meet at Aldi car park in Yarm at 10am and women and girls of any age can join them for the 40 mile cycle ride, which will include stopping off at various cafes. Just turn up or register with cyclesisters@live.co.uk