HUSBAND and wife team Dave and Chrys Hobbs are ready to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to India all in the name of charity.o

The Loughton couple were roped into the trip by fellow biker and friend Simon Smith, 30, also from Loughton, who has spent the past 18 months organising the tour.

The three will travel to Asia, alongside more than 100 bikers, for a gruelling 2,500km tour through some amazing landscapes.

Simon went on a similar tour of the country by motorcycle in 1999, and says it was an experience which changed his life.

After that tour the former marketing man gave up his career and set his mind to organising this event to raise more money for good causes.

Simon met Dave, an expert biker and former Metropolitan police officer, when he attended one of Dave's advanced riding courses.

Simon easily roped in the 55-year-old, who is the first to admit it did not take much persuading, to be a team leader for the journey, and his wife Chrys, 53, who will be riding pillion.

Dave and Chrys, who works at Roding Valley High School in Loughton, hope to enjoy the experience as much as Simon and are now in the midst of raising money towards the project.

The riders on the trip range from novice to skilled and rely on several team leaders, who are expert bikers like Dave, to guide them through the arduous journey.

Each rider aims to raise £3,000 and this money is to go towards four charities, the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace's Save the Rainforest fund, the Rainbow Trust and the Pain and Palliative Care Society in India.

Dave, who has been riding for 39 years and has won an array of biking trophies and awards, looks forward to the experience immensely.

"It's a totally different challenge for us and I am sure we're going to enjoy the experience," he said.

"Riding the Royal Enfields will be like stepping back 30 years."

Simon hopes to raise £500,000 for the charities and hopes Dave and Chrys get as much out of it as he did three years ago.

"In 1999 I met a lot of really good mates and came back with a slightly different perspective on life," he said.

"I gave up a directorship at a London marketing firm to plan this and I have never been happier."

The trip takes place in February and Simon has now laid out the route after going on a 5,000-mile tour earlier this year. The actual journey is just over 1,800 miles and will take seven days.

The route will take the riders through an amazing variety of landscapes including up to 3,000 feet through the Western Ghats mountains.

The riders will see dozens of Indian communities, towns and villages on their journey and Simon says this is another part of the amazing experience.

"Once the first ten or so bikes go through everything stops and they are all waving and screaming," he explained.

Dave and Chrys have held jumble sales to raise funds and are also appealing for any businesses who would sponsor them on their journey.

"The most important thing is that they're not actually paying for us to go on holiday but the money will go towards the charities," Dave said.

If you want to help Dave and Chrys ring 020 8508 8994.

December 12, 2002 09:30