Bristol student cycling to Istanbul on a tandem with his mate

Archie Benn studies Biology at the University of Bristol and will be cycling over 2,000 miles to Istanbul in June. He will be on a tandem bike with his childhood friend Isaac Tredant, who is a photography student at Nottingham.

The students had just started planning the trip when they joked about getting a tandem bike; luckily Facebook Marketplace is out here making dreams come true and the boys managed to secure the perfect bike.

The tandem cost the pair only £100, but luckily Isaac is a regular bike fixer: “I’ve built quite a lot of bikes over the years. The trip we did through France was nearly 1,000 miles and I did that on a bike I’d pulled out of a bin the week before.”

The boys seem confident they can get this bargain bike up to scratch to pedal over the Alps!

Archie (left) and Isaac on their trip to France

The students have already been on a cycling trip through France and are coming prepared for this trip from their last experience. Archie said: “Last year we cycled down the coast of France and I got quite serious saddle sore, so I think I’ll be getting a new saddle for this trip”.

Archie (right) and Isaac on their trip to France

On their journey, they will travel through 11 countries including France, Croatia and Bulgaria. The cyclists are travelling light with only a tent, a change of clothes and some inner tubes in case of emergencies.

Both of them graduate in May so this trip is celebrating leaving university before moving on to their next steps; Archie is hoping to work in a laboratory and Isaac wants to travel around Vietnam.

The pair hope to raise £3,000 for The Julian Trust, a Bristol-based homeless shelter, which covers their costs for two weeks.

The Treasurer of The Julian Trust said: “We are delighted that Archie and Isaac have chosen to support the Julian Trust. The Julian Trust is completely run by volunteers and solely funded by donations, so all the funds raised from the Bristanbul challenge will ensure that we can continue to support those who need a roof, some warm food and a safe place to rest. We wish Archie and Isaac all the best, and we will be keeping a keen eye on their progress.”

If you want to support a local cause and the boys on their journey, here is the link to their GoFundMe page. 

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