Father and son feel the heat for charity cycle

The Newton Mearns duo set out to cycle across the USA, averaging 100 miles a day for 30 days in a row.

Mearns Castle pupil Jonno (16) dedicated his school holiday to the charity challenge, leaving Los Angeles on June 24 and heading for Annapolis — but it was a bumpier ride than planned, with soaring temperatures and high winds getting in the way.

Dad Gavin told The Extra: “We were in some trouble in the first week because of a heatwave. We were expecting temperatures of 105 degrees, but by day four it got to 118.

“Trying to cycle 100 miles in that was scary and dangerous, so we had to drive out of the hottest part of the route. We had no spare days to wait for it to pass.”

Still, the pair managed to cover 2,420 miles in 27 days .

Gavin added: “My son and I made a great team and helped each other throughout. It was fantastic to see a 16-year-old so focused.”

The Hannas are still counting, but expect to exceed £4,500 in sponsorship. The cash will be used to send a ship filled with medical and dental equipment to Africa.

To add to their total, visit Gavin and Jonno’s JustGiving page.