AFTER a second devastating earthquake in Nepal a cyclist from Malmesbury has resolved to do his part to help the relief effort.

Rob Needham, 34, has lived in Malmesbury for most of his life and got into mountain biking 4 years ago.

Since then he has travelled all over the UK and Europe with his mountain bike, but was never as deeply touched as when he journeyed through Nepal.

In April 2014 Rob and his best friend Julian Baker decided to spend three weeks biking in Nepal, riding in the valleys of Kathmandu before heading further into the Himalayas.

The pair went through the mountains on their bikes, visiting remote villages and staying with locals throughout their trip.

Rob said: “We were privileged enough to stay in local tea houses and were looked after by the ever happy local Nepalese people.

“We were treated like kings with homemade fresh food and every day and given such a warm welcome wherever we went. Drinking masala tea on the roof of a mud house in a remote mountain village overlooking snow-capped mountains in the Annapurna region was a highlight! “It soon struck us that what little the Nepalese have, yet they are so warm, welcoming and kind.”

“The adventure was always going to be about mountain biking in the biggest mountains in the world, but we came away with much more than that.”

Rob, who now works as a senior embedded technician in Dyson’s research and development section, said that his heart sank when he saw news of the recent earthquakes and was shocked by pictures put on Facebook by friends in the Kathmandu valley.

The pair have now planned a gruelling cycle along the Trans Cambrian Trail which will see them riding an epic 100 mile journey through moors and mountains in the Welsh countryside.

Although most people take three days to complete the trail Rob and Julian are pushing themselves to finish the isolated route in just two to try to encourage extra sympathy and sponsorship.

The pair will set off on June 12 and already have £360 in their kitty thanks in part to a £200 commitment from Dyson.

To donate to their total visit justgiving.com/Rob-Needham2/ or text NEPR99 and then the pound sign followed by how much you want to donate to 70070.