First ever successful Everesting ride completed on a Raleigh chopper

British man rode 296 km and climbed 8,848 m for charity

Philippe Tremblay July 16, 2017

A British man has entered the history books as the first to ever climb the height of Mount Everest on a Raleigh chopper bike. Dave Sims, who in July 2015 rode the Tour de France route on a Raleigh chopper, cycled up Hunters Hill in Lancashire, United Kingdom 92 times on the chopper to reach the 8,848 m required to complete an Everesting ride. He rode a total of 296 km in the Everesting ride.

Amateur Dave Sims surpasses the pros by beating Tour De France on a Raleigh Chopper – http://t.co/UT4ueyji7E pic.twitter.com/BnGibSFiRU

— Irish Daily Star (@IsFearrAnStar) August 1, 2015

“It was tough. I won’t lie. But when I’m on the chopper, I stop thinking about to-do lists and bills. I just ride like a kid with no care in the world,” 38-year-old Sims told Road.cc. “The chopper bike always gets a great reaction wherever you go. It makes people smile. People remember it from when they were younger.”

Dave Sims ….. the man and his Chopper … #Raleigh pic.twitter.com/FNWDHqdirS

— classicretro (@classicretro) November 10, 2016

Sims does the challenges in order to raise funds for Help For Heroes which provides on-going psychological support services and welfare for people who have served in the armed forces. His lifetime goal is to raise £25,000 through various challenges. The next one will be riding Mont Ventoux on the chopper. Ventoux rises 1617 m over 21,8 km and has an average gradient of over seven per cent.

“The tougher the challenge the better. And who would’ve thought that riding a rusty yellow bike could help me raise cash for a brilliant charity like Help the Heroes,” Sims said about his fundraising efforts. In 2016, he rode the entire Giro d’Italia route on a fat bike.