A BIKER from Brentwood is raising money for three charities by riding 25,000 miles.

Stuart Ringer, 48, of New Road, is saddling up for an epic journey from Nordkapp, in Norway, to Cape Town, South Africa, on a Yamaha XT1200Z.

The trip, which is expected to take between four and five months, will raise money for Help For Heroes, HIV Sport and Billericay-based charity Synergy, which helps people with alcohol problems.

Mr Ringer has done similar lengthy rides across Asia, North and South America, but this is the first time he has done one for charity.

The mega trip which starts on August 1 is something he is really looking forward to, adding his fundraising aim is £25,000.

Mr Ringer said: “I’ve never done anything for charity before and if I can reach the target then it would be great.

“There will be times as well when I can step off the bike to meet the people around me and I really want to experience the different countries I go through.”

A GPS tracker will be on the bike, which has been donated by Yamaha, to allow people to see how far he has travelled on a map on www.kapptocape.org.

His schedule will see him ride for five days and then take a break for two, with the distance he travels each day depending on road conditions.

Despite the journey length, Mr Ringer said it is not the thought of getting saddle sore which is the playing on his mind the most.

He said: “The biggest concern with trips like these is security, particularly in North Africa where there is political unrest at the moment.

“I need to figure out a way to cross the Mediterranean to travel down Africa, but with the issues in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, it isn’t easy.

“I’m thinking of getting to Turkey then shipping my bike to Sudan and going from there, although I will be keeping a close eye on the situation out there.”

During the ride, Mr Ringer will also use Twitter and Facebook to update his progress.