I lost my beloved brother John to cancer just before Christmas. John was 48 when he died. I have decided to ride this year's Fred Whitton challenge in his honour and to raise money for cancer research and support. The 'Fred' is a 180km (112m) bike ride held annually in the Lake District in May, involving 3950 meters (13,000 ft) of vertical ascent. Like me, John inherited a deep love of the Lakes from our mam and dad -  and I know he would be really proud of his little brother doing the 'Fred' in his honour, especially if I manage to beat my previous best time of 7.24 hrs!