In summer 2013, Matt Buckle and Tom Smith, veterans of over-ambitious and under-prepared endeavours, were looking for their next challenge. Tom casually suggested the Rat Race Road Trip, an organsied 440 mile cycle ride from London to Edinburgh, standardly completed over four days. Matt was interested. Tom suggested that "standard" was boring and for other people. Matt agreed. The pair soon signed up for the "epic" version of the event, and would look to cover the distance in just 2 days, 220 miles per day. The target was set.

By the end of the year, having completed an 80 mile sportive together, Max Scotchmer and Tom Gilpin also signed on the dotted line. Gareth Buss became the fifth laddy tourist soon after.

Ably assisted by support vehicle (in a non-driving sense) Jono Perry, a serious meeting was held in a pub to discuss the feesibility of the project, a charity to ride for and what colour lycra to go with. Five lads committed. Jono supported. The Tour de Lads was born.

In January 2014, after several weeks of waking with severely swollen eyes and face, Matt's young Son Toby was diagnosed with the devastating and incurable kidney disease, Nephrotic Syndrome. He was just 10 months old.

By the end of that month, Matt had discovered the Nephrotic Syndrome Trust and recruited the lads to ride the tour in their support. NeST funds vital research being done by a small team in Bristol to identify causes, develop treatments and ultimately look for a cure to NS.

You can read more about the disease, the charity and the work being done here.

You can read about the lads' progress in coaxing, bullying and training their bodies into shape for the event on their blog.

The lads have set a fundraising target of £10 per mile of the route, or £2 per rider per mile for a total target of £4,400. Every penny the lads raise will go to NeST to help them fund the research being undertaken to find an end to this devastating condition suffered by Toby and thousands of others like him in the UK.

Please consider making a donation to support the boys on their way to Edinburgh and to raise important funds to keep the research going.