TWO cyclists are set to switch the green hills of Denbighshire for the concrete and skyscrapers of London this summer.

However Guto Lloyd-Davies and Phil Michael, from Denbigh, will find the busy roads of the English capital are traffic-free as the UK’s biggest charity bike ride rolls into town.

The friends and training partners will be joined by no less than 25,000 cyclists on the gruelling 100-mile RideLondon, the flagship cycling event started by the mayor of London and Transport for London in 2013.

It aims to boost the number of people using the healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport.

But Guto, 45, who commutes from home in Denbigh to Rhyl by bicycle, has been cycling since his childhood, spending hours downhill mountain biking in places such as Llangwyfan and Oswestry. That was until seven years ago when he suffered a fall and dislocated his shoulder, leading to two operations.

Now a dad-of-two, Guto was persuaded to take up road cycling as a less dangerous pursuit and found a lease of life on the tarmac.

“The hills around Denbigh offer scenic rides, and while the area gets a lot of attention for its off-road routes, road cycling is equally good,” he said.

There are three routes starting in Denbigh that are nationally recognised, including the Road to Hell, towards Llyn Brenig, Bwlch Penbarras and Moel Arthyr, where he beat his 100km personal best last weekend while training alongside Phil, a doctor at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

“There is a bonhomie to cycling because you are getting physical exercise while enjoying the surroundings and nattering about your woes. It also benefits mental health and there is the challenge of pushing yourself and wanting to collapse but you keep going.”

And Guto and Phil will need all the grit they can muster on August 4 as RideLondon takes on average six to eight hours to complete. The route starts in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, where the 2012 Olympic Games were held, and is now surrounded by award-winning parklands.

The thousands will then pedal across the city to Hampton Court, south west London, and out into the countryside of Newlands Corner, Surrey. They will then roll south east to Westcott, before returning back towards London through Leatherhead, into Kingston, Wimbledon and finishing at The Mall, in Westminster.

The event raised about £13million for charity last year. There is no competition and cyclists have been accepted regardless of age and ability.

Guto has already raised more than £800 of his £1,400 target for Water Aid, while Phil is fundraising for Cancer Research UK.

To donate to Guto or Phil’s fundraisers, visit their pages at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/guto-lloyd-davies and www.fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/phils-giving-page-78