IT’S certainly a bike ride with a difference.

David Whiddon, 35, from Huddersfield, and his partner, Kelly Jordan, who is 33, are about to embark on a very challenging cycle ride.

They fly out to South America this month and will then embark on a two-year cycle ride covering an astonishing 15,000 miles.

The epic journey will take them from Ushuaia, on the tip of Argentina in South America, to Anchorage in Alaska, covering the length of South America and North America.

The pair hope their efforts will see them raise £20,000 for two children’s charities and they plan to try and live on just £10 a day.

David, from Almondbury, said: “Along the way we are hoping to live and learn a little.

“We hope to raise £20,000 for our two chosen charities, SOS Children’s Villages and Julia’s House.

“On our journey we are hoping to spend time visiting the Children's Villages and see how the money we raise will be spent.

“We will also be giving talks to schools and various organisations, not only to share the awe, wonder and beauty of the world we live in, but to bring a global perspective into the classroom.

“For example, we will be spending time on organic farms and finding out where our food originated.

“We would like to inspire children to over come challenges and achieve their dreams.”

The couple will face extreme weather.

The ride will also throw up some of the most dangerous and challenging terrain that the American continent has to offer, including the world’s driest desert and the high-altitude regions of the Andes.

David, a fluent Spanish speaker, has led expeditions with teenagers in the USA and Chile.

He is also an ex-Explore tour leader and now works as a sea survival instructor for the RNLI in Poole, Dorset, training volunteer crews in sea survival, first aid and firefighting.

His family on his mother's side are all from Huddersfield. Both his mother and aunt are long-time residents of Almondbury.

Kelly is from Cambridgeshire. She has also been an ex-Explore tour leader. She has worked in Asia and South America but is now a primary school teacher in Dorset. She has a passion for mountain biking, hiking and kayaking.