A CYCLIST from Landford has created a massive bicycle on the website Strava by cycling 212 miles in the New Forest and surrounding areas.

David Taylor, 60, was inspired to do the route as part of a challenge set out by the bike manufacturer Raleigh in memory of Tommy Godwin, who cycled 205 miles a day for over a year to become the first person to reach 100,000 miles on a bike in 1940.

He said: “I have never done 205 miles in one day before and I thought I would add a little extra fun to the challenge by creating the bicycle.

“I started playing with shapes and the bicycle was one that had potential.”

It took Mr Taylor 13 hours to do the ride which originally came up, just a tiny bit short of the 205 miles needed to finish the challenge.

“It is why I did the squiggle bit at the top,” he added. “Most people don’t realise but that actually spells out TG which is my tribute to Tommy Godwin.”

Mr Taylor uploaded his route onto the cycling website Strava, and other cyclists shared his imaginative route.

Eventually it was seen by yellow jersey wearer Jens Voigt, who then also posted about his achievement.

Mr Taylor added: “I put it onto Strava, which is a bit like Facebook for cyclists, and some of my friends shared it before it was picked up by Jens Voigt – after that it went everywhere.

“It is funny because I saw him out in the New Forest cycling on the day I did the ride as he was doing a charity sportive at the same time.”

Voigt is famous for his never say die attitude during his professional career which has seen him win two stages of the Tour de France.

He said on Facebook: “Some crazy (the positive crazy type) did this ride on Strava Cycling! UNBELIEVABLE 301km.”

Mr Taylor has a few more plans up his sleeve for next year and has plotted a New Forest pony on Strava.

He added: “I don’t want to say what they are just yet because they are just ideas but all the cycling I do is entirely for fun.”