The brave riders are set to cover 1000 miles in 10 days.

Ringland, the 47-year-old solicitor and peacemaker, put in 18 months of training for the gruelling challenge and speaking before his departure, he said: "It was only after I agreed to do it that Glenn Jordan, who organised the ride, told me there was a 16-mile climb up the Blue Ridge Mountains - now that is going to be very tough!

"We are going to have to ride through some very tough terrain for hours on end, which is going to be hard work.

"But in all seriousness I am looking forward to it because it will be highlighting a very good project."

For more information on the Skainos Project, please visit http://www.skainos.org/

For a blog on the riders' exploits in America, please visit http://www.crookedshore.typepad.com/frontforkfairytales/