Wokingham’s mysterious cycling bear is travelling the borough once again, on a mission to help local causes.
The man in the Panda suit, also named Earley Panda, began June determined to spread positivity among residents by cycling around areas including Earley, Woodley, Sonning and Reading.
Two months later and he’s still touring the town and taking his sport to the next level by joining various bikeathons.
The bear said: “As I became more confident on my bike, I signed up for bikeathons including those which were raising money for charity.
“My first one was part of the Wokingham Ride Your Own Bikeathon which took place on July 25, and was a 15-mile ride from Wokingham town to Hurst village and back.
“It took me about an hour to cycle and was a great way to encourage those who saw, honked and waved at me to keep active during this time.”
Earley Panda also took part in the Ranger Sport Pedal of Thanks Bikeathon which has so far raised £1282 for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
The friendly biker said: “On August 1 I rode from Royal Berkshire Hospital to Maharajah’s Well in Henley-on-Thames.
“I rode as part of a team who cycled all the way to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, but I finished after 2 hours as all my fur meant I got very hot.”
And the generous bear has more charity rides scheduled for this month.
He added: “Throughout the whole of August I am joining the Mary’s Cancer Research Bikeathon which means I will aim to cycle 500km in total.
“This will be a big challenge for me, especially due to the hot weather we have been having, but I’m ready to take it on and raise some money for a great cause.”
To find out more about Earley Panda and to view his GPS routes, log on to facebook.com/earleypanda/
