TWO friends known as the Hairless Bikers have revved up for a challenge that will see them ride through Europe on their motorbikes after both of their lives were turned upside down by cancer.

David Jones, 52, of Pencaitland’s Limekilns, has joined his best friend of more than 10 years Trevor Kerr, 58, who lives in Manchester, in a trip that will see them visit as many European countries as possible.

They will travel 4,000 to 5,000 miles over 10 days.

David left for the trip on Sunday, with the pair meeting at the Channel Tunnel to go to France on Monday.

He said: “We want to have fun but raise a bit of awareness and collect a bit of money along the way.”

The pair did not plan where they were going or where they would stay, simply booking a hotel where and when it was needed.

They are former colleagues and worked together at David’s advertising company Cool Billboards Ltd, a business he sold after the death of his wife Amanda to stomach cancer in February last year. Amanda had been diagnosed in November 2018 and given 12 weeks to live.

David and Trevor are raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK after Trevor was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the condition in November last year, 12 months after Amanda.

His diagnosis is terminal and he has received 12 chemotherapy sessions.

Trevor was also given 12 weeks to live but chose to go through treatment to extend his life.

He is receiving more treatment in September.

This is not the first time that the pair have embarked on a tour like this and it was this previous trip that inspired them to go again.

In Christmas 2017, David received a present to go on a motorbike ride and the following February he left with Trevor to go on a 10-day tour around Europe.

However, they were on their trip during the Beast from the East snowstorm of early 2018, which saw them ride through snow in mainland Europe.

David, who owns a couple of coffee shops in London, said: “We went through the Swiss Alps, France and Italy and people were following us through France and beeping their horns at us, so we said that if we ever do this again that we must do it for charity.”

The pair then set up their own website, called the Hairless Bikers (www.hairlessbikers.com), inspired by ‘Hairy Bikers’ David Myers and Si King with their own twist, as both David and Trevor are bald.

The pair were planning their next trip until Amanda’s terminal diagnosis, with David saying the news came “all of a sudden”.

After Amanda’s death, David spent time dealing and coming to terms with his loss and then Trevor received his diagnosis.

And when the coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year, it added to an already difficult year.

The pair were waiting for Trevor to finish his chemotherapy before starting the tour, with Trevor phoning David last month and asking if he wanted to go.

David told the Courier before he set off: “We’ve always said we will do it but now it’s all go.

“Trevor phoned me last weekend and said: ‘Let’s just do it.’ If we don’t do it now then it’s never going to happen.

“We thought about all of the news going on at the moment and if anything happens or we need to come back we are just in Europe so can easily catch a plane home.”

Ahead of the trip, David said he was “very excited”, adding he was just going to focus on riding and see what happened.

He added: “We won’t stop laughing, we’ll be like little kids.”

An initial target of £500 was raised, with more than £2,000 raised in a few days.

David said if an average of £100 a day could be raised “that will be brilliant”.

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