MEMORIES of a firefighter killed while he was out cycling will be in the minds of colleagues as they tackle a 450-mile ride to one of Oxford’s twin towns.

A group of 16 cyclists and four support drivers from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service will travel to Bonn next month.

As well as raising money for charity and promoting cycle safety, the ride will celebrate the anniversary of Oxford’s links with the German city.

But for several members of the team, the memory of former colleague Joe Wilkins, who died in a collision in May last year, will also spur them on.

Among the riders will be Rewley Road fire station manager and father-of-two David Bray.

Mr Bray, 36, of Banbury, said: “One of the reasons I’m doing it is in memory of Joe. He has certainly been in my thoughts when I’ve been out training.

“He was a mad-keen cyclist as well, so it seemed like a good thing to do.”

Mr Wilkins, 39, from Eynsham, died after he was involved in a collision with a car while he was out cycling near Appleton.

Last Friday his partner Nicci Saunders and about 50 of their friends completed the 18-mile cycle ride Mr Wilkins started 12 months ago.

The cyclists rode to The Plough pub in Appleton, and then walked along the stretch of road where the father-of-two was killed, at roughly the time as the fatal collision.

As well as serving as a retained firefighter at Eynsham fire station, Mr Wilkins worked for Siemens Magnet Technology at its factory on the edge of the village, and in his spare time he loved skydiving, motorbikes and walking.

The riders cycling to Bonn are aiming to raise £15,000, a large proportion of which will go to The Fire Fighters Charity, which helps injured firefighters and the families of those killed in the line of duty.

They have managed to raise £10,000 so far.

Kidlington-based training and resources officer Clive Durbin, 60, of Wheatley, said: “The ride has certainly captured people’s imaginations, and they are showing their appreciation with their pockets. For me, it’s about the challenge. I got interested in cycling three years ago when I drove a support vehicle for a Land’s End to John O’Groats ride.

“I saw the camaraderie, the support, the teamwork and wanted to be part of that, so for me, this trip is about a personal challenge and supporting a good cause.”

The group will leave Oxford on Saturday, July 6.

  • Paul Brown, 30, of Oxford Road, Eynsham, has been charged with causing Mr Wilkins’s death by dangerous driving. His trial is due to start at Oxford Crown Court on August 5.
  • For details or to sponsor the group visit oxford2bonn.co.uk