Cyclist uses Strava to create portrait of moustached man for Movember

A cyclist, known as the "Pedalling Picasso", has mapped out a virtual portrait of a moustached man by riding 75 miles across London, raising money for Movember. 

Anthony Hoyte completed the portrait, dubbed 'Mo Bro', in eight hours and 27 minutes of cycling around a 72-mile route in the capital on 13 November. It also took the cyclist three months to plan, but his plans had to change due to road closures. 

'Mo Bro' is inspired by Movember’s annual tradition where men raise money while growing out their facial hair, and Hoyte hopes to raise £3,295 for the charity - one pound for every man who took his life in 2020. 

Movember focuses on men's mental health, suicide prevention and male cancers.

The 53-year-old said: "If I can raise awareness and some cash for Movember doing something like this, then fantastic. It's all about challenging the stigma around mental health.

“I’ve had a few struggles with my own mental health over the years, and as a typical bloke, I don’t find it easy opening up.”

Hoyte also claims that completing the challenge was more difficult than expected, with his fitness taking a beating on the ride.

He said: "It was harder than I thought it might be. The whole thing took about three months to plan. On the day, things were complicated by a few road closures, so I had to modify the route on the hoof.

“It’s ended up looking like an 80s sports pundit. I’m also not as fit as I could be, so I was shattered by the end.”

Hoyte earned his nickname in 2016 when he first created the image of a dog on his Strava account by cycling around Cheltenham. He has also cycled routes in the shape of a 66-mile Santa Claus and a 79-mile reindeer in London over the years, but the moustached man is the first one he has completed for charity.