Heavy Metal Truants aim for record-breaking 2023 fundraising ride having given £1.2 million to charities in 10 years

Heavy Metal Truants 2023 mascot — (Image credit: Heavy Metal Truants)

The Heavy Metal Truants, the charity fundraising cycling club co-founded by Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood and former Metal Hammer editor-in-chief Alexander Milas, want your help to make 2023 their biggest and most successful year ever.

Last year, as the Truants celebrated 10 years of putting their mettle to the pedals, their various fundraising activities - most famously their annual 150-mile sponsored bike ride from London to Donington Park timed to coincide with the start of Download festival - generated a whopping £160,000 for four charities, Teenage Cancer Trust, Nordoff Robbins, Childline, and Save the Children. This brought the total money raised by the headbanger philanthropists across the past decade to £1,208,500: now they're looking to go one louder, so to speak.

"We now begin our eleventh year," says Alexander Milas, "and so a Spinal Tap reference felt unavoidable. The Heavy Metal Truants go to 11 is now officially underway and accepting cyclists for our physical, 150 mile ride to Download next year. Supporters can also join our virtual challenges, which include a variety of walking, running, and cycling challenges."

For more information on the group's 2023 activities, and to sign up for next year's ride, point your wheels of steel towards the HMT website.

Over the past decade, musicians who've participated in the rocking ride include Saxon's Biff Byford, Thunder guitarist Luke Morley, Orange Goblin frontman Ben Ward, Amon Amarth vocalist Johan Hegg, Paradise Lost leader Nick Holmes, Trivium bassist Paolo Gregoletto and metal super-producer / Judas Priest touring guitarist Andy Sneap.

"Heavy Metal Truants wouldn’t exist without huge support from the rock and metal community at all levels," says Milas, "and to keep doing what we do we need your support."

Who's in?

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