TWO friends cycled across America for charity after a joke about computer games resulted in a 3,000 mile journey.

Graeme Robinson, from Cinnamon Brow and pal Karl Wills, from Orford, took on the enormous challenge in March for the British Heart Foundation.

Starting in San Diego the duo spent nearly eight weeks cycling across the USA with stops in Arizona, Indiana and Ohio before finishing in New York on April 24.

Despite the scale of the trip neither Graeme or Karl being a keen rider, the idea was raised came about over a game on the Xbox.

Graeme, aged 21, of Dundee Close said: “We were just sat at the computer and got talking.

“We had been to America on holiday many times so we thought let’s just go for it.”

The friends started training four times a week in October before flying to the States on March 2.

And Graeme, a business student at Liverpool John Moores, recalls how the first night ‘nearly broke us both’ when they struggled to find somewhere to stay in 2,000ft mountains.

“We had been cycling for 10 hours and couldn’t find a place to stay.

“People at a garage directed us to a log cabin and it was freezing “I couldn’t stop laughing at how bad the situation was.”

Freelance web designer Karl, aged 22, of East Avenue, said: “The first night we got to San Diego was only the second time we had put our bikes together.

“Graeme burst his tyre and broke the pump putting too much air in and we were searching for a bike shop straight away.”

But the lads, who have been mates for five years, also recounted the many highlights of their expedition that raised more than £2,000 for the heart charity.

Karl said: “There were so many highs and lows, especially in snow blizzards in Texas and cycling up mountains for hours.

“It is by far the hardest thing I have ever done, but getting to New York was unbelievable after working so hard.”

And Graeme added: “We will probably never have an experience like it again.”