Maiden's Bruce Dickinson signs up - for sponsored bike ride

AND now for something a little different.

Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson is to take part in the final 25-mile leg of a charity bike ride to this year's Download Festival.

Band manager Rod Smallwood and Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas have organised the ride from London's Alexandra Palace on June 12th arriving at Donington Park 165 miles away two days later.

The Heavy Metal Truants ride will raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, Childline and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy charities.

Bruce will be flying in from Germany following two sold-out Maiden shows in Frankfurt for his pedal push ahead of the band's performance at the festival on Saturday, June 15th.

He said: "These are great causes, I am only sorry that due to our tour schedule l can’t do more of the ride, and hope our fans will support our efforts. I look forward to a day off after the ride seeing some great bands before we go into full Maiden action on the Saturday, with every intention of giving the fans a memorable show. Download and Metal fans are the best there are, so everyone expects something very special.”

The sponsored riders will also include band members from British Lion,  Paradise Lost, Pendulum, Tesseract, Thunder, Trivium and Young Guns alongside music journalists, radio presenters and music industry participants including Parlophone, Sony Music, Universal/EMI, BMG Rights, 5B Artist Management, Raw Power Management, Phantom Management and The Agency, plus even an MP – the Rt. Hon Mike Weatherley.

Joining them will be a variety of heavy metal fans who have all signed up for three days of hard cycling to raise funds for these deserving Children’s Charities.

There may be spaces available for a few more riders, so if you have the heart and the liver, check it out at www.heavymetaltruants.com - or go there to aid the cause with a donation!!!

For more details/tickets for Download go to www.downloadfestival.co.uk