Thousands of cyclists defied the heatwave to raise money for charity.

As temperatures soared into the Eighties they bravely rode 60 miles from Esher in Surrey to Hove.

Fashion designer Jeff Banks and former world middleweight boxing champion Alan Minter were among the 2,000 riders taking part.

Not even the daunting sight of the steep slopes of Devil's Dyke put off riders in the Capital To Coast event.

Many were forced to dismount and walk to the top but most made it to the finishing line at Hove Lawns.

Club and event cyclists completed the course in just over three hours while fun riders made it to the finishing line in up to six hours.

Organisers hope the event has raised more than £250,000 for good causes. These include Norwood, an Anglo-Jewish charity which helps children and families in London.

Portslade-based Southern FM's Help A Local Child, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the Down's Syndrome Association also benefited.

Jeff Banks, 63, led the riders off from Esher College at 7.15am and completed the course in four hours.

He said: "I'm an incredibly keen cyclist and this is the second year I have done this event.

"I have just come back from doing a thousand-mile ride from France to Vienna over the Alps.

"I got back yesterday and am doing this today, so in comparison this is just a walk in the park.

"There was only one problem where there was some gravel on a corner and one of the guys came off, but otherwise it was great."

James Tarry, 28, a driver from Chichester, was among the first Sussex riders home in four hours and 20 minutes.

He said: "I didn't have any problems at all apart from Devil's Dyke - it's too steep.

"I haven't done the big London to Brighton ride before but a lot of my customers from over this way have. They have told me about how steep Ditchling Beacon is and now I have a real idea what they are talking about. I drive up Devil's Dyke quite a lot but I didn't realise quite how steep it is until I had to ride up it today."

Tony West, 62, from Woldingham, Surrey, runs his own company restoring Porsche cars.

He said: "I do this every year and it's a good ride this one.

"I do the London to Brighton as well but there are so many people in it that everyone just comes to a standstill on the hills. This is just a build-up for me for some of the bigger challenges I shall be doing.

"Next month I am doing an event in Hampshire and after that the Sevenoaks challenge, which takes in most of Kent.

"Then in September I am doing a major ride through Cornwall - if I haven't had a heart attack by then."

The Capital To Coast ride was launched 11 years ago by Valerie and Stephen Gold to raise money for Norwood, which started life as an orphanage 200 years ago.

The couple were among the marshals and event organisers who greeted riders as they crossed the finish line yesterday. Mrs Gold, 58, said: "It began with just five couples doing a sponsored ride and it has grown and grown."

Mr Gold, 59, added: "In its first official year we had 200 riders and raised £15,000.

"Last year we had 1,350 riders and raised £210,000 and this year it would be very nice if we get to the quarter-of-a-million mark.

"In years to come it could grow to about 5,000 riders and we could cope with that.

"But we would not want to get to the size of the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton ride, which has 26,000 taking part. That is just too big and a lot of our riders say they prefer our event because it is smaller."

Norwood spokesman David Wosnor said: "We have to raise £8 million every year on top of our government grants to keep going.

"The money from the bike ride is vital to us and it is one of the biggest events we run."