CYCLING is almost an essential part of childhood.

Learning to ride your first bike and getting rid of those stabilisers is a landmark for many of us but often that’s where it ends.

Not so for this week’s Pedal Power Ambassador who plans to complete his first 50-mile bike ride on Saturday – at the tender age of nine.

Schoolboy Oscar Shaw will cycle from Northwich town centre to the Marie Curie Hospice in Liverpool, leaving Leicester Street car park at 6am and arriving at the hospice, just a couple of minutes away from his nana’s house, at around 4pm.

He said: “A boy at school did a sponsored silence for St Luke’s, which gave me the idea.

“I chose the Marie Curie Hospice because my granddad was there.

“I just got the number and rang them up and said I wanted to do a 50-mile bike ride for them.

“The furthest I’ve ever gone is 40 miles at the beginning of this year.

“I thought it was easy because it was flat.”

Middlewich boy Oscar, who attends St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, has been riding a road bike for about a year and loves it for a very simple reason.

“It’s fun,” he said. “I prefer a road bike.

“It’s better because I like going fast.

“I like going downhill but don’t like going uphill.”

Oscar, whose favourite cyclist is Mark Cavendish, will be joined on his challenge by his dad Chris, the clerk to Northwich Town Council, who has planned a route along the Trans-Pennine trail, with plenty of refreshment stops.

“I’m looking forward to it, we’ll have a laugh,” Chris said.

“We’ve done a couple of sportives together and we go cycling when we’re on holiday.

“I’m made up he’s taken to it.”

Mum Jan, who will be driving the support vehicle on the day, said: “I think it’s amazing, I’m really proud.

“I did Pedal it Pink in Sefton Park a couple of years ago, which was 26 miles, and when I got off I couldn’t walk – Oscar’s ride is twice that, I think its incredible.

“I keep saying to him ‘are you sure?’ but he says ‘I want to do it’, he’s adamant.”

Chris said: “I asked him if he wanted to do it in summer but he says ‘no, I’ve told them I’m doing it on December 7’ and he won’t go back on it.

“Even if it rains we will go out.”

To sponsor Oscar visit justgiving.com/Chris-Shaw14.