Pedal power propelled an initiative to promote cycling safety for children.

Manuel Lonfat set himself the challenge of cycling up South Road, from Williams Estate to St Mark’s Road, 200 times.

Mr Lonfat, the chief risk officer at Arch Re Ltd., set off early Saturday afternoon and completed the task just shy of 24 hours later.

“It was a great day to ride the bike,” he said. “I was very lucky. Beautiful sky, hardly any wind, no rain. It was perfect.”

The ride itself went well, and was free of some of the pain he expected going in.

“I didn’t get any cramps whatsoever,” he said. “So the nutrition and drinking, the way we did that was fantastic.”

More than the physical challenges, the mental fatigue presented a bit of a roadblock to overcome as well.

“The real bigger challenge when you do something that long is really in the head,” he said.

“You just slow down, and slow down, and slow down. It’s really tough to keep going at a constant pace. The miles just become really long.”

A lot of strength, he said, came from the family members and friends who came out to show their support — some from the sidewalks and some from their bikes seats. The Bermuda Cycling Academy, run by Anton Gilbert, was a partner.

“I rode some of the first couple of hours of the ride with some of the kids in his programme,” Mr Lonfat said.

“It was fantastic.”

Cycling, he said, offers children a number of unique opportunities.

“Cycling allows you to travel under your own power, which is quite exhilarating.”

It also provides a unique perspective.

“To me, it also shows a place under a very different light, as the speed is much lower than what you get in a car.”

Mr Lonfat said cycling is also a team sport which teaches you about working cooperatively with others. “While ultimately the rider turns the crank, there is generally a team around in racing,” he said. “That is also true during long-distance challenges.

“My family was my crew this weekend.”

Over the weekend, $500 in cash was collected, Mr Lonfat said. Over the course of the initiative, more than $5,000 has been raised.

He thanked the people at St Mark’s Church for their hospitality and for use of their parking lot for base camp.

•Donations can be made at www.youcaring.com/bermudiankids-813891.