A GLASGOW couple are to cycle round the world to help raise funds for a charity which offers a lifeline to the city's asylum seekers and refugees.

A GLASGOW couple are to cycle round the world to help raise funds for a charity which offers a lifeline to the city's asylum seekers and refugees.

Margo Denholm and Ben Casson, from Ibrox, plan to pedal more than 18,000 miles on their marathon cycle run, which will begin in New Zealand and take them along Australia's Pacific Highway, through the jungles of Indonesia to the bustling streets of Bangkok.

The route will include Uzbekistan and Iran as well as a winter in Turkey. The pair will also pass through Eastern Europe before heading back to Glasgow on a journey which will take a year and a half.

They are due to leave for their adventure next month.

It will be a epic cycle and Margo, 30, and 33-year-old Ben reckon they will have completed almost 18,700 miles before they reach home ... in the spring of 2011.

Both are members of the Glasgow-based Rockhard Racing Mountain Bike Club and hit on the idea of a world cycle run after pedalling to the French city of Metz for a holiday.

Margo said: "Ben and I have been cycling competitively and for pleasure for some years but we felt it was time to step up a gear and take on the tougher challenge of a round the world bike ride and raise money for others."

They have chosen two charities to support and they hope to raise at least £3000 for each of them.

One is the Unity Centre, at Govan Cross in Glasgow, which offers help and advice to refugees and asylum seekers. The other is El Shaddai, a rescue centre for abandoned children in Goa, India.

The couple face an arduous task but have no worries about punctures or sore joints.

Ben said: "Margo specialises in shiatsu massage and I work as a cycle mechanic so at least we know if we break down or suffer from aches and strains, we can get back on the road again."

The pair are appealing for sponsors but have already been promised backing from outdoor firm Vango and bike tyre specialists Panaracer.

Ben added: "Vango have supplied our camping equipment so we're going to be well protected from the elements each night and Panaracer have provided us with tyres for the trip so we have every reason to keep pedalling and bring in more pounds for our chosen charities."