All places for the 2014 Ride the North cycling event have sold out But now, the 650 available places for the trek from Aberdeen to Inverness on August 29 and 30 next summer have been filled up in just over a week. It is another reminder of the astonishing surge in cycling's popularity in Scotland. But, in this instance, the burgeoning success of Ride the North is also a testimony to the resilience, persistence and passion for bikes of organiser, Neil Innes. He is the driving force behind the scenes in a ever-expanding story. And such has been the enthusiasm of the swelling number of participants that the 370 who took part in this year's event raised a quarter of a million pounds for charity. Innes said: "There is such an amazing interest in cycling at the moment. I would have expected to take two to three months to reach the 650 limit, but instead, we have filled up all the spaces in little over a week. "Our event is a little different from most in that we set out to say "This is not a race," but a chance for people to try a challenge that is beyond what they have ever done before. But it is definitely a lot different from how it was when we launched it in 2011, and went past places such as Haddo House [in Aberdeenshire]. Now, we have changed the format, to take in a scenic route, which extends into the Cairngorms National Park. But the goal is still the same: to go from Aberdeen to Inverness in two days. Innes is a modest soul, who refuses to claim credit for Ride the North's boom. However, Judi Taylor, who was among the throng of riders last August, pointed out how significant his labours had been in transforming the event. She said: "I took part although I hadn't been on a bike for over 30 years and I loved every minute of it. That is solely down to Neil and how incredibly well he organises this amazing event every year. He doesn't blow his own trumpet, but he has done a brilliant job. It has certainly captured the imagination of people in communities such as Stonehaven, where more than 50 cyclists have signed up for the crusade. The designated charity for 2014 is Maggie's Centre, but Innes stressed that the participants were free to donate to whatever cause was closest to their heart. The priority, in his estimation, is that those involved all relish the experience. He concluded: "It is growing bigger and bigger and who knows how many people will eventually want to take part? But I never remotely believed two or three years ago that it would be at this level.