THEIR motorbikes may be more than 100 years old but this group of Pioneers still put pedal to the metal.

Hundreds of bikes, trikes and sidecars dating from before 1915 rolled into Brighton on Saturday.

Most of the veteran machines that set off from Epsom Downs – with more joining at Pease Pottage because of the weather – made it to Madeira Drive.

The event is now in its 79th year was founded by enthusiast Fred Pinhard.

Mr Pinhard launched the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club in 1924, and promoted the first Pioneer Run to Brighton in 1930.

Over its history the event has different starts and finishes – beginning at Croydon Aerodrome before moving to the railway yard at Tattenham Corner, Epsom.

In 1954 it started from Westminster.

Its usual finish is Madeira Drive but for one-off events the black and white flags have been waved in Peacehaven and Paris.

To ensure that all machines taking part are genuine veterans, a register of all such machines was started in 1938.

The Pioneer Register quickly became a major information source for pre-1915 motorcycles.