The London to Cambridge bike ride

This Sunday it’s the London to Cambridge ride – so am I ready for it?

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London to Cambridge: 60 miles and around six hours of cycling. That’s quite a challenge and I have to admit I’m nervous. I keep thinking about backing out, but I’ve told so many people I’m doing it (raising £270 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer in the process) and I’ve got a friend coming over from Switzerland to ride with me, so there’s no chance.

London to Cambridge: 60 miles and around six hours of cycling – that’s quite a challenge

I guess the lesson to learn there is that if you really want to force yourself to do something properly challenging, make sure you tell lots of people and ideally get a friend to do it with you. On the other hand, if you want to be able to quietly give up, tell no one! I’m not really the giving up type, though. Once I set myself a challenge I tend to do it.

Be prepared
I do feel like I’ve trained a decent amount. I cycle to work four days out of five. That’s 10 miles per day, 40 per week, and while that’s not a huge distance I have been pushing myself to do it faster so as to build up my fitness levels.

I’ve written previously about cycling around London. Well on those rides I’ve been gradually building up distance: a 12-mile round trip to Victoria Park, an 18-mile one to Kenwood House. Then 22 miles to Greenwich and back, until finally, the biggie – a 45-mile round trip right across London from Walthamstow to Richmond.

This last ride was fantastic. Just under 24 miles on the way there, via the Lea River tow path and Victoria Park. Then past the Gherkin, the Shard, the Cheesegrater and the Houses of Parliament. Although Google Maps tried to take me through Horse Guards Parade which was blocked off for an event and meant I had to do some emergency route recalculating. 

We start off at Pickett's Lock, luckily not too far from home.

Google Maps isn’t perfect and there was one part of the route that I just couldn’t work out. I cycled round and round looking for the roads mentioned but couldn’t find them. In the end I just headed in the direction I thought looked right and it turned out OK.

The ride back was even better. Shorter at just under 22 miles, it took me along the south of the river to Hammersmith Bridge. Then a lovely route through Kensington Gardens, Green Park, along The Mall and then Victoria Embankment.

I stopped for lunch in a pub in Richmond, so it really was an enjoyable day out. And so should Sunday be – the organisers make it clear that the event isn’t a race. It’s meant to be fun, and I’m sure it will be. My family (I’m from Cambridge) will be waiting for me at the finish line, and we’ll be going for a meal – something to look forward to on the long ride!

The finish line at Midsummer Common, Cambridge.
Photos from commons.wikimedia.org.