London to Paris day 1: London to Dover, 14 September

My epic 300-mile charity ride from London to Paris started from the Hilton in Croydon. Here’s how it went

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Distance: 133km (including the ‘missing’ 32km)
Average speed: 17.9kph
Maximum speed: 50kph
Elevation gain: 1,239m
Biggest climb: 194m
Time: 5hrs 41 mins (not including the missing 32km)

My London to Paris adventure began a day early. The ride was to leave at 7am on 14 September from the Hilton London in Croydon. So rather than try to get there first thing in the morning, I decided to stay overnight in the hotel. A good move, as it meant I could register that evening, have a hearty pasta meal followed by an early night and be nicely rested for the ride. I also picked up Biking Buddy Claire’s welcome pack as she wasn’t due to arrive till much later.

Getting ready to go. That's my Felt bike, Florence, in the background and Biking Buddy Claire's Specialized at the fore.

After a 6am alarm call, we packed up and went down for breakfast. Lots of breakfast – we had to cover 40 miles before lunch. Then we retrieved our bikes and listened carefully to the briefing, before heading off in a group.

Each day’s ride had a lunch stop and two water and snack stops, one before and one after lunch. Our welcome packs included a very useful little booklet that had a breakdown of each ride and a description of the route and areas we would pass through.

I was somewhat concerned to learn that there would be no ride guide – we were to follow the yellow route markers and the GPX routes on our Garmins and phones if we had them. I was convinced I’d get hopelessly lost, despite having all the routes on my Garmin. My fears were totally unfounded. The routes were exceptionally well marked and while most of us went wrong at some point we quickly righted ourselves.

The first day was the most challenging. This section was the longest and involved the most climbing – much more climbing than I’d previously done in a single day. Which meant I got a new personal record on Garmin Connect. Yes, these things do matter to me. Unfortunately, however, my Garmin froze so the first 32km or so of the journey weren’t recorded; I had to add them manually.

We cycled on quiet lanes through quaint villages, passing several of Kent’s famous oast houses

We were quickly out of London’s suburbs and into the Kent countryside. The route took us to Dover via the North and South Downs. We cycled on quiet lanes through quaint villages, passing several of Kent’s famous oast houses. Lunch was at Chart Sutton. I was seriously impressed with the food on offer on each day. There was plenty to choose from even for vegetarians.

The pace we stuck to was quite a lot slower than I’m used to and had I been on my own I would have gone faster. But it’s not a race and it was probably a good thing to not overdo it at the beginning. The weather was fantastic – sunny and warm and most importantly dry and still.

At Dover we waited for the whole group to arrive so we could board the ferry to Calais. We had dinner on the ferry; some of the group took the time to indulge in a well-earned beer. At Calais it was a short ride to the hotel, where we left our bikes with the support team, grabbed our cases and went straight to our rooms for a shower and bed.

Dover! BBC is keeping everyone up to date with our progress.

I was tired, shattered in fact, but feeling good and strong. The next day was to be our first ride in France, leaving at 8am.

The joy of group cycling

Usually a solo cyclist, I’ve recently been going on some group rides. Here’s why, and a look at some of the benefits I’ve noticed

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I do most of my riding on my own. Try as I might I just can’t get The Chap interested in cycling. Or at least not cycling as much as I do. I’m fine with this. I’m not the most outgoing of people so I’m perfectly happy to ride alone. I’m happy to go out for 100km or more; I’m happy to cycle to a local coffeeshop and have a quiet drink and read of my Kindle.

But even I sometimes think it would be nice to have a friend along. Or several. To share the ride, the scenery, the cake. Well, maybe not the cake. They can get their own. So when a group ride from London to Brighton – a route I’ve wanted to do for some time – popped up on Twitter I had to follow the link.

At the top of Ditchling Beacon. I did walk right at the end, but I'll be back to conquer it. 

It took me to Dirty Wknd. There I found a fully guided ride to Brighton, including train ticket back to London, for just £30. I signed up and almost immediately the fear set in. What if I couldn’t do the distance? What if I couldn’t keep up? What if none of the other riders like me? How would I get to Richmond Park in time? How would I get home afterwards?

All these fears – and others that I haven’t mentioned – are unfounded. Getting there? Well I could just ride, or I could I use the very efficient and friendly taxi service that’s right on our doorstep and which has transported me and my bike several times before. The distance? It’s not even 90km and I’ve done 160km with no trouble. Keeping up? That’s the point of a no-drop policy.

My confidence has grown and grown – I’ve even applied to be a Breeze Ride Champion

As the ride got closer, my anxieties increased. Luckily I have a really good group of friends who knew exactly the right thing to say. Thank you – you know who you are.

When it came to it the ride was, of course, fantastic. Everyone was friendly; it was totally professional yet totally fun; no one got left behind and I had no issue keeping up or finishing. Although I have to confess to walking the very end of Ditchling Beacon. But that just means I have to try again. Since then I’ve done London to Cambridge and several evening rides to Epping with the Dirty Wknders. Those anxieties still surface, but that’s just the way my brain works and I’m not going to let that negative worrisome part of me stop me doing the things I want to do.

The end of the ride: Brighton Pier.

Change of pace
Walthamstow has got a pretty active cycling club, the Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign. They run several rides during the month and I’ve been meaning to go on one for ages. I always manage to come up with an excuse not to, though. But when the August rides appeared on Facebook, there was one to Wallasea Island, an RSPB reserve in Essex, which I thought would make a great training ride for London to Paris.

It turned out to be a great exercise in how experiences shape expectations. The website said “a train-assisted ride to Wallasea Island”. I assumed this would be a case of riding to Wallasea and then getting the train back; a ride of around 65km. It turned out to be a ride to Stratford station, train to Rochford and ride from there. Then a walk around the reserve before returning to Rochford and catching the train back to Stratford and finally riding back to Walthamstow – a total of about 40km. Not quite the training ride I had in mind!

But you know what? It was still great fun. The riding was lovely: great views, great weather, great people. Wallasea Island is very much a work in progress but will be a fantastic reserve one day. It was a complete change of pace from the Dirty Wknd rides and I’ll be going on more WFCC rides.

There are so many positives to group riding. I’ve met a great bunch of people who love cycling just as much as I do. But it’s more than that. In just a few weeks I’m faster and fitter. On the Brighton ride I stayed with the slow group. I don’t know if I could physically kept up with the fast group (I suspect not), but psychologically definitely I couldn’t have done. By the Cambridge ride, though, I was more than happy to go with fast group. I kept up and more importantly had the self-belief to know I could. I’m also a more considerate and aware rider, with a greater understanding of where I should be on the road and where others are.

The mudflats at Wallasea Island. 

My confidence has grown and grown. I’ve even applied to be a Breeze Ride Champion, something I’ve wanted to do for a while but been too scared to actually go for.

I’ve also picked up some great tips. Like if you’re putting your phone in a jersey pocket, wrap it in a plastic food bag first to protect it from sweat. Mount your Garmin so it’s in line with the stem so it’s easier and quicker to access. I even realised I’d been putting my saddle bag on upside down for months.

So for all my introvert ways, I love group riding. I want to do more of it. There are plenty more Dirty Wknd rides to get involved with. Then there’s weekends away, including what looks like an amazing trip to Sardinia. I can’t do the October one, but there are plans for one early next year.

Training plans

Preparation for my London to Paris challenge is about to kick up a gear as I take on two long(ish) rides this weekend

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London to Paris is six months away. How do I feel about this? Pretty confident at the moment. I spend a lot of time on the bike, so I’m OK with my general fitness. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to train. So for this coming weekend (18-19 June), I’ve decided to up my game a bit.

Because I commute I’m used to riding across multiple days. Recently I’ve been doing around 32km per day, but this is nowhere near the distances of 100-130km per day I’ll have to do for Paris. It’s time to spend the whole weekend cycling. I have signed up to a London to Brighton ride (86km) on Saturday and the Tour de Waltham Forest (40km) on Sunday. These distances are still way short of Paris, but they’re a good start.

This is me starting off The Only Way, a 100-mile ride through Essex last year.

London to Brighton is organised by a company called Dirty Wknd. It costs £30, which includes full support and a train ticket back to London. They’ve also booked lunch at a fish ‘n’ chip restaurant, but it looks like there’s no veggie option, so no good for me.

The ride starts from Richmond Park, so I’ve got to get myself across to west London, but this should be simple enough as there’s an overground train from Highbury & Islington. I think it’ll have to be a case of getting a taxi back. I should have a couple of hours to spend in Brighton, which can either be mooching around on my own or sticking with the group. Guess it depends on the group …

The Tour de Waltham Forest is a free ride and cycling event organised by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. There are three rides: Bronze, an 8km ride for families; Silver, a 13km ride for families; and Gold, a 40km ride for the more experienced cyclist. Obviously I signed up for Gold. It starts from the Olympic Park at noon and should take two to three hours.

There’s still just about enough time to sign up for either of these events if you’re interested

The weather for the weekend is currently looking good – cloudy but warm, which is perfect cycling conditions. Riding is fun, but it’s not so great in the wet. I’m looking forward to this challenge. It’s great training for London to Paris and will be a real achievement.

If you haven’t sponsored my London to Paris ride, please remember that any donation is very much appreciated. You can donate here.

London to Paris: why?

Let’s beat cancer – my reasons for cycling 300 miles in just four days

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First off I’d like to thank everyone who has donated so far. I’m always blown away by how generous everyone is.

Understandably, when I tell anyone that I’m cycling to Paris, the first question they ask, after having expressed amazement, is why. Why would I want to do something so, well, hard?

I have been doing some training. This is Florence on our first trip to the Lee Valley Velopark.

I guess the main reason is for the challenge – to prove that I can. It’s 300 miles across four days. That’s pretty epic. I know I can do 100 miles in seven hours, and that still surprises me, but to do almost that day after day for four days is huge. I’m not even sure how to train for it, other than do lots and lots of cycling.

The itinerary looks pretty gruelling:
Day 1: registration for challenge early morning and start cycling at 7am through Kent to Dover. Ferry to Calais. Distance: 73 miles.
Day 2: cycle from Calais to Arras through charming villages and along quiet country lanes. Distance: 80 miles.
Day 3: cycle from Arras to Compiegne passing numerous WWI memorials and monuments through the Region of the Somme. Distance: 74 miles.
Day 4: cycle to Paris, up the Champs-Élysées, round the Arc de Triomphe and finish overlooking the Eiffel Tower from the Champ de Mars. Celebratory meal. Distance: 68 miles.
Day 5: free morning in Paris, before catching the Eurostar to London where you are re-united with your bicycle.

What do I plan to do with my free morning in Paris? Find a comfy bench and fall asleep!

I know I can do each one of those distances. What I don’t know is if I can do all of them! Am I nervous? Yes, yes I am. But I’m also looking forward to it.

It seems that in my lifetime cancer has gone from being something that happened to other people to something that happens to everyone

However, there is another, much more important reason for doing this. It seems that everyone I know has been affected by cancer in some way. I don’t know if this is because I’m getting older, because the population in general is living longer, because of our lifestyles or simply because we’re getting better at detecting it. I suspect it’s a combination of all these things.

It seems that in my lifetime cancer has gone from being something that happened to other people to something that happens to everyone, in some form, and it’s heartbreaking. The money that I raise will go to the Institute of Cancer Research. The organisation aims to understand cancer better so that more effective treatments can be developed. It has, among other things, designed a new treatment for prostate cancer, something close to my heart as both my dad and my uncle are currently being treated for this.

It’s kind of redundant to say that this is a worthwhile cause – they all are, otherwise people wouldn’t fundraise for them. But it is something that most of us can relate to. ICR want to create world without cancer. And that’s definitely worth donating to. Anything you can give is very much appreciated: click here for my Just Giving page.

Event: The Only Way

An epic 100-mile ride through East Anglian countryside was a fantastic way to spend a sunny Sunday in August

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There is something really quite amazing about knowing you can cycle 100 miles in less than seven hours. It’s a huge achievement and something I’m not ashamed to say I’m proud of.

The Only Way sportive is part of Wiggle’s Super Series of cycling events that take place across the country throughout the year. This one started and finished at the home of Colchester FC in Essex. I went to the University of Essex in Colchester so this was something of a homecoming for me.

Not my most flattering photo! This is just as we set off on our 100-mile epic.

The event was billed as ‘a scenic, rolling course ideal for those attempting their first 100-mile sportive’. There were three rides to choose from, Short, Standard and Epic. This last was 100 miles and of course this was the one we went for. This was my second 100 miler of this year, the first being Wiggle’s Dragon Ride, which was my first and is generally described as challenging and not best for newcomers. I don’t believe in doing things by halves.

The Only Way followed a stunning circular route through Essex and Suffolk, via country lanes and villages. It was an absolutely beautiful day for cycling and Biking Buddy Claire and I had a wonderful time.

The route was incredibly well marked and at no point did I feel at all nervous that we might have gone wrong. There were three feeding stations along the way. We didn’t feel the need to take advantage of the final one, which was just 14 miles from the finish. These weren’t as well stocked as those on the Dragon Ride, but there were bananas, flapjacks, fig rolls, crisps and sweets to indulge in, as well as plenty of water to top up depleted bottles.

The Only Way followed a stunning circular route through Essex and Suffolk, via country lanes and villages – it was an absolutely beautiful day for cycling

We completed the ride in 6 hours and 54 minutes, according to Strava, or 7 hours 9 minutes according to the organisers. The latter includes stopping time, whereas Strava doesn’t. Both times represent more than an hour’s improvement on our Dragon Ride time and won us a Silver certificate. Most importantly, though, we had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

As well as the certificate, we got a medal and a finisher’s T-shirt.

My only criticism is that there wasn’t very much going on at the finish. Some food stalls, a bar and a cafe would have been a nice touch.

I’d like to take part in more of these events. I want longer and more challenging rides, as well as multi-day events. I also plan to cycle Hadrian's Wall Cycleway. But for now I’ll just quietly congratulate myself on completing this sportive and remember what fun I had on the day.

To the winner the spoils! A T-shirt and medal. The T-shirt is actually pretty massive so I've been wearing it to sleep in.

Review: Maloja Women’s SilsM sleeveless jersey

VERDICT: An attractive, comfortable and nicely fitting summer jersey that’s almost good enough to wear as a ‘normal’ top

The cut and pattern are nicely feminine without
being pink.

I bought this top in an attempt to even out my cyclist tan lines. Being out on the bike so much during summer inevitably means getting a tan, and my short-sleeved jerseys meant I had a very defined tan/white line across the tops of my arms.

Most sleeveless or strappy cycling jerseys seem to have integral bras, which are no good for me. Anything that fits around the waist is way too small in the bra area, while if the bra fits the top will be hugely baggy everywhere else. Also, I have really good sports bras, so why would I want a top with an integral bra that simply won’t offer the same support?

A trawl through all of Wiggle’s short-sleeved women’s jerseys turned up just a couple that were both sleeveless and didn’t have internal support. Maloja’s SilsM jersey was one. I instantly liked the design: very pretty without being at all pink. I like pink, a lot, but I don’t want everything I wear to be that colour. At £54 it’s a bit more costly than I usually pay, but I really did like it so decided to treat myself (although as of today, 30 July, it’s in Wiggle’s sale for just £42.66).

The fit is more relaxed than my usual race look, but that’s probably a good thing in the heat and no doubt contributed to what is a very comfortable to wear top

I tested the jersey on a 30-mile ride through the Essex countryside on a hot and sunny day. The fit is more relaxed than my usual race look, but that’s probably a good thing in the heat and no doubt contributed to what is a very comfortable to wear top. Moisture wicking was pretty efficient and even after a few uses in the sun there was no telltale sweaty aroma. The manmade fabric is light and smooth against the skin.

There are two generously sized pockets, but no zipped pocket for valuables. I tend to use a saddlebag for keys and cash so this isn’t a problem for me, but it’s something of an oversight that could be easily remedied. There’s also no zip on the front so it can’t be adjusted for extra airflow, and there are only two, rather dark, colour options. But these really are the only criticisms I can make. On the whole, this is a nice looking, well fitting and comfortable jersey from which I expect to get lots of miles. I’ll certainly be buying more Maloja clothing in the future.

Not a great photo, but kind of shows what it looks like on.

The Dragon is slain!

We did it! We completed our first-ever Wiggle Dragon Ride. And it was fantastic

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The Wiggle Dragon Ride was, quite frankly, one of the best things I’ve ever done, as well as one of the hardest. Here’s how the weekend panned out.

Despite staying up till 4am drinking wine and vodka (not in the same glass) on Friday night/Saturday morning, I was up on time Saturday, having already packed the night before. The taxi arrived, I said goodbye to The Chap and set off, arriving at Paddington with a good 20 minutes to pick up tickets and find the train.

After securing Florence in the bike carriage, I found my seat, got out my Kindle and settled down for three hours of reading. I got to Swansea feeling rested and not at all hungover – result! And my bike was still safe in its carriage. Unfortunately, however, Biking Buddy Claire had also been up late drinking and wasn’t faring so well as me. She was running a couple of hours late. So I installed myself in the station Costa with some food and a massive latte and settled in to more reading.

Me on the Dragon Ride. I really was that happy. I've bought this photo and ordered a print. 

Claire finally arrived and we secured my bike to the rack and drove off to the airbnb. I really didn’t know what to expect for this, having never stayed in one before. But it was lovely. The house was gorgeous, the people so friendly and welcoming and the position fantastic, right on the Gower. It would be a beautiful place to stay for several days, just enjoying the beach and doing lots of walking.

We walked to a local pub for dinner, treating ourselves to carb-heavy pasta and garlic bread dishes. And then back to the house for an early night.

Race day
I was terrified by this point – convinced I wouldn’t make it all the way round and that the mountains would defeat me. It just all seemed too much. Then inspiration hit: instead of thinking of it as one massive 100-mile ride, break it down. There are two feeding stations and the finish line, so logically the stopping points should be around 30-35 mile distance. So it made much more sense to think of it as three 30-35 mile rides. And we agreed that if either one of us got to a station and felt like we couldn’t go on we’d both stop.

This made me feel much better – 35 miles is absolutely manageable and knowing that I could bail out if I needed to meant the pressure was off. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Once I got on my bike all my concerns disappeared and I just started cycling. This always happens when I’m on the bike. I love it so much it just makes me happy.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much. We did get off and walk for one hill, known as the Devil’s Elbow. It was incredibly steep and long, and lots of riders had dismounted. One chap opined “I’m getting overtaken even when walking!” as we went past him. Other than that we managed all the inclines and had huge fun free-wheeling down the declines.

The scenery was fantastic. We rode through the Brecon Beacons National Park and it was truly stunning. I didn’t have a camera with me, preferring to travel as light as possible, but this really is beautiful part of the country and worth visiting. I may well go back next year for holiday.

The ride was so well organised. Free food and water were provided at each stop. The salted potatoes were amazing – one lady described them as “magic potatoes”, and she wasn’t wrong. Flapjacks, jelly babies, crisps, bananas and pasties were all provided and we took full advantage.

Our time. Top one is me, bottom is Claire.

By the time we got to each feed station I was most definitely ready for some sustenance and a bit of time out of the saddle. Which would imply that the stops were in exactly the right positions. At the very end of the ride we were back on the same roads as we set out on, and it was something of a relief to start recognising landmarks and realise that we were very much on the home run.

There was free pasta or noodles for participants at the end of the ride, as well as a massage area (which you had pay for). I didn’t indulge in a massage, but the food was very welcome.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much

My only complaint is the lack of transport. The last train back to London left Swansea at 1955, which didn’t give much time to get there. Luckily it stopped at Port Talbot Parkway at 2014, which is much closer and meant Claire could drop me off with plenty of time to get the train. However, many people were still finishing as we left, so I guess they either drove or were staying over. This wasn’t an option for me and missing that last train would have had serious work repercussions.

Obviously train times are nothing to do with the event organisers, but maybe they could talk to the train company to get a couple of later trains put on. Also, transport from Margam Park to the station would have been very useful.

What next?
So we slayed the Dragon and rode 96 miles in mountains. What will be the next challenge? There are longer rides and I’d like to do one. I wasn’t dead on my legs after this one and I did feel that I could go on.

And, of course, this ride wasn’t quite 100 miles. It was close enough, but I can’t in all honesty say I’ve done the century. So Claire and I have both signed up for the Epic ride in The Only Way, a 100-mile ride through the Essex countryside. After conquering my fear of mountains, this largely flat sportive mostly sounds like a lot of fun. We did the Dragon Ride in 8 hours 27 minutes including stops – I wonder how much quicker we’ll be on much flatter ground?

Elsewhere, some friends did the Tour of Cambridgeshire on the same weekend as the Dragon and if that runs again next year I definitely want to take part. This is a 100-mile closed-road gran fondo through Cambridgeshire.