19th – 22nd April 2023 –
RIDE NOW FULL. Please register to join the waiting list
Limited number of places – reserve your place NOW
Welcome!
In 2018 I organised a bike ride from London to Paris with friends and strangers to raise money for Sanitation First (now known as the The Cycle – more about that later). It is an incredible charity.
We focus on providing safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and improving menstrual health conditions.
The Cycle
Of course we couldn’t just repeat the same trip from before, we had to think of somewhere new. This time, it is from Bath to Edinburgh. Why travel from Bath? Well, quite simply because it is the home of The Cycle and also of Ripples who are helping to organise the event.
A charity bike ride from Bath to Edinburgh for The Cycle
Quick Facts
- 4 days of cycling over 4 stages
- Approximately 400+ miles in total
- Low cost entry as this is charged at cost
- Minimum fund raising requirement of £500 for charity The Cycle
- Support vehicle to carry bags etc.
- Accommodation included for 4 nights
More Information
This is a wonderful challenge taking in the length of England and Scotland, cycling through beautiful countryside. Starting at the famous city of Bath, we will make our way north taking in the Lake District before crossing the border into Scotland for what promises to be the most beautiful part of the trip.
Outline Itinerary
We will run this cycle event over 4 stages of approximately 100 miles per stage. We offer basic but reasonable accommodation for each night after a stage and we hope to ensure we can all get together for dinner each evening. An approximate outline route looks like this although this will be finalised once we have studied terrain, hotel availability and best routes for safety in numbers.
STAGE 1 – Bath – Telford Around 125 miles
STAGE 2 -Telford – Chorley Around 96 miles
STAGE 3 – Chorley – Carlisle Around 111 miles
STAGE 4 – Carlisle – Edinburgh. Around 98 miles
You can see the full route details on the Route page here
What’s Included
Below is a list of the key things included in the package.
- 4 nights’ accommodation in good quality B&Bs or hotels with ensuite or private bathroom and breakfast. Think Premier Inn.
- Support vehicle (staffed by volunteers) to carry luggage, refreshments, first aid etc.
- All luggage transfers on cycle days.
- Official launch photo in Bath
- All pre-planned routes (in printed & GPX format for Garmin/Wahoo devices)
- Detailed Rider Pack with training tips, packing lists and other useful trip suggestions.
- Exclusive completion medal.
- Charity specific cycling jersey
- Amateur GoPro footage and photos taken by various riders and support car.
- Discounted 12 month rider and bicycle insurance from We Are Cycling UK (that covers you even when you get back from the trip).
What’s Not Included
The most important thing to note here is that this is not a cycling trip organised by professionals and as this is charged at cost and intended to encourage participation we have kept the list of what is included to a minimum. More specifically, just so you are aware the following isn’t included:
- Group leaders. Instead you will have enthusiastic cyclist like you armed with Garmin devices that can help you get there.
- Official first aiders or emergency back-up.
- Bike mechanics (but many riders interested sure are handy with bikes).
- Lunches and evening meals. We are hoping to engage with sponsors to host refreshment stops along the way but obviously can’t guarantee this.
- Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects) although we can point you towards companies that will offer this for you.
- Bike and bike equipment.
- Your travel to and from the start point or accommodation the night before the event. We can though help point you in the right direction.
- The weather!
Riding Capabilities
To complete a trip like this it is obviously essential that you have experience riding a bike and the one you will be doing the trip on. It is not a race so this is not about speed, however, you do need to have the fitness to be able to complete it. You should have experience of doing a 100 mile ride before you participate and the fitness to ride for what could be 6-7 hours per day in a mixture of terrains and weather conditions.
Note: Due to the size of the group it is not always possible to ride together and often not safe or convenient to do so. Typically for example, the group will split naturally into preferred smaller groups based riding speed and this works great. What feels like a big difference in speed can lead to no more than a short wait at the next coffee stop for the group arriving first. Key though, is that this is a group event and we arrive at our key points together.
If you are super fit and enjoy cycling fast – great, you are more than welcome, just make sure you realise that this is not a sportive or a race but a social event for charity.
*Date subject to final confirmation
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Bath to Edinburgh
Bath to Edinburgh 