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Hi all,
I’m in the process of organising a multiday sponsored bike ride with a group of guys from work.
I wondered if anyone has any hints and tips around what works, what doesn’t.
I have done lots and lots of biking, but never attempted a multiday trip before
A few details
• There will be about 12 riders
• Mixed abilities and experience
• C80 miles a day planned on road and Sustrans routes, total distance around 220 miles
• We have a support vehicle with us
• Overnight will be either staying on farms (we are mainly a group of farmers) or trying to find hotels
• We have never all biked together
Has anyone done JOGLE/LEJOG and got any hints and tips to make life easier and stop us from falling out and ensuring we succeed?
80 miles is a lot for a mixed ability group. have you worked out what you guys can average?
Have more than one support vehicle. You might wnt to think about one doing route support / food / drink and getting to accommodation first to set up, and one as sweeper / mechanicals / injured as a minimum. Communications? Foul weather plans? Other contingency plans? Nearest medical facilities en route?
Yeah done LeJog, was three of us main riders with friends who hooked up with us over the route and three support drivers for our Land Rover County (thanks again Land Rover). It took some nine months to train for and to get all the corporate sponsors on board (dont forget to arrange insurance cover for the support vehicle/driver which is a nightmare to obtain for free).
Shirt design with sponsors logos took some time and wasnt cheap either but we even managed to get the purchase of them sponsored.
80 miles for untrained legs will not work, you mates who are inexperienced will manage perhaps two days but by day three tendonitis etc etc will become a real issue as well as exhaustion.
We obtained all our nutrition through Torq and I must say the post ride recovery drink was invaluable as well as a self done full leg massage to avoid next day soreness.Remember that you will importantly need for that size of group you will need to carry in your support vehicle at least two spare front and rear wheels with cassettes/chains and other spares as on the route it can be difficult finding bike shops that can help out at the drop of a hat.
We averaged at least six bidons a day and on hotter days ten so your support driver will be busy mixing and filling bottles.
Would I do it again-at the drop of a hat if I had the time but the next time will be for pleasure. On some days when saddle sores were an issue despite me having done massive training rides and continuous days in the saddle one set of shorts (not my assos ones) set off the sores it would have been all to easy to just jump off or have a day off.
there are quite a number of blogs on the subject of LeJogs if you search the web.
Give yourself a year prep and training so that everyone is committed to doing it and doing their share of helping in organising it.And very good luck and hope you have the wonderful experience that I had.