A Ride Across Britain
Long time club member Alastair Currie has recently completed 2024's edition of the Ride Across Britain. Here is his excellent and inspiring report:
I have just finished a ride from Lands End to John O’Groats which was 980 miles in 9 days with over 58k feet of climbing. It was tough but enjoyable and a real ‘bucket list’ event for any cyclist.
I took part in Ride Across Britain 2024. It’s a huge event, with about 800 riders starting at Lands End. It’s incredibly well organised and you want for nothing. It may not be everyone’s choice but the sense of camararderie among the riders is amazing with that many of you on the road at the same time. I know of at least 2 other fellow Wheelers who have also taken part in previous years and they also spoke of how well organised it is. I chose to camp but you can stay in hotels if you wish. If you do camp you get a tent to yourself and to be honest it was pretty comfortable. In the morning you get breakfast and in the evening a dinner. The meals are huge, nutritious and varied. At each ‘Basecamp’ each day there are showers, a drying tent, physios and bike mechanics. The staff will do all they can to help you get to John O’Groats and your bag is taken on to the next ‘Basecamp’ each day so that all you take on the bike is what you need for the day.
So what about the cycling? Well, each stage is just over 100 miles. Cornwall and Devon are the steepest and they say that if you can make it out of these Counties then you can do the whole thing. It definitely helped me that I have been living in Cornwall for 3 years and I am now used to the steep hills. The rest of the route is far from flat but the hills shallow out a little. It definitely pays to stick in a fair bit of training and getting used to riding 100 mile days but if you're already a club cyclist then this will hold you in good stead to know how to tackle an event like this.
On each stage there are pit stops to refuel at about 30 and 60 miles with loads of food but you still have to keep reminding yourself to eat and drink on the bike as well to avoid ‘bonking’. Notable climbs on the route are Shap Fell in Cumbria and Glenshee and the Lecht in Scotland. They’re all long and Alpine type climbs which you can get into a rhythm but they have some steep ramps as well.
The weather wasn’t too kind this year. We had coldish temperatures and some rain but also more crucially a nagging cross headwind for the first 6 days. It really took it out of you and probably added a couple of hours on to the day. However, when we got into Scotland the wind came round and we had a cross tail for the last 3 days. Massive difference. Also I think I started to ride myself into some form as I seemed to fly the last 2 days. The scenery in Scotland was breathtaking and the highlight of the whole trip.
I reached John O’ Groats on September 15th and what a huge feeling of relief and achievement it was. I am still on a buzz now but I don’t think I’ll be tempted to ride it again like quite a lot of people do. One bloke on the ride has done it 10 times.
RAB is now being staged every other year so the next opportunity to do it won’t be until 2026. Like I said before, this particular event won’t suit everyone and some might prefer to do a more DIY version but however you decide to take on an ‘End to End’ just go for it, you won’t regret it and you can tick it off your list of cycling achievements.