The Halfords Help for Heroes Bike Ride - 26th May to 1st June 2008

The HHHBR will be a challenge as well as an extraordinary experience. We will be riding up to 70 miles a day and some of the countryside is what they call ‘undulating, and I call hilly. This part of France is not flat and much of the trip is over landscape comparable to the rolling downs of Wiltshire or Dorset. You will enjoy the trip if you are prepared with both the right equipment and a good fitness level. Having said that, this trip is achievable and there will be all sorts of people riding so you do not need to be a contender for the Tour de France.  This summer I did the London to Paris ride which is 300 miles in 3.5 days and I am over 50 and no athlete. I trained steadily for four months, building up the distance and although it was not easy I made it and if I can do that, then just about anyone can do the HHHBR with the right training.

Your Bicycle:
The better the bike, the easier the ride. It is all a question of time in the saddle, so if you can go at an average of 12 to 14 miles an hour, you have more time to explore or enjoy a drink than the 8 mph plodder who is spending most of the day getting to the destination.

Road bikes
If you can, buy a road bike with three chain rings, which will give you plenty of speed as well as enough gears to get you up hills. A road bike is light, has drop handlebars so you have plenty of hand positions and can have a small saddle bag fitted to carry a waterproof, snacks and a couple of spare inner tubes. The tyres look thin to someone used to a mountain bike but thin means less friction and that means easier. We are not trying to race on this trip but if you have a bike that is designed for the road, you will find it so much easier.

Touring and hybrid bikes
Some riders will swear by a touring bike as they have drop handlebars and very good gears, are only slightly heavier than most road bikes and are designed to carry more bags. We will not need to carry luggage but a touring bike will allow you to carry more spare clothing than a road bike.

Mountain bikes
A mountain bike or a hybrid will do the job but after a couple of hours you will know why most people are on road bikes or tourers. The mountain bike is superb for hills but on the road the wide tyres and fixed hand position are tiring. You can ask your local bike shop to fix thin road tyres as a compromise but my advice is to use a mountain bike for off road and a road bike for road.

SPDs, what on earth are they?
Once you have bought your road bike, your dealer will probably tell you that you should be using SPDs. Forget the jargon, SPDs mean that you wear special shoes, which click onto the special pedals. Once you have fallen off a couple of times, forgetting to unclick at a stop, you will appreciate that SPDs are helpful as they enable you to pull up as well as push down and therefore more power to the pedal than without. If you do decide to use SPDs buy the shoes with recessed clips so you can walk safely.

Lovely Lycra:
You have bought the road bike but probably refuse to wear the silly cyclist’ outfits. That’s fine but again these things are designed for a reason and not just to make you look like a prat.

Cycling jerseys:
These are very unflattering to those of a less athletic figure but they are good to ride in, wick the sweat away and have pockets on the back to stuff your sweeties in. You don’t have to have bright colours but they do ensure you can be seen and are therefore safer on the road. A tee shirt works fine until it is a hot day and it gets sodden and then you will envy the people in the silly shirts.

Shorts:
Padded shorts are the ultimate in embarrassment but are a real necessity. The padded chamois lining helps to reduce the pain of sitting on a saddle for hours so I would strongly advise you buy a couple of pairs and don’t stint on cost or you will regret it. By the way, nothing should come between you and your shorts except some talcum powder. If you wear what used to be called undergarments, they will rub and you will suffer. I won't embarrass myself further but it is a very good idea to buy two big tubs of vaseline and sudocream!

Helmet:
You will have to wear one on the HHHBR. They are very light and you get used to them. Most serious cyclists take the brim off so you look cool and can see further without having to crick your neck.

Mitts:
Padded mitts are important and they stop your hands from going numb from pressure on your ulnar nerve and if you fall help to stop you grazing your hands.

Saddle:
I am still seeking the perfect saddle so am hardly the person to advise. Some people like the ones with a hole that claim to relieve pressure on the perineum while others go for the Brooks leather saddle that eventually moulds to your shape.. after 500 miles or so!