Ready to Ride – Choral Adventure

2 May 2025

I’m a cycle commuter at heart. 5-6 miles is my ideal distance along the relatively flat roads in the capital – anything beyond the Thames from our South-East London home feels a little far… so getting used to the mind-set of day-long rides in excess of 50 or 60 miles is taking some work!

First up is the equipment. For a ride of this length, I definitely needed a new bike and, with a child who sings at Temple Church, I was particularly drawn to the Temple Cycles brand from Bristol. A couple of test rides later and I find myself moving from a single-speed commuting bike to a ‘tourer’.  She’s a beautiful machine – steel-framed, so a little heavier than ultra-modern bikes, but perfect for long distances.

The bike sorted, my attention has turned to what I should be wearing. Comfort is key, as is good padding in critical areas (!) and I am adamant that I should avoid the all-lycra ‘Mamil’ look (no-one wants to see that, especially during Evensong). My top discovery: Merino wool – a crease-free, sweat-wicking wonder material. I’ve also needed to work out how to carry as little as possible, since I’ll be on the road for up to 7 consecutive days on each leg of the pilgrimage without I a support vehicle ala Tour de France.  Needless to say, I won’t be dressed to the nines when arriving at each cathedral or church and have spent the last few months testing various options.  That has led to me arriving at quite a few meetings for the Trust in various states of attire – apologies to those who’ve had to put up with my sartorial experimentations!

Of course, the biggest requirement in my preparations has been to build up my stamina: miles in the legs as well as time in the saddle. To that end, I’ve relied on the help and expertise of friends and family. Starting in the New Year with my neighbour Ian (an experienced long-distance cyclist and one of the inspirations behind the whole adventure), we’ve explored the (many) hills south of London for increasingly long rides. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the vertical distance on any ride is as critical as the horizonal. England and Wales have some very undulating landscapes and I’ll be going across lots of them, including the Lake District on Day four of 50, so it’ll get vertical very quickly! I must give Ian special mention since, as well as teaching me lots about cycling up and down hills, his commitment extended to riding on a particularly icy morning in January, resulting in a trip to hospital and his arm in a sling for a month. Thank you Ian!

Completing this pilgrimage is very definitely reliant on many people who will support in many, many ways: those joining me for segments of the ride; family forgiving me for using up weekends and annual leave to be on the road, rather than with them; friends providing food and accommodation; so many of you giving encouragement and moral support; and, of course, supporter contributing to the fundraising campaign (that will start once I’m on my way).

And suddenly I find that it is the beginning of May, plans for the first trip are made, the train to Durham is booked, and I face the reality of those 2,700 miles and – critically – the 123,000 feet ahead.  I’m really looking forward to it; particularly to all of the people I’ll meet and places I’ll see. If I’m coming near you soon, I do hope you’ll get in touch – I’d love to say hello!