London to Brussels Cycle Challenge

Itinerary

Pre-Event Meet at agreed location for pre- event briefing 18:00

Day 1 London to Calais, approx 80 miles.

Out of London we’ll sharply ascend and descend through Oxleas Wood and cycle over the River Medway into Rochester for a coffee stop. Afterwards we’ll aim for Blean Woods Nature Reserve and have lunch in Staplestreet. Once fed, we will cycle through ancient Canterbury, briefly stopping at Bridge for coffee, then on to Dover to ride onto the ferry. We will stay in Calais that night.

Day 2 Calais to Bruges, approx 80 miles

Once out of Calais we enter Gravelines, a village well-known for its usage during the D-Day landgings and throughout the Second World War. Afterwards we’ll arrive in Bourbourg for a coffee then follow the Canal de Bourbourg, cross into the border of Belgium and on to Veurne for lunch. Afterwards we’ll ride parallel to the coast and enter Bruges for the second night’s accommodation.

Day 3 Bruges to Brussels, approx 60 miles

Once we cycle out of beautiful Bruges, we will approach the Kanaal Gent-Brugge. This canal will be handrailed into Ghent as we cycle south-east. We’ll stop in Ghent for lunch and culture; a highlight including us cycling past a 1000-year old Romanesque cathedral. Once full of sights and food, we’ll continue our journey through the Belgian countryside and finally into Brussels to finish.

Day 4
Enjoy a morning in Brussels before your return by Eurostar to UK.

Accommodation

Three nights accommodation. We'll be using simple but clean hotels en-route - good enough to give you somewhere to get clean, and get a good nights sleep with planned eating stops along the way. Nothing palatial - but not too bad either!

What is a Level 3.0 Cycling Challenge Like?

These rides are typically multi day rides, with medium distances and undulating terrain. Level 3 rides suit riders who ride regularly, and are looking for something challenging but manageable. In the case of single day events, you can expect up to 8 hours of cycling with breaks. In the case of a multi day ride, you can expect a slightly lower daily duration - but of course - the effort is sustained over a longer period. You should be a competent rider, with regular training outings - both at the weekend and ideally with another session during the week. A 10 week training programme is available for our 3 star rides.

How Fit Do I need to be to join a Level 3.0 ‘Bike Ride’?

You need to have good endurance for these events. You must be used to doing long bike rides in the countryside of 5 hours + and distances of between 45 - 55 miles . You should be doing regular exercise - with some serious cycle training (at least twice per week in the run up to the event). Your typical comfortable cycling speed will be around 21-23 km/hr on flat and gently undulating terrain, and you should be able to cycle at higher speed for up to 1 hour or 25 km (on a road bike). You may also blend in other types of exercise - but for longer periods of time (ie sessions in excess of 1.5 hrs.) - however cycling is the best preparation (obviously!)

Medical Issues

Please note, it is extremely important for this physical challenge that you are in good health. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, please consider carefully whether you should be joining the challenge. Please ensure you fill in the booking form accurately and honestly, this is important. In the case of serious conditions (epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, recent illness or operations), please discuss the challenge with your GP. Please also ensure you notify us of any allergies or similar.

It requires stamina and good aerobic fitness - but good willpower will also come in handy! Failure to disclose medical conditions is a serious omission - that could have serious repercussions on any of our challenges.

Included In Trip

Experienced Cycle Leader.

Full Vehicle Support and Driver/Mechanic.

Qualified First Aider.

Pre-event Challenge Pack & Briefing.

Ferry Crossing to Calais.

3 nights B&B accommodation.

Eurostar return to London.

Bike return to London.

Excluded From Trip

Lunches and evening meals.

Travel to and from the start and finish.

Personal insurance cover.

Equipment Required

Kit lists specific to your trip dates and location will be issued upon enquiry...below is our guide advice to give an idea of what you should bring on a multi--day ride in Europe

Bike Items
Road Bike / Hybrid Bike (with puncture resistant tyres) - please call us for guidance on type of bike on a trip by trip basis
2 X Water Bottles (bladder system/cycle water bottles)
Cycling Gloves, Bike Lock, Neck Scarf, Inner Tubes*, Multi-Tool (with allen keys)*
Day Bag for support vehicle, Small Holdall (for overnight gear)
Bike Lights (front and rear, head torch can be worn)
Saddle Bag (recommended - can be used to carry asterisk* items)
Puncture Repair Kit*, Spare parts for your bike (specialist parts and spokes), Pump (suitable for your valve type)

Helmet (compulsory)
Personal Medikit  Suncream, Plasters, Vaseline, Painkillers, Sunbloc, Insect Repellant

Washkit

Warm Clothing Medium Weight Softshell, Long sleeve Jersey / insulating layer Lightweight Gloves.

Cycle  Clothing
Padded Lycra Cycling Shorts, Cotton Shorts, or Long Cycling Trousers (Tights/Tracksuit Bottoms)
Short Sleeve Cycling T-Shirts (wicking type material) or Cycle Top with rear pockets
Cycling Shoes (approach shoes or sturdy traners suitable), 

Spare Shoes/Sandals for after ride

Casual Evening Wear - tracksuits, jeans, T shirts, fleece ...

Waterproof Clothing
1 Outer Fully Waterproof Jacket (gore-tex, e-vent) - comfortable to cycle in

Other
Travel Documents, EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) Credit Cards, Cash, Local Currency, Mobile Phone, chargers, EU plug adaptor, Sunglasses
Snacks for Cycling Days (dried fruits, nuts, flapjacks, cereal bars etc)
Travel insurance (not included), Passport

Important
Make sure you do not ‘over pack’ - bring only what is essential for the trip. It is advisable to check that your travel insurance covers the value of any expensive items of kit that you chose to bring along with you. 

A final kit list will be provided in your ‘Final Joining Instructions’ pre-departure

Safety Information

By nature all activities contain an element of risk.Your leader will be first aid qualified and will carry the appropriate safety kit for the activity. Safety equipment carried will be appropriate to trip. The leader's primary role is to ensure your safety, but it is your responsibility to listen to their guidance and instructions.

Weather

The weather is obviously dependent upon the time of year - but typically from April to September when we run these rides, you can expect reasonable weather. If we prepare for all conditions then we may be pleasantly surprised!
You should prepare for both the possibility of hot and cold weather - as it can be fairly unpredictable.

Notes on Cycling Events

This is our standard range of Cycling Challenges in the UK, Europe and further afield. However, we offer completely tailormade itineraries to your specification. Call us to discuss! Please note that for overseas point to point cycling challenges we can transport soft cases for bike transport - but not hard cases, due to space limitations on board our support vehicles. On all our cycling events, please pack sensibly and bring a reasonably sized soft holdall type bag. To participate in an overseas Adventure Cafe challenge - you must carry Travel Insurance (to be for the activity you are participating in, and to include repatriation to the UK). Please also note that you should have a good level of cycling experience and be competent to handle your bike. We ride on roads shared with other vehicles - and you need to be able to deal with this safely.

Adventure Cafe Booking Terms and Conditions

To Reserve Your Space on this Challenge