INTRO

The philosophy of cycling challenges as I see it is a 3 stage process: INFO→PLAN→DOIT. Each of those stages becomes crucial when you anticipate to cross the finishing line. I researched it, I planned it and I did it. This is my story of how French Affair became my biggest cycling challenge so far.
These everyone-cycles-somewhere days bicycle rides generally don't mean much until one starts adding variables. In this particular case, we were to start in London and reach Paris in 24 hours. There was always a nagging thought whether it was possible, but as they say, if you ain't try, you ain't gonna know!
So, let's DO IT!!!!

INFO

In early 2014 I started researching cycling events looking for inspiration. I was limited by the time I could spare and therefore was leaning towards something more intense and far shorter than my most recent JOGLE - end2end ride. Sooner or later one stumbles upon RIDE24hr website. The choice is fairly straight forward: you either pedal along local country lanes or get to collect your medal by the Eiffel Tower. A little bit of charm to otherwise strenuous adventure. Check!✅
Provisional route details as per RIDE24hr London to Paris 24 were:

                FROM            TO          MILES
Stage 1         Blackheath      Lenham      47
Stage 2         Lenham          Dover       41
Transition Leg  Dover           Ferry       3
Transition Leg  Calais Port     Calais      3
Stage 3         Calais          Therouanne  33
Stage 4         Therouanne      Doullens    40
Stage 5         Doullens        Froissy     46
Stage 6         Froissy         Meru        29
Stage 7         Meru            Paris       38
TOTAL                                       280

More or less this has ticked all the boxes: short - very, challenging - oh yeah, interesting - indeed. I had to make sure I was ready to take it on. I commute to work and spend around 2 hours on my bike each day but 24 hours near non-stop cycling while keeping a decent pace is different story. It's not a beach walk: you only get about 15 minutes of rest in between each stage and around 1 hour on a ferry from Dover to Calais.

Once I've settled on a date - Saturday, 6 September 2014 - there was only one way to go.

PLAN

It was always going to be a gym and ever increasing time on the bicycle. Though, how much prep is enough prep? Do you ever know you will be OK in saddle for 24hours straight?

In late February I was still thinking I had plenty of time to get ready, but by July I was in the gym 3 times a week and spending precious weekends in Richmond Park clocking those miles. I love cycling but long hours on the bike on hot summer days equals to full time job :)

I'm not a fan of going to the gym, but it had to be done since when it comes to long distance cycling around 90% of participants drop out not because of their physical inabilities, but rather due to backaches and pains caused by weak core muscles. Abdominal muscles don't work while you cycle but they are the core of you and one should be able to go on with bearable - if any - pain for 24 hours, in this particular case. There are many other obstacles one might need to overcome while riding, therefore I was determined to lessen the number of ones I could predict, especially since it is not too hard to strengthen core muscles. I didn't go through a proper training plan, all I did were 2 routines: rowing and sit ups... simple, right :)

I was self-funding the ride. Initially I opted out of signing up with any charity due to the lack of time since it doesn't just run...

but eventually managed to raise some funds for the Cancer Research via JustGiving.

Some forms, surveys, signed agreements and plenty of daydreaming later September was here.

DOIT

That day I woke up exited: in just over 24 hours I was to make a history of my own by linking two capitals on a bicycle.
Start line for me was just around the corner, near the 02 Arena. Was I given a choice, I would have most certainly chosen to do it fixed but hey, I had to commit to RIDE24 rules, you were literally not allowed to start the ride until you showed you had a bell, fully charged head/rear lights and a reflective ribbon and yeah gears and brakes were part of requirements too.

On arrival that same morning I got the number, a cup of tea and a tag which was to stay on my bike until the event was over:

Approximately 60 participants left North Greenwich. All riders were at different levels and for some it proved to be more challenging then for others, but I did not doubt myself. I was training very hard to make sure I can keep up. There was this guy with steel bike and 6 cans of coca-cola, eccentric and weird, but this was apparently how he rolled and coke was his fuel... good luck matey :)

In the next half of an hour we went through some formalities and rules, a bit like safety demonstration before the flight...
11:45 LINE UP FOR THE MAIN START

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH - 12 o'clock midday London O2, BRING IT ON!!!

  • STAGE 1 | London O2 - Lenham (12:00 - 02:45) - 47 miles

It was pretty easy. To get out of London took a while and other than odd near-jump of red lights in order to stay with the front peloton the stage was rather uneventful.
The terrain remained pretty flat all the way to the first pit stop at Swadelands school in Lenham. 10 minutes later everyone was back on their bikes.

  • STAGE 2 | Lenham - Dover (03:00 - 5:30) - 41 miles

The stage was similar to the first one and the area was somewhat familiar to me. In the past I have done some rides from London to Herne Bay and Moorgate and therefore wasn't short of confidence, i.e. I knew where I was. Happy days! We arrived to Dover around 4:30pm and the fun part began. To get to the port one has to go over the hill and it's been the toughest hill throughout the entire route. On the plus side - it was in the first part of the ride and everyone still had buckets of energy at that point. Dinner was served at the Dover port, we also had plenty of additional carbs on 6 o'clock ferry to Calais and when we had finally disembarked in France it was pitch black (7:30 and 8:30PM French Time). Now much worse situation with refugees was deteriorating rapidly even then, therefore we did not hang around on the other side of channel for longer than it was necessary to cycle few miles to just outside Calais, to return our day bags to the organizers, group and get going again.

  • STAGE 3 | Calais - Therouanne (09:00 - 11:45) - 33 miles

Cycling in the dark became more difficult as mist settled over French countryside. The peloton was keeping fast pace therefore everyone in the group had to concentrate and make no mistakes. We all but the pacemaker were rotating and it was only the flashing red lights of those ahead of you that were visible in the fog to each and all of us. We were never to overtake pacemakers, as to put it simply - pacemakers knew the route. Despite the route being signposted and those maps we were given to download to our devises, I have discovered the night air did not go down well with my cycling GPS and it lost it's cool when I needed it most. I was determined not to fall behind the peloton.

The next stop was at Union Sportive De Therouanne.

  • STAGE 4 | Therouanne - Doullens (12:00 - 2:40) - 40 miles

The fog now covered everything to the horizon. One could barely see more than 10 meters away and the challenge became really challenging.
My GPS was plainly refusing to work and I was facing another problem. The front dérailleur was stuck on a smaller cog what meant I could not go as fast as I could on flat segments. Hardly reassuring given it's the night in the middle of nowhere.

The further stop was at the small restaurant by the church in the centre of Doullens. There was a good selection of food with hot drinks and it could have easily been the best meal of the ride, but unfortunately it had to be consumed really fast. Cyclist from other pelotons have started arriving for their brake and the first one had to get back on the road. I was already feeling very tired, I certainly wanted few more minutes to rest, let alone I had to miss a trip to the bathroom as there were too many peeps and not enough time.

  • STAGE 5 | Doullens - Froissy (03:00 - 5:45) - 46 miles

For me it was the longest and the hardest stage: I only can remember thick fog and flashing red lights of those around me. The best thing about cycling in the group came out here too. At the moment when you are so tired you almost start giving up, someone gives you a hand or in this particular case has pushed me up the hill so I did not get detached from the peloton. I was so grateful for this push.

Otherwise along the route Saturday night clubbers waved at us more jolly.

  • Stage 6 | Froissy - Meru (6:00 - 8:45) - 29 miles

It was then I've noticed breaking dawn. Out of the blue my GPS has started functioning, I was tracking our route again and immediately it felt somewhat better. At the last pit stop by Lycée Condorcet in Meru we all were feeling tired but happier. Hard work was paying off.

  • STAGE 7 | Meru - Paris (09:00 - 11:54) - 38 miles

Along with 5 other riders I have managed to hang on to the two front pace makers for the duration of the whole 280 mile route. At this point with only 33 miles to go we had about 4 hours to kill. We hit lots of slow traffic in and around Paris and arrived to the Eiffel Tower ahead of clock hitting the 23rd hour mark. Personal best!

DONE IT :)

22hr 45min - total time, fulfilled all my expectations and it was time to celebrate.

Sleep deprived for 30 hours, continuously peddling through the night and yet very happy.

Bicycles - tagged and if necessary wrapped - went into the van and were to arrive in London next day.

More cyclists continued arriving to the finish and were sharing their experiences of the past hours. 6-cans-of-coke-&-a-steel-bicycle guy has arrived in just over 24 hours only having succumbed to what I feared the most myself - getting lost en-route.
After a short break one of our pace makers announced he was to cycle back to London. Ha ha ha! Note to myself: plenty of room for improvement.

But before that there was time to refuel and celebrate. I must have burnt more than 10000 calories and early dinner with a glass of champagne in a quiet Parisian park was more then welcome.

I was delighted to have taken part in this adventure.

VIVE LE FRANCE, back to LONDON TONIGHT!