Making a ride more of a challenge

[LewisLondon]

I'm doing a corporate ride in a month or two's time, cycling 70 miles from London to Oxford, on what looks like the flattest route known to man.

From what i've seen of the ride details, we'll be riding in groups, based around speed. Even the fastest group is not that quick, compared to a quick club ride.

Given it's a corporate ride, and they ideally want people to raise money for charity, has anyone found ways of doing this as more of a challenge? Ideally not looking for something painful (like riding that far in a mankini etc), but wondered if anyone had brilliant ideas..

TIA

 

[ColinJ]

I accidentally did a 200 km audax ride once with my back brake rubbing. That certainly made it feel pretty tough, so my suggestion is to nobble your brakes!

Or ... do the entire ride in one gear, preferably one that feels significantly too high.

 

[rugby bloke]

Ride it on a Boris bike ? - You will get pretty much the effect of riding in one gear ... albeit one that is way too low.

 

[Markymark]

Ride it like a northerner. To do this, carry an extra 5 stone of weight, do it on a rubbish bike, only drink special brew and get your London mates to subsidise all your expenses.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Whats the charity ? Might help with ideas.

One idea would be to carry a large stuffed toy on your back.

 

[Profpointy]

Ride home again afterwards

 

[mjr]

Ride it in wellies. Sounds awful. Looks awful. Surprisingly comfortable when we do it to collect money for the RNLI around each Mayday.

It's a bit easier than riding dressed as witches and wizards. The hats and capes were easy but those flipping brooms caused a few problems...

My second-toughest ride (that I remember) was wearing a box. Noticeably unaerodynamic and it was a bit fiddly to look behind and over the box.

Toughest ride was when I crashed through some potholes. I wouldn't recommend doing that on purpose!

More straightforward: have you considered carrying the support toolkit, medical kit and so on for the group you're with? Or pulling a mini-float built on a bike trailer?

 

[Jody]

Either that or do it on a BSO. Sub £99 type

 

[fossyant]

Ride it like a northerner. To do this, carry an extra 5 stone of weight, do it on a rubbish bike, only drink special brew and get your London mates to subsidise all your expenses.

Or ride like a southern softy on his £8k bling bike and complain when you don't 'win' the charity 'race' !

 

[iandg]

There is an annual Butt to Barra charity ride over 3 days here. Daily distances are not overly challenging for a fit club rider, so one of the club riders rode in his full lifeboat emergency call out suit last year.

 

[Welsh wheels]

I'm doing a corporate ride in a month or two's time, cycling 70 miles from London to Oxford, on what looks like the flattest route known to man.

From what i've seen of the ride details, we'll be riding in groups, based around speed. Even the fastest group is not that quick, compared to a quick club ride.

Given it's a corporate ride, and they ideally want people to raise money for charity, has anyone found ways of doing this as more of a challenge? Ideally not looking for something painful (like riding that far in a mankini etc), but wondered if anyone had brilliant ideas..

TIA

Cycle 30 miles or so to the start beforehand, and make it a century.

 

[Drago]

Dress the first group up as robbers, the second group up as cops, and ride along to banjo chase music.

 

[Slick]

And loosen the right one.

 

[Slick]

Dress the first group up as robbers, the second group up as cops, and ride along to banjo chase music.

Smokey and the bandit, now that would be class.

 

[Slick]

There is an annual Butt to Barra charity ride over 3 days here. Daily distances are not overly challenging for a fit club rider, so one of the club riders rode in his full lifeboat emergency call out suit last year.

My brother wants to tackle that later this year in 2 days.