We've put together a short guide to help you figure out if the bike and kit you have is suitable for the ride you're undertaking. If you're thinking of getting some new bits and pieces, this guide will also help you get to grips with what you're looking for.

The information provided below is by no means exhaustive, so if you have any questions get in touch. We are specifically writing for someone who is relatively new to cycling and/or long distance bike riding. If you're already a pro, you probably don't need to read this, but if you do, let us know if anything's missing!
Keep in mind that whichever bike and kit you choose, you should give it plenty of test runs before your Thighs of Steel trip to make sure it's all working well and is right for you. Halfway through the first day is not the time to find out that your gears don’t work and your cycling shorts aren't rubbing you the right way!

Please remember, you don’t need the latest road bike on the market or to have all the coolest gear. You don't need to spend lots of money, all you need is to be on the right kind of bike and to ensure that it's safe, it fits you and it's in good working order.
There are two main things to consider:
1. The Type of Bike
Excellent choices: road bike, touring bike.
Good choices: hybrid bike, cross bike, non-suspension mountain bike with slick tyres.
Bad choices: Dutch city bike, Any other mountain bike, folding bike, fixed gear/single speed/track bike,  e-bike (you won’t be able to charge it), triathlon bike.
What were you thinking choices: chopper, BMX, unicycle, fat bike, penny-farthing, velociped.
2. Your Bike Itself
​Beyond the generic bike type, your bike needs to fit you well, have low gears and be in good working order/safe. This needs a little more detail:
Size/Fit
For comfort and safety your bike needs to fit you well. If you’ve had your bike for some time and have been on some long rides you’ll generally know if this is the case or not. Badly fitting bikes will commonly cause discomfort in the back, shoulders, knees or bum. Confusingly, there are also other causes for these outcomes when cycling, so if you have them whilst in the saddle, it may be due to your bike fit/size or it could be something else entirely. All the same, if you're not comfortable on the bike after a few rides, look at how it's set up/its size and make some adjustments around the contact points.

If you talk to a regular cyclist or someone who works at a bike shop they'll be able to help you with this fairly easily. If you don’t like talking to people you can find more info here and here but there's a lot more online.

Gears
Your bike needs gears to get you up the hills. The important thing is to have some low climbing gears so you can spin the legs easily.

All things being equal, for the same speed, it’s a lot easier to get up a hill seated on the bike pushing a small gear with your legs going quickly (at a higher cadence) than it is getting out of the saddle pushing a big gear with your legs turning slowly (a low cadence). Cycling like this puts more work on your cardiovascular system rather than through your leg muscles which will fatigue, but you need to have the low gears on your bike to enable the technique.  

On this trip, as some of the hills are big and will take a long time to get up, depending on which week you are in you may be spending 30 to 60+ mins constantly riding up a hill.

How do I know if my gears are low enough?
For a road bike you should be looking for ‘compact’ chain rings (50-34) and a wide range cassette with a 28 or a 30 as the largest sprocket. If your bike has a triple (three chain rings at the front) this will be absolutely fine. This is common on a hybrid or mountain bike setup.

If your bike is a road bike that’s a little bit older they tend to have ‘bigger gears’ as it used to be a fashionable sign of machismo to push a big gear. These bikes may have 53-39 tooth chainrings (‘a double’) at the front and a smaller sprocket on the cassette of either 23-25. This is the set up you want to avoid as it will be a nightmare getting over any big hills. If you are faced with this your choices are either to 1) change the gears, or 2) change the bike, or 3) suffer on the hills.

Changing Gears
If you are able to change the ‘cassette’ (the thing with teeth that the chain runs over on the back wheel) for something with wider ranging gears, this is the cheapest way to give yourself the extra range. Note, the cassette needs to be compatible with your ‘back mechanism’ so you can’t just choose the one you want without checking if it will fit. Again, a local bike shop will be able to help you with this.  
Tyres
As all cycle nerds know, getting good tyres saves you money in the long term as they last way longer and you won't spend your life fixing lots of punctures. Since we're riding in groups, when one person punctures everyone needs to stop until it's fixed. This can be demoralising if its raining or at the end of a long day. In short, get better tyres if yours are rubbish or worn out.

What are good tyres?
Anything made by Continental or a similar standard of brand. Anything that touches into the winter/training/commute section of this diagram would be an ideal choice.

Tyre Widths
  • 28mm width for a road bike would be good and works for all weeks. Wider for a hybrid is fine too.
  • 25mm is good for weeks 1-4 and ok for 5 onwards.​
  • 23mm bike tyres would not be ideal for weeks 5 onwards. As they are thin they need to be run at high pressure which makes them jarring on rougher roads. They also have a bit less grip if the road surface is not so smooth.

​Working Order
Once you have the right bike, the last piece of the pie is to make sure it works well, that it does what it needs to do and is safe to ride.

If you are unsure if your bike is in good shape or not, it's best to get it checked out at a reputable bike shop. Some problems are hard to spot unless you take the bike apart. If you do get your bike serviced before the trip make sure you have a few rides on it before you leave, just in case any further adjustments are needed.

We're also going to organise, or point you in the right direction, of DIY bike maintenance days. They are an amazing way to learn about your bike and be able to fix it yourself! Contact us for more info.

In the meantime, as a rough guide, these are the things you should be checking for to see if your bike is running well enough or if it needs some work done:
  • The gears are shifting well in both directions without much resistance.
  • The chain does not fall off the chain rings when changing gear.
  • The wheels spin freely and are not out of shape (they should spin without noise from the hub and the rim should not wobble more than a couple of mm either way as it spins).
  • There aren’t any dodgy noises when you pedal (creaking bottom brackets etc.).
  • There is plenty of life in the tyres.
  • The brakes work well and stop you in the wet and dry. The brake pads are not close to being worn out (there is a guideline on most pads to check against).  
  • The handle bars turn freely.
  • The chain is not too stretched (you can check for slack by pulling on the chain, with your fingers, at the 3 o’clock position while the chain is on the big chain ring. If it comes away enough to get your pinkie between the chain and chain ring, it needs replacing. If you have a massive pinkie pretend that you don’t and imagine your hand with normal size fingers).  
​As with the bike you don’t need all the latest stuff. The cycling industry does a good job of creating more and more products that are all described as essential for a vast array of uses, however some bits really are worth thinking about investing in. 

​Note: despite the fact that often the best prices tend to be online, but with some things you'll really want to try them out first (particularly shorts).
Essential
  • A helmet – not much to say here. Look for one with good ventilation and a comfortable chin strap.
  • Knick-knacks to fix your bike mid-ride - essential but can be shared - inner tubes (for your wheel size), tyre leavers, pump, multi-tool.
  • Two water bottles – fo’ swiggin’.
  • A pannier bag, specifically a 'rear pack'. You'll need to carry your lunch and a warm/waterproof layer with you for the day so this is necessary. A rear pack will have the least wind-resistance and is small so it means you can't pack lots of useless things. Here's a link to a pricier one and a cheaper one.

Strongly Worth Considering/Highly recommended
  • Cycling shorts – they help to prevent chaffing and saddle sores which can be a nightmare if you are prone to them. Look for shorts with a comfortable pad. Bib shorts (with shoulder straps) are great but not essential and can make peeing tricky for ladies. As cycling shorts are worn without underwear you may want to get a couple of pairs.
  • Waterproof top layer as it may rain! One that you can pack away super small is best. There are cycle specific ones you can get but if it is just for this trip its probably not worth it if you already have another waterproof. You don’t need waterproof trousers.

Worth Considering/Recommended
  • Cycle jersey - the pockets are handy and they can be picked up fairly cheaply. Get one with a full zip down the front for the heat.
  • Sports bra - whatever suits you and is comfortable.
  • Cycle cap - they make you look cool. Also they're handy to keep the sun off your head when you stop, and to keep your head warm if its cold.

Personal Preference/Other
  • Cycle shoes (aka clip-in shoes) - they're a brilliant idea but only if you're used to them. They're more comfortable to ride in and provide a secure connection to your pedals which improves pedal efficiency. However, there is a learning curve when you start using them, particularly around being able to get your feet out when you stop which inevitably leads to a couple of weeks of falling over at traffic lights etc. You don’t want this to be happening on the trip. So if you want to use cycling shoes then make sure you get a lot of practice before you hit the road for Thighs of Steel.
  • Gloves - some people find them more comfortable. Others less so.
  • GPS/cycle computer/speedo - you don’t need one as you will always be in a group and somebody will know where to go, but if you like the numbers then go for it.
Luckily for you, our sturdy steed, Calypso (the van), will be carrying all the kitchen equipment we need and will have enough tents for all. Here are some other things you will need:

Essential
  • Sleeping bag
  • Torch

Highly recommended
  • Roll mat - the very small, inflatable roll mats are great
  • Battery pack. We'll have some charging points in the van, but bringing a charged battery pack will create less of a hustle for them.

Personal preference
  • A tent IF you want to guarantee that you'll have a tent to yourself. We will have plenty for tents that are 1-3 person tents.
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Thighs of Steel is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, Registered Charity number 1099682. Thighs of Steel is a C.I.C. registered No 10690498