The Thighs ‘day’ begins the moment we arrive at camp in the evening. We aim to get to camp before dark, but it could be any time from 4-8pm, depending on how the day’s gone.

The first hour after arriving in camp at the end of a long day’s ride is critical: this is where we set ourselves up for success tomorrow. 

Take this chance to rehydrate (one full water bottle) before grabbing a beer (optional), pitching your tent and sorting out anything that needs sorting out with your bike. We have a load of bike tools and one of us should be on-hand to advise on any mechanical issues. We promise that you will NOT want to do this after dinner.

We try to camp near some water - a river or a lake - but if that’s not possible, we can rig up a DIY shower off the side of the van. It’s amazing how much better life feels after a scrub!

As you can guess by now: camp will not be a 5* hotel. We can’t guarantee a toilet, let alone a shower. But we do have a spade and will teach you good waste disposal etiquette!

Massive, carby, vegetarian and cooked by the endlessly creative road chefs in the van team! Expect pasta, veggie sauces, beany stews, rice and dal, massive salads, crusty bread and - if we’re lucky - some cheese to crumble over the top.

After dinner, we take half an hour to go round, one by one, and spend a couple of minutes checking in on how we’re feeling. If that sounds WEIRD, you can definitely pass - maybe you’ll feel more comfortable later in the week.

A couple of people will be on washing-up duty. We make a rota for breakfast and dinner at the beginning of the week to stop people from feeling like they have to be helping all the time!

We’ll also work out our cycling groups for tomorrow. We normally ride in three groups of 4-6 humans, including one of the Core Team. Cycling groups are NOT chosen on ‘speed’, ‘strength’ or ‘confidence’, but are shuffled around every day so that everyone gets to ride with everyone else.

We highly recommend testing out your ‘sleep kit’ so that you know you’ll feel comfortable. A lot of people are surprised to find that the camping part of this adventure is the hardest for them!

We usually get up early. Like: dawn. Sometimes before dawn if it’s going to be really hot and we have a big day (HINT: all days are big).

Pull on your sweaty Lycra. Slather up with butt cream if you’re keen! Take down your tent. Pack your saddle / bar bag with snacks for the day. We’ll have a stash, but recommend you bring your own supply as well.

A couple of people will be on porridge-making duty. Eat masses of porridge, smothered in jam / chocolate spread / nuts and seeds. Another couple of people will be on washing-up duty.

Get into our cycling groups for the day - and get cycling! The groups will leave in ~10 minute intervals, with the washing-up team usually leaving last.

Once everyone’s disappeared, the van team will pack up the rest of the camp and drive on to our next camping place.

​Although this is a supported tour, the van does NOT follow us around like a creepy cheerleader. The van team have a lot of errands to run throughout the day, as well as finding the next camping place.

​This means that they might be a few hours’ drive away and only available in emergencies. So make sure you have everything you need for the day before leaving camp!

​We ride together in our group of 4-6, including one member of the Core Team, who’ll carry the GPS and a little bag of emergency bike tools and a mini First Aid kit.

We try to get more than half of the day done in the morning, while it’s still cool and we’re still full of power porridge.

In the afternoon we cycle loads. And loads. And finally get to camp! Where the next day starts all over again…

Thighs who ride together, vibe together. So that's what we do.

Don’t worry about chasing the person in front: look after the person behind you. If they start dropping back, you start dropping back. That'll start a chain reaction going forward and, before you know it, we’re all riding together again. 

The only exceptions to this vibe are HILLS. These are difficult to do at someone else’s pace - whether that's too fast or too slow. So we go up hills at our own pace and wait at any possible turn-offs and at the top.

Only do hand signals if it's safe. Copy the person in front of you so the message is passed down the line and accompany with a shout!

1. STOPPING
2. SLOWING
3. PULLING OUT (TO THE RIGHT)
4. TURNING (RIGHT)
5. POTHOLE / OIL SLICK / FIGS!

Although we will lovingly push each other to max out our potential, we always ride at the pace of the slowest - whoever that is at that moment.

Expect your pace to vary throughout the day and throughout the week so don’t be downhearted if you find yourself struggling at some point and don’t get annoyed if you find yourself having to slow down a bit. 

If you do have extra capacity one day, think about how you can support others - telling jokes, singing crap songs, sharing jelly beans, filling up everyone’s water bottles or taking responsibility for the GPS are all good options!

We tend not to stop much and, when we do stop, it’s good to practice ‘efficient breaking’. That means filling up everyone’s water bottles even if yours is half-full, eating a snack even if you don’t feel very hungry and taking a pee even if you don’t really need one.

We do our best to find public toilets, but there will almost certainly come a time when wild peeing is the only option. We’ll be on look-out!

Lunch will be leftovers from the night before, or a cheap and cheerful picnic lunch of bread, cheese and tomatoes (or similar). You will almost certainly want to top up with snacks throughout the day. Depending on the group vibe, we might even get lured into a cafe or cheap restaurant for second breakfast / lunch.

Punctures will happen. Bring two spare inner tubes and learn (if you don't know already) how to remove your wheel and tyre and how to replace your inner tube.

The Core Team will carry a pump and a few other tools and spares. You definitely won’t be left on your own, but do expect the rest of your crew to use this break time to pee / eat / drink / lie down in a heap. Self reliance is good.

Accidents and crashes occasionally happen. The Core Team member with you will be First Aid trained and carry a basic medical kit. Do let us know if you have skills in that area. The more, the merrier!

Other crazy stuff happens occasionally, but rarely (touch wood!) If your bike explodes into a million pieces, then we’ll figure out a plan to get you back up and cycling ASAP. This might mean catching a local bus to find a mechanic in town or waiting for the van to drive to us from the other side of the country. In extreme cases, it might mean spending a day in the van until we can get your bike fixed. If there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s problem-solving!