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London to Athens. Via Ukraine. Classic Thighs detour! If it's adventure you’re after, then look no further. This absolute beast of a week follows the dizzying Carpathian mountains all the way from Poland to Romania, via the dumpling-shaped question mark that is Ukraine. |
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GREAT! HOW MUCH WILL IT BE?!
Not one or two but FOUR pricing options. For all options, you can pay in one transaction or two equal, monthly instalments. 1. The standard = £385 Straight up! 2. I can and I will! = £385 + whatever you want The gift economy! Most tours like ours are double the price. We choose to keep the price lower than most so that we have a fun mixture of people from different backgrounds and lifestyles. If you can afford anything from one to one million pounds extra, you’ll make our day, and make it much more likely Thighs will continue for another year! 3. Low income place = £250 4. No income place = £0 Previously the low and no income places have been given to people that spend lots of time volunteering and people out of work, particularly if you are a migrant and don’t have the right to work. If this is you, please get in touch with us at [email protected] This money covers the costs of the trip, the £500 fundraising is separate and goes directly to Help Refugees. Scroll down to find out more about the fundraising. |
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Three words: unknown, unknown, unknown! Thighs of Steel have never ventured so far north before and, quite frankly, we can only guess what delights and challenges await us. From the old town of Krakow, we ride east through the undulating hills of southern Poland before joining the East Carpathians Greenway and descending into Ukraine, where vareniki dumplings, borscht and blinis await our ravenous bellies. Two mammoth climbs take us over the Carpathians and deep into Transylvania before we turn away from our mountain friends and head for Cluj and a well-earned shower. Each day, the core team in the van goes ahead and knocks on doors and try our very, very hardest with charades and charm to get permission for us all to camp somewhere nearby. As ever, expect cold mountain lakes and streams to be nature’s luxury baths and showers. A few important things to note: We think this route will be sparsely populated don't expect to find protein bars and espressos sold every few metres. Instead, be ready to descend on every village we find and guzzle whatever delicious treats they have!! Also: the road surface will vary. We're going where Google's car doesn't even go (yeah, we told you this was an adventure!!) We’ve picked a route that is (so far as we can tell) tarmacked, but expect potholes and occasional traffic. Finally: we’ll be wild camping the whole way so it’s worth saying that there may be bears. And wolves. Unfortunately we're not cycling into The Jungle Book so we don't reckon they'd be our pals. We’ll be using our brain cells and wisdom to keep ourselves out of unnecessary risk. We'll always ask locals if the area is safe to camp in, and we'll often camp in people's garden's/ on their land, instead of in the mountains. However, if you’re the kind of person who likes a tight itinerary and the bear-wolf mentions will keep you up at night, then… this might be your idea of hell. Actually finally: in case you’re wondering, where we’re cycling in the west of Ukraine is totally safe from tanks etc.. If you’re worried, check out the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice. If you're still reading... join us!! |
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By coming on a week of the ride, you’re committing to fundraise a minimum of £500 for awesome grassroots refugee organisations.
Together, we’re hoping to raise £60,000 for Help Refugees. Every penny of this will be given to projects such as Khora, who are supporting refugees to move forward under exceptionally difficult circumstances. We're confident you won't find it too tough to raise £500, to give you a head start, here's a load of ideas and tips from Thighs cyclists who've fundraised gazillions in the past. We're always around to help you come up with new ideas as well - drop us a line if you’re worried. Read more about your incredible impact as a Thighs cyclist on The Reason page |
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- 857km of downhills.
- A bike. ( BUT! We have two bikes available for hire for £70. Let us know in your sign up form if you need one)
- A luxury week away. We'll rotate all the jobs that need to be done to make communal life a dream. Be ready to cook, do the washing up, and put your own tent up and down as required.
- A daily shower. There's no guarantee. More often than not we simply head for the nearest body of water, or tip a water bottle over our heads!
- Most days we’ll have a quick break at a café, bakery or a shop so that you can stock up on caffeine and carbs. Sometimes, depending on the group vibe, we might get lured into a fantastic-smelling restaurant en route. For all of these, you'll pay your own bills.
- Your journeys to the starting point and then homeward after the trip. We strongly recommend that you book travel as early as possible to get a decent price.
- Insurance. Boring but essential!
FRIDAY 14 AUGUST // At 7pm we’ll all come together, have dinner and chat about the week ahead. Then rest our excited nervous heads! We suggest arriving around 5pm so that you have time to put your bike together first. You’re welcome to arrive even earlier than that, to have a bit of time to explore the city and prepare for the week ahead.
See this page for more important arrival info, including airport pickups where necessary.
SATURDAY 15 // We leave behind the pretty old town of Krakow and head for the Carpathian foothills for a day of joyous undulation - the cyclist’s dream! Expect somewhere around 1,000m of climbing and country roads that weave in and out of the woods, with a wild camp to finish.
SUNDAY 16 // We’re still in Poland, we’re still in the Carpathians, we’re still undulating through woods and over rivers. We’ll still most likely be wild camping.
MONDAY 17 // Pryvit! After a brisk morning, we cross into Ukraine - definitely the most adventurous moment of this year’s ride. Expect we don’t know what! The afternoon will be flatter so we’ll take the opportunity to bust out some miles and burst our bellies with delicious dumplings.
TUESDAY 18 // Finally! Today we cross those mountains we’ve spent the whole week staring at enviously. It’s a mammoth climb of about 1,000m all in one go. But you’ll be rewarded with the views, a merciful slackening of temperatures, and a wild camp nestled deep in the bosom of the Carpathians.
WEDNESDAY 19 // What goes up must come down. Today we’ll give those burning thighs a chance to relax by free-wheeling the big miles out of the mountains before joining the river Tisza all the way to the border with Romania. We’ll wild camp one side or the other!
THURSDAY 20 // There’s nothing subtle about today: one huge climb almost as big as Day 5. We’re in deepest, darkest Transylvania so look out for vampire bats and we’ll wild camp in the spookiest spot we can find. (That’s a joke: our real priority will be to avoid bears and wolves.)
FRIDAY 21 // No matter how short and how flat, the last day is always the toughest - Cluj is so near and yet so far. It looks like a gentle climb, but it’ll feel like Mont Ventoux to your jellied legs. That’s all forgiven and forgotten when we finally cross the bridge into the city and collapse in a sweaty puddle of celebration and carb-heavy drinks.
SATURDAY 22 // Wake up, a mixture of tired and elated, wander around the city in a happy daze. Set off home with Thighs a little steelier.
* NB: All the above details are loosely collated from our route planning, the internet and our imagination. What we do know for sure is that this is a real adventure and that plans and itineraries mock you in retrospect.
See this page for more important arrival info, including airport pickups where necessary.
SATURDAY 15 // We leave behind the pretty old town of Krakow and head for the Carpathian foothills for a day of joyous undulation - the cyclist’s dream! Expect somewhere around 1,000m of climbing and country roads that weave in and out of the woods, with a wild camp to finish.
SUNDAY 16 // We’re still in Poland, we’re still in the Carpathians, we’re still undulating through woods and over rivers. We’ll still most likely be wild camping.
MONDAY 17 // Pryvit! After a brisk morning, we cross into Ukraine - definitely the most adventurous moment of this year’s ride. Expect we don’t know what! The afternoon will be flatter so we’ll take the opportunity to bust out some miles and burst our bellies with delicious dumplings.
TUESDAY 18 // Finally! Today we cross those mountains we’ve spent the whole week staring at enviously. It’s a mammoth climb of about 1,000m all in one go. But you’ll be rewarded with the views, a merciful slackening of temperatures, and a wild camp nestled deep in the bosom of the Carpathians.
WEDNESDAY 19 // What goes up must come down. Today we’ll give those burning thighs a chance to relax by free-wheeling the big miles out of the mountains before joining the river Tisza all the way to the border with Romania. We’ll wild camp one side or the other!
THURSDAY 20 // There’s nothing subtle about today: one huge climb almost as big as Day 5. We’re in deepest, darkest Transylvania so look out for vampire bats and we’ll wild camp in the spookiest spot we can find. (That’s a joke: our real priority will be to avoid bears and wolves.)
FRIDAY 21 // No matter how short and how flat, the last day is always the toughest - Cluj is so near and yet so far. It looks like a gentle climb, but it’ll feel like Mont Ventoux to your jellied legs. That’s all forgiven and forgotten when we finally cross the bridge into the city and collapse in a sweaty puddle of celebration and carb-heavy drinks.
SATURDAY 22 // Wake up, a mixture of tired and elated, wander around the city in a happy daze. Set off home with Thighs a little steelier.
* NB: All the above details are loosely collated from our route planning, the internet and our imagination. What we do know for sure is that this is a real adventure and that plans and itineraries mock you in retrospect.
A WEEK NOT ENOUGH?
After one week, most people are seeing showers as mirages on the horizon and are shuddering at the sight of a bicycle, but not you! You’re craving adventure and muscle ache, and god damn it, you will not be stopped after a measly week! You may be wild enough to be considering 3 or 4 or ALL of the weeks, but because places on the ride are limited, we only allow people to come for a maximum of 2 weeks so that as many people can come as possible, and therefore fundraise as much as possible. It's possibly obvious, but you’ll pay £385 for each week, and fundraise £500 per week too. To sign up, you have two options: 1. Fill in the sign up form on each of the weeks you want to join for e.g. sign up on weeks 2 and 3. This is the quickest way. 2. If you'd like to pay in 4 monthly instalments to spread the cost, email us at [email protected]. We'll reserve you a spot on both weeks if there space and then set up a payment plan with you. BIKE-LESS BUT WANT TO JOIN US?
This year we have not one but two spare bikes for you to borrow. The aim of the game is to make overland travel easier and encourage people who want to avoid flying - but we understand how hectic life is and welcome all-comers. The cost of hiring a bike is £70. The first bike will fit a human 5’5” - 5’9” (166cm - 175cm) tall. The second bike will fit a human 5’9” - 6’1” (175cm - 185cm). If you would like to reserve one of the bikes, let us know when you sign up. Note: We will provide lights, a day bag for your lunch, a variety of pedals Please bring your own helmet and 2 inner tubes. Bring your own saddle if you have a favourite one, otherwise we have a few to choose from. WHAT WILL I NEED TO BRING?!
What on earth do you bring on this trip!? Don't panic! We have a kit list for everything you need, HERE. We're fans of doing things as cheaply and greenly as possible, so there's not much on our 'essentials' list. We really recommend asking buddies and pals to borrow bits and bobs to save on buying new! TRAVEL & LOGISTICS HELP!
We understand travelling is a bit of a logistical puzzle sometimes! SO...we've researched the routes and the best ways to get there! Head here to see how! |
