Organise your own charity bike ride
A sponsored bike ride or cycling challenge is a great way to raise money for charity and push yourself personally – whether it’s simply getting back on your bike or breaking that elusive 100 mile barrier. If you’re unsure about where to start, check out this handy round-up of resources and information...
Choose a charity
Before you can do anything you need to pick a charity to ride for. It’s up to you to choose a charity that’s close to your heart, but if you’re unsure it’s worth doing some research into what they do, before you make a decision. The Charity Choice website provides information on over 160,000 UK charities.
Pick your route
Some charities organise regular fundraising bike rides but if that’s not the case for your chosen charity, you’ll need to pick your own route. Choose something realistic: while it’s great to aim high, it’s best to stay within or on the cusp of your cycling ability. This way you’ll be confident that you can complete it. Sustrans have a great list of iconic long distance rides to choose from.
Plan your bike and kit
One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is what sort of bike you need to complete the ride. There’s lots to consider here – do you go for comfort or efficiency? If you haven’t got a suitable bike already, how much are you willing to pay? Visiting your local bike shop is a good way to get advice on what type of bike would be suitable and how much it might cost. For more information on other cycling essentials click here.
Training and nutrition
The amount of training required will differ for everyone – whether you’re planning a 30 mile charity dash or a 500 mile cross-country challenge, you need to prepare yourself physically. It’s good to follow a structured training plan and there lots of free-to-use plans available online. In order to train properly, you need to eat properly. The British Cycling Insight Zone and Bike Radar have lots of advice and expert tips on training and nutrition (the Insight Zone is free for British Cycling members).
Fundraising and publicity
The easiest way to collect donations for a charity bike ride is to set up an online fundraising page, using a website like Justgiving, MyDonate or Virgin Money Giving. These sites are great as they reclaim Gift Aid on donations, meaning your chosen charity gets more money! After you’ve set up your page it’s time to start telling everyone you know about your charity bike ride and encourage them to donate – social media is a good way to spread the message far and wide.
Safety
If you’re new to cycling or a little bit rusty, make sure you brush up on your cycle safety before embarking on the big ride. In particular, riding on the road can be dangerous, as there’s lots to think about – road position, signalling, anticipating traffic and avoiding pot holes. If you want to get some professional advice and hone your cycling skills before the big day why not take part in an adult Bikeability course near you.
Accommodation
One thing that’s easy to forget is booking somewhere to stay for when the big day(s) arrive. Thankfully the clever folk at Beds for Cyclists have already thought of that and compiled an online list of cycle friendly accommodation across the UK. It can be a big task organising one or more places to stay, especially when you need to find somewhere with bike storage.
Route familisation
Whichever type of charity ride you decide to take on, there’s one thing you can do to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. Familiarise yourself with the route – whether it’s a loop around your local park or a 100 miler with several hill climbs, you’ll feel more relaxed and confident if you’ve done a bit of a recce first. At the end of the day, charity bike rides are supposed to be fun!
On the day
Don’t leave anything to chance. Prepare and organise as much as you can the evening before. On the day preparation starts with getting a good night’s sleep, followed by an energy-boosting breakfast. Next it’s on to a final bike and kit check – have you got everything you’ll need for the ride? Yes? Well the only thing left to do is to get on your bike and go for it!
So in a nutshell, that’s how to organise your own charity bike ride. Granted, there are probably a few more details to think about, but if you’ve contemplated the idea of doing something for charity and you like cycling… what are you waiting for? Make 2014 a year to be proud of.
Also worth a read:
Top charity bike rides for 2014
Get into... a cycle challenge
Riding your bike and raising money: Sam’s success as a cycling fundraiser
