What’s our daily schedule like?
Read all about the chaos and joy here: Thighs Life
What clothes / shoes do I need?
The short answer: comfortable ones that you’ve tried and tested.
The long answer: Bike & Clothes Kit
What will we be carrying on our bikes?
Your own snacks, waterproof layer, spare inner tubes, water bottles, battery pack and sun cream – plus some of the shared lunch.
You’ll want a seat pack or handlebar bag to put all these things in. (A pannier bag also works, but is a bit less aerodynamic). We have a few seat packs to borrow, so please get in touch on email or Whatsapp to let us know if you need one.
See: Bike & Clothes Kit and also MERCH MERCH MERCH
Does the van carry our luggage?
YES, absolutely.
Everything you DON’T need while cycling will be carried in Calypso, our support van. Yay!
Everything you DO want on the ride you will carry so you’ll need a bag of some description for snacks, a couple of spare inner tubes and a waterproof layer just in case.
If you don’t have a bag, then we have a few seat packs to borrow, so please get in touch on email or Whatsapp to let us know if you need one.
Alternatively, you could try to borrow one from someone or you can usually pick one up fairly cheaply from Facebook Marketplace or eBay.
Do I have to bring all my own camping equipment?
We have enough tents for everyone (a few people will need to share the big ones, but there’s usually a few pairs of friends who come and are happy to share).
You’ll need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat. If you don’t have those things, then try to borrow them from friends.
Can I bring a bike box?
Yep!
Bike boxes will be strapped securely onto the roof of the van.
Due to space, we would prefer you to bring a flat-pack cardboard bike box or a soft bike bag, but a hard bike box is also fine.
I’m vegan and I’m worried about being adequately fed!
Don’t worry – all our food is default vegan.
This is less for environmental reasons (although that’s nice) and more because we don’t have a big fridge and dairy goes off quickly in the heat!
Depending on the tastes of the group, we might buy cheese to sprinkle on top of things, but that’ll be totally optional and vegans will have an alternative (usually avocado🥑)
Worth saying that at least two of the thighs organisers are vegan so you won’t be alone!
Am I going to hold everyone else up?
Thighs rides are totally uncompetitive and we foster a supportive vibe that encourages everyone to do their very best (and maybe surprise themselves).
What that means is that we ride as a group, so at the pace of the slowest at any one time.
It’s extraordinarily rare that it’s the same person all day, every day. Energy comes and goes for all of us over the course of a day and the week.
So don’t be surprised to find yourself struggling at times. Just make sure you keep on communicating to the rest of the group and we’ll rally around to get you over that darned hill!
Although we ride at the pace of the slowest, that doesn’t mean that we don’t also lovingly push ourselves to max out our potential!
See also: Thighs Life
How fast do we ride?
See above, but as a general rule we aim to get into camp after no more than 8 hours out on the road.
Factoring a bunch of short, sharp breaks and a couple of longer breaks (think second breakfast and lunch), that means riding at an average of about 20km/h.
Obviously this will vary if there’s a bloody great mountain in the way!
Aggghhhhhh hill!?!
Yep. Couldn’t agree more. Just keep on training 🚵 and make sure your gears are right.
IMPORTANT: Hills are the one exception to our ‘ride as a group’ rule.
Because it’s hard to climb either too fast or too slow, we’ll all do what we’re comfortable with on the hills and wait at the top.
Do I need a fancy carbon bike?
Check out our What Kind Of Bike page, but the short answer is ‘no’.
Ed (three time Thighs alumnus) gave us this advice:
I have a hybrid steel frame touring bike – I’m not fast, but it’s reliable and gets me there. In the same group last time, we had a couple of German lads on their speedy carbon things.
It really doesn’t matter – they may cream it up a hill, but we all get to the same place at the same time and rock it as a group.
So I’d say bring the bike you want to ride, not what you think you should have to ride.
What about charging my phone?
We strongly recommend you bring a battery pack for your phone and anything else that needs juice.
We might stop at a cafe where you can charge your phone for 10 minutes, but don’t count on it. Likewise, there are charging points in the van, but priority goes to charging our Wahoo GPSes.
Once again, Ed says it best:
There is some ability to charge stuff in the van but it gets mobbed so best being prepared.