FAQs

Frequently asked questions about Extra Mile Challenges

Q. HOW GOOD A CYCLIST DO I NEED TO BE TO ENTER AN EXTRA MILE CHALLENGE?
A. All kinds of people enter our Challenges, from complete beginners to experienced cyclists. It’s not a race and as long as your team can average over 15mph you will finish each day in daylight, in time for dinner. Your team’s average speed can be increased by “leapfrogging,” explained below. Participants must normally be over 18, but otherwise there is no age limit.

Most people will need to prepare by practising regularly over a couple of months or more before the event. Build up gradually until you are confident that you can cycle a total of 45 to 50 miles in a day, with rests. Only those already cycling similar distances at pace on a regular basis should consider taking part without preparing specifically for the Challenge. Some of the terrain will be hilly. None of it is off road, except on designated tarmac cycle paths. Read our Safety & Welfare Instructions.

Q. WHICH BIKES ARE BEST FOR THE CHALLENGE?
A. Racing bikes are best for covering the long distances involved, as the route tends to stick to proper roads. Commuter bikes and hybrids with smooth tyres are OK but mountain bikes with wide, knobbly tyres are slower and require more effort. Some teams have brought a mix of racers and mountain bikes for particularly mountainous Challenges. Teams have even used tandems and a child’s chopper bike!

Q. HOW FAR WOULD I HAVE TO RIDE?
A. All our Challenges cover around 500 miles in 3 days, but teams ride them in relay. The average distance that each cyclist covers is 45 miles a day, typically in 4 or 5 stages. Less experienced teams tend to change cyclists more frequently, for example every 30 minutes. As it's not a race, it is entirely up to each team to choose how far each rider's turn should be. This may depend on fitness, terrain or other factors relevant to you.

Q. HOW DOES THE RELAY WORK?
A. Each team has 4 cyclists who take it in turns to ride a section of the route. The cyclist who is riding wears a high-visibility waistcoat with the team’s number on the back. This is passed on to the next cyclist when there is a changeover. Two waistcoats are provided to each team, to facilitate leapfrogging.
Each team needs a vehicle capable of carrying 4 people, their luggage and up to 4 bikes. Cars, vans, 4x4s and people carriers are all suitable. Bikes can be carried on the roof, on a rear carrier or even inside larger vehicles. The support vehicle is the team’s home for up to 10 hours a day, so it needs to be comfortable, reliable and well stocked with drinks and snacks!

Q. WHAT IS “LEAPFROGGING”?
A. A variation of the changeover, which increases the average speed of the team, and so shortens the time taken to complete each day’s stage. The next rider sets off from the changeover point before the cyclist already on the road arrives there. The team vehicle waits to collect the first rider (it should not go back for him) then sets off and overtakes the second, driving on to the next changeover point where the third rider immediately sets off while the vehicle waits for the second – and so on. This does not shorten the distance cycled by the team, but it saves time. This is achieved at the expense of some rest time between turns. It needs slick organisation, and usually means that riders have slightly less contact with the team vehicle than if only one rider is on the road at a time. This in turn makes it particularly important that each rider should familiarise him/herself with the directions for that leg of the route before setting out on it.

Q. WHAT DOES THE SUPPORT VEHICLE DO?
A. After getting the team to the start, the support vehicle follows the rider, provides encouragement and assistance and positions itself for changeovers. A typical arrangement is for jobs to be rotated: one member drives, one navigates and one rests.

Q. HOW DO I FOLLOW THE ROUTE?
A. The teams receive a detailed turn-by-turn description of the route, designed to be plotted on the large-format Michelin road atlas. Teams are responsible for their own navigation, but are assisted by direction arrows placed by our marshals.

Q. WHAT DO THE MARSHALS DO?
A. Volunteer marshals mark the route and monitor the teams’ progress. Marshals’ cars are clearly marked and they are there to provide directions and assistance. Teams are, however, responsible for their own safety and should refer to our Safety and Welfare Guidelines.

Q. WHAT ACCOMMODATION IS PROVIDED?
A. The entry fee includes 4 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, in 3-star hotels such as Ibis, Mercure and Novotel. The size of our party means that we normally use more than one hotel in each location and standards therefore vary. Accommodation each night will be in twin-bedded rooms. It is therefore important that you select your team to ensure that room sharing is acceptable. Single rooms are not available.

Q. WHAT MEALS ARE PROVIDED?
A. Breakfast in the hotels on all days, and evening meals with wine in local restaurants on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday there is an end-of-Challenge gala dinner (not formal!), often with entertainment. All this is included in the entry fee. We will pass on requests for special meals for vegetarians and those with other dietary requirements if your team leader notifies us well in advance.

Q. HOW SECURE WILL MY BIKE BE OVERNIGHT?
A. Our hotels usually have their own car parks but these may not be locked. Locking cycle sheds are very unlikely. Invest in good quality locking devices so you can ensure that all bikes are safely locked to the team vehicle overnight. The special travel insurance arrangements available from Bullerwell & Co through Extra Mile Challenges include some cover for loss of your bike. However this may not be sufficicent for more expensive models. Check out the cover available through this policy, or your own travel or household insurance.

Q. WHAT SORT OF CLOTHING SHOULD I TAKE?
A. Padded cycling shorts!

Shirts in modern, technical fabric are the most comfortable during and between turns on the bike. Cotton, once wet from rain or perspiration, takes much longer to dry. Pack waterproofs and warm clothing for cold, early morning starts. Windproof, full-finger gloves will also be appreciated if the early mornings are chilly.

Clean casual wear is appropriate for dinner in the evenings but jackets and ties are not obligatory.

Q. IS FUEL READILY AVAILABLE ON THE ROUTE?
A. Petrol stations are fewer than in the UK and many are closed on Sundays. Also bear in mind that most of the route will follow minor roads. Most “24 hour” pumps – eg at supermarkets – are automatic outside retail shop hours. Some do not accept British credit cards, though this has been a diminishing problem in recent years. Never let your tank fall below a quarter full. Fill up as often as necessary, and in anyevent on Saturday afternoon or evening, so you start with a full tank on Sunday. Plan ahead for an early start Monday morning, though in most years the route back to Calais is mainly by autoroute where there are service stations. Take a full can of fuel.

Q. HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I TAKE?
A. Teams are expected to provide their own dinner on Thursday night. Most restaurants accept credit cards. For the remaining nights, dinner (including a modest wine allowance) bed and breakfast are provided within your entry fee.

You will need to provide your own drinks and snacks (including lunch on the move, as time will be at a premium) during each day’s cycling and for the return trip on Monday. As time is short it is probably worth stocking up with non-perishables before departure.

Otherwise you may need pocket money for additional bar drinks, souvenirs etc. – and of course if you plan to stock up your home cellar!

Q. WILL THERE BE PRIZES?
A. The Challenge is NOT a race so there will be no prizes for the fastest, first to finish etc. We will present awards at the final night’s dinner for:-

“Spirit of the Challenge” – for the team that best exemplifies the combination of commitment, public-spiritedness and fun that characterises the Challenge

“Ckocup award” – for the daftest lash-up of the Challenge.

We will also make an award to the team which raises the most money for charity.

Other awards, such as for the best-dressed team or the best-decorated vehicle, may be made at the organisers’ discretion.

Give your nominations to any of the event marshals.

The organisers’ decision is final in respect of all awards!

Q. CAN MY TEAM’S SPONSORS DONATE BY CREDIT CARD?
A. Yes. Teams or individual participants can set up their own page on the Justgiving.com website through which credit card donations to ExtraMile Challenges can be attributed appropriately to your team.

Extra Mile JustGiving

This facility is provided by a commercial organisation unconnected with Extra Mile Challenges. It charges about 7% of funds passing through its hands. This is deducted before the net funds are sent to us. These charges therefore reduce the amount raised for charity. By all means use Justgiving.com if that enables you to raise more overall than you otherwise could.

However we are happy to accept donations direct by cheque, payable to Extra Mile Challenges. All the money Extra Mile Challenges actually receives for teams’ individual sponsorship, together with income tax we can reclaim from the Government on most personal donations, is passed to charity without deduction for expenses or administration.

Q. HOW WILL MY TEAM’S SPONSORSHIP MONEY BE DISTRIBUTED?
A. Every year Extra Mile Challenges selects a number of charities to support. This year one-third of all funds we receive from each team will be shared between three charities chosen by the organisers, and the charitable funds of the two supporting Rotary Clubs. Extra Mile Challenges will donate the remainder of your team’s sponsorship funds to a registered charity of your choice.

All sponsorship money should be paid over to Extra Mile Challenges within two months from the end of the Challenge. We will either send your donation to your chosen charity, or give you a cheque to hand over – whichever you prefer. Passing the team’s entire sponsorship through us maximises the amount raised for charity. That is because Extra Mile Challenges is itself a registered charity which can reclaim income tax from the Government on most personal donations under the Gift Aid scheme.

The Challenge is supported by commercial sponsorship from Heald Solicitors, which subsidises your entry fee and covers all administrative expenses of Extra Mile Challenges. Much organisational work, and the event marshalling, is done by volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of Milton Keynes Grand Union and Bedford Park. Extra Mile Challenges has no paid staff. Thus every penny we receive of your team’s sponsorship will be donated to charity, with no deduction by Extra Mile Challenges for administration or expenses.

See our our Safety and Welfare Guidelines which contain further useful advice for those participating in the Challenge, and our Conditions of Entry.