Cycling challenge

A long ride for a novice cyclist

Jenn was after an adventure with purpose this year, and found an opportunity with one of her work organisations, and perhaps inspired by her dog Taco…

Tell us about your challenge, Jenn

I'm not a cyclist (I don't even own a bike!) but at the end of September I cycled from London to Paris - sharing the experience with 50 amazing women, fellow members of Women in Property. While cycling 186 miles over three days (eek!), I also raised money for a charity that is close to my heart: Bath Cats and Dogs Home. 

During my undergraduate years in Bath, I volunteered as a dog walker at the centre, and in 2022 I also raised funds for them while running the Bath Half. They do incredible work to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome more than 700 unwanted and neglected pets every year.

How much cycling training did you do prior? 

My friend whose old bike I was using wrote a training plan for me, which started in May. The first few weeks I used my indoor smart bike, before picking up her bike on the last weekend of May. I'd done one cycle on a friend's gravel bike the weekend before (and was very wobbly!). When I picked up the road bike we went to a cyclopark which was great to practise clipping in and out (I decided to just go for cleats straight away!). 

I also wanted to run alongside cycling, so the training plan I followed generally consisted of two indoor cycles, one run and one long cycle per week, with some weekends including additional back-to-back cycle days. 

As the weeks progressed, the length of time spent in the saddle ramped up. The event was at the end of September so overall I trained for about 20 weeks, with a few breaks for holidays in between.      
 

Love the photo with your dog Taco! Did he train with you? 

Taco is a superstar and I always run with him. We do canicross and canitrail together and so far his longest run is 18 miles. He's done loads of half marathons now! I couldn't take him on the cycles unfortunately as I was on the road a lot (and I think he would have barked at the bike constantly!). But he always joined me on my weekly runs. 

He is a sheltie, as is Gylfi (they are 5 & 7). We also have Cassie (4), who is a rough collie. We got her when she was 16 months old and she is very sensitive and nervous. She was really scared of the bike to start with, but with consistent and gentle exposure she became better and better. We also have two inquisitive cats - a Siberian and a Maine Coon who are 11 and 10. Our lizard is a uromastyx. Quite a full house!    

 
Finding out about WIP was really interesting, love that support networking! What was it that grabbed you about this event that they ran?

WIP have lots of groups and do loads of networking events. which vary from coffee mornings, to site visits, to seasonal events such as wreath making. Events are also open to men and it's good to see quite a few attending, especially on-site visits. 

The Bristol branch had been running a lot of "Sweatworking" events, an alternative to networking, where people networked while also doing some form of exercise, such as pilates, boxercise etc. The London to Paris cycle was a part of this sweatworking series, and I just thought it sounded like a great challenge, doing something that was out of my comfort zone.  
 

What were your favourite views? 

Day 2 in France was beautiful, really nice cycle paths through really pretty villages. We were very lucky with the weather and it made the French countryside look so pretty. Also the first glance of the Eiffel Tower when entering Paris was pretty impressive! 

From a personal perspective, we also cycled through the area I used to live in around Bromley, which I really enjoyed. My mother in law still lives there so she came out with her sheltie Skye to see us, which was a really nice treat.     
  

What did it feel like cycling in such a big group? 

This is probably the thing I was most nervous about, but it was actually great. By the time the event arrived, I was a lot more confident (and less wobbly) on the bike and at the start frequent traffic lights meant the groups broke up into smaller groups very quickly. 

As the Pope was in Paris the day we were arriving, the organisers Discover Adventure had a lot of logistical challenges to overcome to get us to the Trocadero, as so many roads were closed. We ended up cycling in a huge peloton of 51 women from our hotel to the Trocadero and it was so much fun! The atmosphere was electric and super supportive. It also just looked pretty amazing as we all had matching jerseys and we got lots of cheers from the public!  

Tell us more about Discover Adventure

I highly recommend them. The team were amazing, helping us through all the changes. They were up earlier than us every day and did everything with a smile. Water stops were amazing - so many snacks! I would definitely do a trip with them again.

What’s your advice for future cyclists? 

Just go for it! I think a lot of people worry about being left on their own, but you're never alone. I had met a few people on the trip on practice rides, but I didn't know them well. I think it actually made it more fun getting to know everybody and I've definitely got new friends out of it. 

Also, train! As cycling was a new sport to me, I was really committed to the training. When it got to the event I was in peak condition and it meant the whole thing was really enjoyable, rather than super exhausting.  

Are you going to continue to cycle? 

Well, on the last day of the trip I messaged my friend whose bike I was using and said if she ever wanted to sell it, she knew where to come. She ended up selling it to me so I now finally have my own bike! I'm currently training for a half marathon with Taco in November, so trying to fit in cycling around running! I also spent last Sunday marshalling the Longleat Sportive, so cycling is now definitely in my mind.

I have to say I really enjoyed the long rides when I was training, you get to visit so many places you'd never normally go. 

Jenn chose the ‘full payment’ option and raised over £650 for our cats and dogs – a huge thank you to Jenn and all her fellow cyclists for taking on the challenge for loads of charities.

Inspired by Jenn’s story? » Click here to head to our Events & Challenges page to find your adventure!