Birmingham to Oxford

Teece

I'm doing the Birmingham to Oxford ride next year. I'm new to cycling and haven't done a 75mile ride yet.
What to expect?

Wooliferkins

75 miles may seem daunting at the moment but it's do-able with a little planning and effort. With 6 months to go you needn't panic. I used a plan for a Sportive here on Bikeradar to get ready for a long faster ride a couple of years back to great success.

Birmingham-Oxford won't be at sportive pace (unless you want it to) but it's getting the miles under your belt. Adapt the plans to suit your outcomes and fitness levels. I did three runs of the beginners upping the effort levels each time then two of the UK. Apart from physical training use the time to ensure your bike is comfortable and reliable on a long ride and you know how to feed and water yourself properly.

Doing longer rides can be a bit daunting on your own so maybe some club riding with your local CTC section would ease this and be a good source of (occasionally contradictory) advice

It is always hard work getting out on grotty winter mornings but it's worth it if you can enjoy the day itself without worry.