BHF NORTH WALES BIKE RIDE - 8TH JUNE 2008

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched a brand new bike ride in North Wales this year and we
hope you join in the fun and enjoy a great day out!

The North Wales Bike Ride on Sunday 8 June is a bike ride for all ages. You’ll get to see coast and
country with the majority of the route on cycle paths away from the traffic.

Click here for more info....

The Cycling Challenge is a series of three "virtual" bike rides that we challenge you to work towards.

The challenge is for you to regularly cycle along our signposted coastal route and make a note of the distance you have covered each time. Use our challenge charts to log each of your rides and watch the total distance add up.

Click on a link below to download each stage. (They are in PDF format).

TIPS TO GET YOU GOING

If you haven't used your bike for a while, make sure you check it over before you get started. Check for frayed brake cables and make sure your brakes work properly. It may be an idea to get a service from a local cycle shop to be certain.

Take a bottle of water with you. You can quickly de-hydrate on a bike.

It may be an idea to take your mobile phone with you incase you have a problem and need picking up.

Take a puncture repair kit and a pump with you. If you are using cycle paths, they may take you away from convenient pick-up places by the road. You can buy pumps which attach to your bike. If you are not sure how to fix a puncture, ask at a local cycle shop.

Invest in a lightweight waterproof. The weather changes quickly and it will not only keep you dry, but also stop you getting cold, and you should be able to carry it in a pocket.

Watch out for high tides when the sea is rough. Some places along the coastal path get sprayed with sea water when it's rough so take care if it's choppy and you want to stay dry.

PEDAL AWAY THOSE CALORIES

The number of calories that you burn while cycling varies depending on a number of factors such as:

            Your weight
            The weight of your bicycle
            How large the tyres are (road bike or mountain bike)
            Whether you are going uphill, downhill or on the level

However, we can give you a rough estimate. Typically you can burn about 25-30 calories per km.

So if you complete our Stage 2 Challenge, you could be burning off a whopping 4500 calories.

Just 7-8 km of riding five times per week (5x30) would help you burn off over a stone per year without having to change a single other lifestyle habit. 7-8 km may sound a long way, but on a bicycle it can go very fast.

If you live just a couple of km from your workplace, why not cycle in and back every day. You'll be surprised how quickly they add up.