London to Paris 2023 Itinerary

Dear Challenger, Assalamu ‘Alaykum!

Thank you for taking part in the 3-day charity bike ride in aid of the Rohingya refugees. The London to Paris charity ride is a great experience and a fabulous challenge; cycling over 3 days from 26th August 2023, you will cover nearly 200 miles. A challenge like this is not just about distances covered, the ride is about group effort, bonding and more importantly the spirit of brotherhood. The physical side of the trip is sometimes a worry for people who may not have cycled much before signing up but with some training covered at home before the trip you will be more than capable of achieving the distances covered in shaa Allah (if God wills).

The charity bike ride is not only an opportunity to challenge yourself physically, but it is also an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the Rohingya refugees who have been displaced from their homes. Your participation in this ride will help raise funds to provide medical aid to these refugees who are desperately in need of our support.

The Ride

The London to Paris charity cycle is a great experience and a fabulous challenge. Cycling over 3 days you will cover nearly 200 miles. Charity bike rides bring together a vast array of people from many different back grounds, each with their own reasons for taking up the challenge and fundraising stories. Over the three days you’ll meet like minded people, swap stories and ideas and build brotherhood all the while completing a truly wonderful cycle experience.

Each night the group will stay in hotels and eat together which provides some rest and relaxation time and space to socialise with the participants who you are cycling with. Importantly, the second challenge is to raise the much-needed funds to support the project(s)outlined. A £10,000 group target has been set and we urge every participant to push the barriers and set themselves a challenging target that will stretch their abilities and take this cause close to their hearts. This will be an amazing lifetime achievement and a great opportunity for you to help people in need, a travel experience that will stay with you for a life time.

When and how much?

The trek will commence on Saturday 26th August and complete on Monday 28th August. All participants must arrive outside the East London Mosque, Whitechapel Road, London at 6.30am the very latest – the group will not wait for late comers.

The cost of the ride will be £350.00 which must be paid no later than 31^st July 2023.

The cost includes:

• Accommodation during the 3-day ride
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the trek period (Food will be basic meals)
• Ferry tickets
• Support vehicle and fuel costs.
• Eurostar return back to London Train Station.
• Your space will be confirmed and reserved once we receive the fee and signed registration form.

 

The Cause

Wellbeing Centre

Subject to an assembly of health risks, including unsanitary conditions, malnutrition and unsafe potable water, the Rohingya are struggling to live a good life. The Rohingya population have been subjected to years of genocide, ethnic cleansing and systematic discrimination in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. More than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees reside in Bangladesh with children making up 55% of the displaced population.

The vast majority of Rohingya reaching Bangladesh are vulnerable women, children and the elderly. The Rohingya population in Bangladesh continues to grow exponentially, resulting in a critical humanitarian emergency.

Highly congested camps, unsanitary conditions and poor nutrition contribute to the prevalence of communicable diseases among the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar. As refugees, the they are unable to travel freely outside of the camps and are faced with a myriad of barriers when accessing adequate health care and treatment.

Help the 24-hour Wellbeing Medical Centre keep Rohingya survivors alive. Human Aid & Advocacy are working in Cox’s Bazar, funding the vital Wellbeing Medical Centre currently operating in the Rohingya camps, employing doctors, nurses, midwives, clinicians and pharmacists. The 24-hour Wellbeing Medical Centre serves hundreds of people daily, providing a melange of clinics, including emergency treatments, minor surgical operations, neo-natal & post-natal clinics, pharmaceutical dispensary and psychosocial support.

You can help Rohingya survivors access life-saving treatment. Donations will help them to access the support they desperately need.

Support

• Salaries for essential medical personnel Hospital maintenance
• Wellbeing Centre renovations
• Patient transportation
• Medicine and treatment
• Maintain the 24-hour medical centre

The Itinerary

Day 1

Day 2

Sunday 27th August
8.30am:Dieppe to Beauvais – 100 km / 62 miles Overnight Stay in Beauvais Hotel

Day 3

Monday 28th August
8.30am: Beauvais to Paris – 75 km / 70 miles Overnight stay in Paris
Total cycling distance – 190 miles

Day 4

Tuesday 29th August
Rest Day in Paris
Chill out meet brothers in Paris and see the sights.
Eurostar Train back to London St Pancras.

Transport back to the UK

Travel back to the UK will be by Eurostar from Paris Gare Du Nord to London St Pancras. Riders will have to make their own way from St Pancras station. London bikes will be dropped off to the Human Aid London Office, Burnley bikes will be dropped to suitable location in Burnley and Oldham and Manchester bikes will be dropped off to the Oldham Human Aid Office.

Essential Kit List

The following list contains essential equipment required for the bike trek. Please consider your own personal kit list for the entire trip, i.e., personal medication, toiletries, phone chargers and general clothing.

• Road Bike – not mountain bike
• Helmet
• Lights front and rear
• Water Bottle and cage x2
• Spare inner tubes (x2), spare tyre
• Puncture repair kit including bike pump
• Suitable bike shoes
• Light Water proof light jacket
• Cycling Jersey x2
• Padded cycling shorts – Important for a comfortable ride
• 3/4 Length pants to wear above padded shorts
• GPS device desirable –
• Phone charger power pack
• Small Ruck Sack or Bike Pouch (for small snacks during ride)
• Energy Bars x2 per day
• Shammy Cream – This could be essential to stop chafing and saddle sores.
• Sunglasses and cycling gloves
• 2-3 pairs of socks
• Passport and Travel Documents! ** Very important! **
  
  

Where can I buy suitable clothing and essentials?

PlanetX and/or Decathlon do a very good range of clothing which are more than adequate in quality for the trip. You’ll also find eBay a good place to purchase cycle accessories e.g., lights, tubes, etc.

 

FAQ’s

As a guide, you will have to reach a good level of fitness. It is essential that you physically train for this event to avoid putting your body under too much strain. Please see the training guide for a full breakdown on how you should train for this ride.

I’m fairly fit, I don’t intend to train much – can I still come?

No. There have been instances previously where some riders didn’t train much for the ride, as such they struggled badly during the first 30 miles. The group was held up for hours just so the rider could catch up. This isn’t fair on the rest of the group and we reiterate the importance of training consistently leading up to the ride. If you have not trained sufficiently, you will not enjoy the journey.

Will I have to carry my main luggage during the ride?

No. The support vehicle will transport your main luggage from one accommodation to the next. However, please ensure you have a rucksack with you to carry the essentials you require during the ride. Please ensure your luggage is locked as all valuables will be your responsibility to keep safe. Human Aid & Advocacy cannot be held responsible for any lost or stolen luggage. Maximum weight of luggage 5kg.

What kind of meals should I expect?

A mix of cereal and porridge for breakfast as well as buffet food at the hotel restaurant. Lunch will consist of pasta, sandwiches and other healthy high carb options. Dinner will have a mix of hot food from nearby restaurants. Carb is king! You may also purchase your own food from shops or restaurants if they are suitable.

Can I extend my time in Paris after the ride?

You are welcome to extend your stay after the trek as long as you like in accordance to visa restrictions. Please note that you are responsible for any accommodation and costs outside the stated itinerary.

What if I get ill or injured during the ride?

If you fall seriously ill or suffer a critical injury, we will transport you to the nearest hospital. However, you will have to bear the cost of any hospital treatment. If your injury or illness doesn’t require a visit to the hospital, we will transport you to the accommodation or keep you in the support vehicle until the ride of the day is complete.

Will it not be difficult having so many people riding at once?

The group will ride as one big team from London, it is imperative that all riders train properly before the ride to reduce stop times and injuries. It is not fair for the entire group to wait for someone who has not trained adequately before the ride.

Will I be able to have a laugh?

Of course, you can! We want you to have fun but you must understand there will be participants from all different backgrounds, so it is important to be aware of cultural insensitivities. The ride will get difficult and we may become hungry and agitated but we must have the patience and forbearance to behave as best we can according The Sunnah.

If you have any further questions or need advice, please call Zak on 07894 155092.

Fundraising

A top fundraiser gives us his insight and some advice on how to fundraise and meet your target:

“When it comes to fundraising with a group of friends, I can become very competitive and so can my friends, which is just as well as it has help us hit if not exceed our target sooner.

The most efficient way to raise money is to develop a charity webpage. That way, the sky is the limit in terms of targeting people for sponsors. Crowd funding sites also provide an option to pay online. It’s important to provide everyone with details for why you are doing the challenge and provide some background to the cause that you are raising the funds for.

Once you have made the whole world aware, be sure to update your contacts on how the fundraising is going but don’t over do it to annoy them! I usually send out a reminder email a few days before doing the challenge and then send an update email after completing the challenge.

Also try to secure as many verbal pledges as possible, that way you can bug these donors as much as you want until they actually donate. You may have to be quite cheeky to secure the verbal pledges but it’s all for a worthy cause. A good away around this is to arrange a get together with a group of friends and then when you feel it is appropriate, mention your charity challenge and be blunt and pose the question, “So are you going to sponsor me?”. Believe me, without doing this you probably won’t raise as much.

People are so busy these days that they may see your email and intend to sponsor you but then get side tracked and totally forgot. I hope you can pick up a few ideas from this, Happy fundraising!”

Food for Endurance

For everything from century rides to multi-day tours, remember these time-tested tips:

The key to riding long distances is food and drink

Sure, training is important—but nutrition and hydration are even more vital.

Enjoy the Last Meal

Eat well the night before a long ride so your muscles are crammed with glycogen the next morning. Emphasise carbohydrates such as pasta, vegetables, bread, whole grains, and fruit.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Cycling’s smooth pedalling motion means you can eat just before a long ride without risking stomach upset. You’ll need a full tank. Cycling consumes about 40 calories per mile, or 4,000 calories in a century ride.

Three hours before the start, eat about 100 grams of carbohydrate. (Cereal, skim milk, a banana, and a bagel with jam equals about 90 grams of carb.)

Pre-hydrate

Fluids are as important as food. Drink at least eight big glasses of water the day before the ride. If you don’t, your performance and comfort may plummet early. During the hour before the ride, sip 16 ounces of a sports drink.

Eat and Drink During the Ride

Drink before you feel thirsty. Your sensation of thirst lags behind your need for liquid, so grab your bottle every 15 minutes and take a couple of big swallows (about four ounces). About every 30 minutes, eat 20 grams of carbohydrate—the equivalent of half an energy bar, 2 or 3 dates or half a banana.

Hydrate After Ride

No matter how much you drink on a long ride you’ll finish dehydrated. Weigh yourself before and after, then compare the figures. Lost weight means you’ve failed to replace the fluid you’ve sweated out. Drink 20 ounces of water or sports drink for each lost pound of bodyweight.

How do you know you’ve caught up?

Your urine will be pale and plentiful, and your weight will be back to normal. Rehydrating is especially vital during multi-day rides. If you get a little behind each day, by the final day you’ll be severely dehydrated, feeling lousy, and riding poorly.

Eat for Tomorrow

Muscles replace glycogen better if you consume carbohydrate immediately after riding. So within 15 minutes of getting off the bike, eat or drink 100 grams of carbohydrate.