Bike Week 100 Challenges
Burn 100 calories by bike
Whether you are riding to get around, for leisure or to work out, cycling is an easy and achievable way to stay fit and healthy. It’s amazing the difference just a small amount of time in the saddle can make. If you’re new to cycling or haven’t ridden in a little while, then this #BikeWeek100 challenge is perfect for you.
Use our handy chart to calculate the rough distance or duration you’d need to ride along flat ground to burn 100 calories.
For instance, a 12st woman pedalling at a moderate effort would need to ride for just 16 minutes to burn those calories off. Less than you thought? We thought so!
You can use our updated journey planner to plot a route, simply experiment with your destination to find the appropriate distance. It's worth noting that the times in the chart are calculated against non-stop pedalling for the stated distance, which is often not practical when you're out riding - especially in urban environments. If this is your first time riding for a while, see our handy checklist of essential advice.
Save £100 by bike
With the cost of living crisis rumbling on, so many of us are continuing to feel the pinch and cut costs where we can. Transport is a great place to look at to lower our day to day outgoing, and switching the bike for the car is one of the most cost-effective changes you can make. But just how many trips to work or the shops would it take to save £100?
This challenge is right for you if you feel comfortable riding a bike as part of your day to day routine.
How to save £100 by bike.
Start by working out exactly how much those shorter journeys by car are costing you. For this, you can use a fuel calculator or do a few quick sums using a real calculator. You’ll need to know the fuel consumption of your vehicle in miles per gallon (MPG), its fuel type, the cost of petrol or diesel per litre and the distance of the journey. To work out the cost you need to divide the distance by the vehicle’s consumption in MPG, then times that figure by 4.54 (the number of litres in a UK gallon). Times the total by the cost of fuel per litre, and you’ll have the cost of the journey in pounds.
FUEL COST = (DISTANCE/MPG x 4.54) x £ per litre
It’s not just your trip to work where you can make savings either. Many other short journeys – to see friends, school pick-ups or shop runs – can be taken by bike. If you tot up the savings every time, it becomes very satisfying. Find out more about how much money you can save by cycling.
Cover 100 miles by bike
For more regular cyclists, or experienced returning riders who have spent some time in the saddle over the years, this is the BikeWeek100 challenge for you.
Riding 100 miles, or a ‘century’, is a huge milestone for cyclists and great feat to work towards. It’s widely considered to be the cycling equivalent of running a marathon, so it deserves a similar amount of planning and a training plan suited to your level of output. Start by being frank about your current level of fitness, what your maximal mileage looks like and begin to look at an appropriate training plan from there. You can read more about how to train for a century here.
If 100 miles seems a bit too much, or if you’d really struggle to find time for the necessary training – why not tick of 100 miles as part of a relay team? If, say, 20 miles seemed a more manageable distance, why not grab 4 friends or colleagues, pick a date, head to Cycling UK’s journey planner and plot a route!
Whichever way you choose to ride 100 miles, make sure to plan your route carefully, and take traffic and elevation into account. If it’s your first time riding this kind of distance, then you’ll probably find the quietest and flattest route is the best option.