Here are some ideas/tips that might help you ahead of the Ride:

The Great Weston Ride is designed to attract and cater for riders of all abilities, and the main objective of the Ride is that ALL riders should be able to complete the course and enjoy a great day out. 

Naturally, a little bit of preparation in advance will help greatly with this.

So to help everyone to get the most out of the experience, we've gathered together a series of short 'How to...' videos that provide helpful advice and tips in terms of:

• techniques for better cycling;
• staying safe when riding; and
• some useful bike maintenance & simple repair instructions.

NB most of the videos are American so please bear that in mind (eg right means left! etc), and you may encounter the occasional ad at the start, but these can usually be skipped within a few seconds.

A lot of the advice in the videos is fairly simple/basic stuff (but useful and necessary nonetheless!), and hopefully there's at least something in there for everyone!

Finally, there's also a section below containing general advice, particularly in relation to equipment that you might need on the day of the Ride itself, and we recommend that all riders pay particular attention to this. 

GENERAL ADVICE

The ride can be undertaken on most types of bike - the most important thing to ensure is that the bike is safe and roadworthy. If in any doubt, your local bike shop will be able to check and advise.

For riders with mountain bikes, it might be worth thinking about fitting slick tyres to make pedalling that little bit easier - it's not impossible on knobbly tyres, but it will definitely be that bit harder!

Clothing should be practical - it doesn't need to be cycling-specific, but padded shorts are most definitely recommended if you have them, for obvious reasons. Gloves are also a good idea, as you may be gripping the handlebars for several hours. And it's best to wear several layers of clothing, so that these can be added/removed as necessary according to weather conditions and levels of effort!

And all riders are strongly encouraged to wear a cycle helmet (compulsory for Under 18s).

The ride takes place in July, so riders should also come prepared with plenty of sunblock and/or a rain jacket, according to the forecast.

And every rider should carry some basic 'survival' equipment - a pump and a spare inner tube are essential bits of kit for the bike, and plenty of water and snacks for the rider.

It's also a good idea to carry some spare cash and a mobile phone in case of emergency or breakdown (emergency contact numbers will be provided by the Organisers, and there will be ample medical and mechanical support available on the route).

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