(Almost) everything you need to know about cycling to MIPIM

Wedlake Bell recently hosted an evening for first-time Knight Frank Cycle to MIPIM riders. If you missed the evening, or just need a little recap on some key elements - including kit, ensuring your bike is ride-ready, nutrition during the event, training, and a few notes about the ride itself, then read on...

What are you wearing?

• Don’t pack too much! Try and aim for 15kg.
• Test out different variations of kit on your training rides with all the different weather conditions the UK has to offer! 
• Handwarmers are a wonderful thing.
• Have a brightly-coloured day bag – there are lots of black rucksacks! 

How’s your bike?

• Book your bike in for a full service soon, they get busy before the Spring rush! 
• Know your bike and how to use it – understand your gears.
• Understand what gearing (cassette) you have and what brakes you have to help the mechanics if you get a flat on the road.
• What’s a rear mech hanger and why do I need a spare?
  • Rear mech hangers are a small piece of soft metal that holds your rear derailleur (gear changer) onto your bike frame. Its designed to break if you fall off and knock the derailleur. therefore hopefully saving the derailleur (expensive to replace) and your frame (even more expensive to replace). 
  • They are specific to your bike make, model and sometimes year of manufacture. They cost very little, but if you don’t have a spare one, and yours breaks, then riding the event on your bike could be over. We only have a limited number of spare bikes.
• Think about going for a bike fit – but do it as soon as you can! This will help with your position on the bike, and can eliminate the potential for injury caused by bad alignment or incorrect settings of your handlebars, seat etc.

What should you be eating?

• Practice eating and drinking on the bike on every training ride.
• You should you be able to manage a 2-hour stage without going to the toilet. Try not to down your drink, instead drink little and often.
• When bringing your own nutrition that you’re used to, unwrap it and chop it into bite size pieces and store in a Ziploc bag. It is hard to open a bar with thick gloves on! 
• What’s in your back pocket (or top tube bag)?
  • Possibly a sandwich! Bring a Ziploc bag to stop it/anything going mushy in your pocket.
  • Sweets, chocolate bar, energy bars, gels, layers, jacket etc.
  • Gels and electrolytes! Bring your own, as these are very specific to individuals and Club Peloton don’t supply them… And don’t try them for the first time on the event!
• A top tube bag for small pieces of food and snacks is easy to get to – they may not look cool but they will help on this challenge. They also mean that your back pocket remains free for a windbreaker/jacket/gilet.

Getting to grips with training

• Make sure you have been to at least one training ride with Club Peloton before MIPIM. This gives you the opportunity to meet fellow riders and your Ride Captains (RCs), and brush up on your peloton skills. 
• If you’re wanting to stop while in the peloton, let your RC know by raising your hand.
• If and when you need to stop, a RC will stop with you so that you are in constant communication with the rest of the ride via their radios. 

On the ride

• Don’t think about the ride as “7 days and 1500km”, as its sounds unachievable… rather think about it as “2 x 50km stages a day”.
• Mudguards are no longer a “don’t bring” item. Just make sure they are fitted correctly!
• Don’t do extra stages if you’re not capable as it could be to the detriment of the compulsory stages your team are riding. If you are asking a RC if you should do extra stages, then you probably already know the answer… (“No!”)
• Listen to RC’s… they are the eyes and ears on the road, and the radio link to the Support team.
• Hold the wheel of the person in front of you! Even if you know you can very easily close the gap to them by speeding up for a short period, think about the people behind you who may not have the same amount of power output as you. As you accelerate to close a gap, you then immediately leave the person/people behind you fighting the wind, and unable to close the gap. Holding a wheel steady saves everyone’s energy when riding in a peloton.
• Be organised!
  • Sort out your kit for the next day before you go to bed
  • Pack as much of your Hotel Bag and Day Bag the night before so you have less to do in the morning
  • Prioritise the things to do at each stop… you may not be able to achieve everything in 20 mins if you are riding multiple stages
  • Keep your Day Bag as tidy as possible, and know where you store things… i.e. lights in the front pocket, battery charger in the main bag, cables with the battery pack etc. It saves time and brain power when you don’t have a lot of time to think!
• Ride together, as mentioned above: it saves a lot of energy. Be prepared to ride slower/faster than you train at and keep in mind that you may need to add or remove layers of clothing accordingly
• Remember that the average speed for the stages is 25km/h, and that’s the average, so you’ll be riding parts of each stage at greater than 25km/h!
• Mid-stage pee stops are not welcomed by anyone:
  • The Support Crew get detached from the main ride
  • A RC has to stay with you
  • The motos then have to manage a strung-out peloton
  • The front of the ride will be asked to slow up to allow you, the RC, and the support vehicles to catch up! So please don’t do it.