Riding from London to Wales and back again

(in a day)

Happy Thursday, gang! I’m officially (I think) recovered from this weekend’s epic escapade and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! 👊

You might have noticed that I’ve been writing a lot of pretty personal recaps recently and, if I’m being completely honest, it’s starting to take a bit of an emotional toll; there’s only so many times I can relive feelings of self-doubt and ineptitude without it getting under my skin. So I’ve decided to mix things up a little this week. Instead of getting all vulnerable and doing a deep dive into my experience of the event (which I may or may not decide to do later), I’m going to talk about all the practicalities of the ride; my bike setup, what kit I packed, what I actually used, what I ate, what I wish I didn’t eat, and how I survived riding through the night. That’s still worth reading, right?!

Hopefully it can act as a guide for those of you thinking about doing the event yourself, or those of you who might be planning a similar distance ride and are wondering what to bring (or leave behind).

Either way, as always, I hope it’s helpful and if there’s anything else you’d like to know, feel free to drop a question in the comments :)

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Before we dive into all the nitty gritty logistics, let me first give you a little run down of the event itself and why I think it’s ✨so great✨. I’ll start by saying that London Wales London is one of the most popular events on the Audax calendar, and, having now ridden it twice, it’s easy to see why.

Epic Strava map aside, the event delivers everything you could hope for from a 400km ride: stunning scenery, solid support, and a route that challenges and rewards in equal measure, whether you're a seasoned Audaxer or tackling the distance for the very first time.

You’ve got to admit, the map is pretty cool…

One of the standout features of the ride is the route itself. Escaping London by bike often means wrestling with congested A-roads and heavy traffic, but somehow, Liam (the mastermind behind the event) has managed to thread together 400km of mostly quiet B-roads and winding country lanes. The result? A route that feels peaceful, scenic, and surprisingly stress-free. It’s not exactly flat, but the gradients are generally kind, with just enough punchy climbs (I’m looking at you, Yat Rock!) to keep things interesting and prevent your legs from switching to autopilot.

And then there’s the support. The manned controls are *chef’s kiss*, with warm meals, endless coffee, and cheery volunteers that makes it feel like you’ve rolled into a friend’s kitchen rather than a community centre checkpoint at 2am in the morning.

Rolling towards the first control (and the promise of beans on toast) at Islip

In short, it really is a brilliant event, and one I’d recommend to anyone looking to push themselves over a longer distance while still enjoying the comfort of shared camaraderie, and the reassurance of feed stops en route.

Psst — entries for 2026 open in late September and fill up FAST, so make sure you’re signed up to Audax UK and have your email notifications switched on!

🚴‍♀️ Bike set-up and kit list

400km is a funny distance. It’s too short to really warrant a proper sleep stop, but too long to be able to avoid the affects of sleep deprivation. That also makes it one of the most challenging. Especially when it comes to knowing what to pack.

The first time I tackled this ride was back in 2023 when I was training for All Points North. I remember stressing so bad about what to bring that I ended up packing everything but the kitchen sink. Whilst this might have meant that I was super prepared for all eventualities (something I like to pride myself on), it also meant that my bike was incredibly heavy. After carrying around spare bibs, socks, and endless other ‘just-in-case’ items of clothing, twenty-four hours later, I’d used virtually none of it.

This year I joined the start line with a lot more experience under my belt, and a much better idea of how far I could push my kit. I’m happy to report that, not only did I pack faaarrrr less (meaning a much lighter bike), but I also ended up using everything I did pack at least once throughout the ride. Is that a win, or is that a win?!

Firstly, I had the layers I started the ride in:

• Merino short-sleeved base layer (DHB)

• Short-sleeve jersey (Kostüme)

• Cargo bib shorts (Kostüme)

• Merino arm warmers (DHB)

• Merino socks (Endura)

• Merino glove liners (Assos)

• Cycling shoes (Lake)

• Cycling cap

• Photochromatic sunglasses (Van Rysel) - these are great for rides that span both night and day because the lenses adjust based on the light!

Then, I had my spare layers for when the temperature dropped:

• Knee warmers (Kostüme)

• Long sleeved thermal jersey (DHB)

• Waterproof jacket (Goretex shakedry)

• Down jacket (Rapha) - I’ll literally never ride without this.

• Waterproof gloves (Q36.5 Anifibo)

• Merino buff (Albion)

• Insulated burner (Albion) - one of my new favourite bits of kit; it adds a serious amount of warmth for such a tiny piece of fabric.

As night fell, things got bitterly cold. With over 250km already in the legs and my body struggling to regulate its temperature, staying warm became a real battle. If I hadn’t packed the extra layers (even though they may have seemed excessive during the warmth of the day) my experience of riding through the night would have been a completely different story. I struggled a lot during the night, but at least I can say it wasn’t due to the cold.

Keeping toasty warm in all my layers as the sun starts to rise

Another essential pair of items for night riding are obviously your bike lights; making sure you have lights that will confidently last the distance and are strong enough to illuminate the road in front of you. Let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than riding down some pitch-black country road at 3am when your light starts flashing its warning sign that its on its last legs. I mean, what do you do? You’re in the middle of nowhere, and now you can’t see. The obvious solution is to make sure you’re never in that situation to start with.

Which is exactly why I always, always bring back-up lights. Multiple, if I can get away with it.

• Front light (Exposure Strada MK11) - I usually have this set on mode 3, which lasts for up to 12 hours on the medium setting, or 36 hours on the low setting.

• Rear light (Exposure Blaze MK2)

• Spare front light (Halfords 1600 lumens) - I’m a huge fan of this light. It packs a huge punch for a pretty budget-friendly price, as well as being super easy to mount. Not only that, but it also doubles as a power pack if you need to charge your phone or Garmin (multi-use items for the win!)

• Spare rear light (Cateye)

• Helmet light (Brightside) - this is not only great at increasing your visibility whilst riding, but also helps illuminate where you’re turning your head i.e. being able to see your bottle holders or fixing a mechanical on the side of the road.

And all of this was packed into my trusty choice of bike bags:

• Tailfin rack and bag

• Top tube bag (Apidura)

Aside from packable kit, I should probably also highlight a few aspects of my bike setup that deserve an honourable mention.

• GRX 600 Groupset with 46/30 chainset and 34 cassette

• Hutchinson Challenger 32mm tubeless tyres - they might add a little bit of extra weight, but I haven’t punctured in over 6,000km (I know I’ve probably just jinxed it)

• Ergon SR saddle

• Redshift Shockstop Endurance PRO suspension seat post - my lifeline when it comes to preventing saddle-sores

• Redshift PRO suspension stem

• Redshift ergonomic handlebar drops

• Profile Design aerobars

🍕 Eating and fuelling strategy

If I’ve learned anything over the (short few) years of being involved in long-distance cycling, it’s that you need to take your food seriously. And by that I don’t mean that you need to calculate and measure out the exact amount of carbs you need to consume and when (although that definitely works for some people!), but that you shouldn’t underestimate how much, or how often, you need to eat.

You might be able to survive a weekend club ride on a handful of gels and a few swigs of water, but the longer the distance, the more likely your body has to dip into its reserves, and the more likely you are to put yourself in a hole. And trust me, that’s definitely not a good place to be.

The diet of an ultra-cyclist

Unfortunately there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to what to eat on a ride like this (you’ll need to go through a bit of trial and error to find what works for you), but most people agree that you need a good amount of ‘real food’ alongside the sweet, sugary carbs you might be used to. That means eating a variety of foods to keep your nutrition in check; for example, whilst your body is going to primarily rely on carbs to keep itself fuelled, there’s definitely no harm in introducing a little protein to help your muscles re-build and recover.

Here’s a rundown of everything I ate in the twenty-four period:

• 2 x beans on toast

• 1 x hash brown

• 1 x chocolate croissant

• 4 x squares bar (marshmallow flavour)

• 1 x pack of party rings

• 1 x cheese and onion pasty

• 1 x Bavarian cream slice

• 2 x snickers

• 1 x vegetarian chilli and rice

• 2 x Swiss roll cake slice

• 4 x Bourbon biscuits

• 1 x banana

• 1 x cheese and tomato toastie

• At least 5 x cups of coffee

Now, to some people this might sound like a lot and to others it might sound like too little. As I said, fuelling is a very personal thing and you’ll need to figure out what works for you. I personally need to eat quite a lot to keep myself performing optimally, whereas I know others who can function on carb drink alone, and both strategies are totally ok. The trick is to try and see food as fuel, and ignore your typical daily eating habits. It’s not unusual to burn up to 12,000 calories on a ride like this, so it’s all too easy to put your body into a deficit if you don’t keep on top of your eating. Trust me. When in doubt, eat.

🌙 Riding through the night

This definitely wasn’t my first rodeo; I’d ridden through the night on many occasions, but for some reason, this time hit different. By the time 3am rolled around, my head was heavy and I could feel my eyelids desperate to close. The road in front of me became blurry as my eyes refused to focus, and no matter what I did, I just couldn’t shake the overwhelming urge to sleep.

Looking back, I probably should have stopped long before I did. I must have fallen asleep at least three times whilst riding, jolting myself awake milliseconds later when I felt myself slumping towards the handlebars. It was a pretty hairy situation, and kind of terrifying to think about.

As frustrating as it might be, when you’re faced with this level of exhaustion, there’s really only one thing you can do: and that’s sleep it off. It doesn’t need to be a long kip—a few minutes on a bench or in a bus shelter (lovingly referred to as an Audax hotel) can sometimes be just enough to take the edge off. The important thing is that you get your body back to a place where it feels safe enough to keep riding without the risk of veering into the bushes—or worse.

Taking a quick power nap on bench outside a pub at 4am

But if you remember just one thing about riding through the night, let it be this: the way you feel now, won’t be the way you feel forever.

Yes, it’s going to suck for a bit. Your average speed is going to drop, your legs are going to feel weak, exhaustion is going to take over, and you’re going to question whether you can make it. But all of these feelings are temporary. Just a part of night’s cruel trick. Even if you’re so tired that you think you’re beyond saving, that only a full eight hours in a proper bed could revive you—you’re wrong. As soon as dawn breaks and you see that first glimpse of sun cast its light across the sky, everything’s going to change.

Your body will begin to stir back to life. The heaviness in your limbs will ease, your eyelids will lift, and the grey fog of fatigue will start to clear. With every turn of the pedals, the world will brighten, not just with light, but with possibility. And you'll be reminded of what you’ve known deep down all along: you can do this. You already are.

With that in mind, here are a few handy tips for surviving the night and reaching the dawn:

• Expect the low points, and know they’ll pass. You will hit rough patches. Tiredness, doubt, and frustration are all part of the deal. But remind yourself: this is temporary. Your body and mind have incredible bounce-back power, especially after sunrise. Don’t make decisions (like quitting!) in your lowest moment.

• Keep eating and drinking. Even if you don’t feel hungry, your brain and body need fuel. Tiredness can often be low energy in disguise. Set a timer if needed to remind yourself to eat and drink regularly, it can genuinely make or break your night ride.

• Stimulate your senses. Talk out loud, sing, change up your playlist, or switch to podcasts to keep your brain engaged. The night can get eerily quiet and monotonous, so sometimes it helps to keep your mind ticking.

• Take micro breaks. A five-minute stop to stretch, breathe, or just be still can help reset your brain. But remember not to sit for too long, or it will feel harder to start again! Stand, move, refocus.

• Prep mentally ahead of time. Before your ride, visualise what you’ll do when the night feels tough. What will you say to yourself? What’s your “why”? Write it down and bring it with you. Those words might be the thing that keeps you going at 3 a.m.

• Remember: the sunrise changes everything. The night can feel endless, but morning always comes. And when it does, your energy returns, your motivation lifts, and everything feels possible again ✨

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