It’s not a race and individual riders’ times are not published; if you finish within the time limit, you’ve succeeded.
Riders are expected to be self-sufficient. That doesn’t mean that you have to ride alone or that you can’t call on the services of a village blacksmith to help weld your frame back together, should the worst happen, but you navigate for yourself and if you do have any mechanical problems along the way, it’s down to you to sort them or get yourself home.
Some rides offer food along the way; more often, you’ll be finding your own sources of fuel, from cafes and pubs to village shops and service stations.
Throw in the hills, the British weather and distances ranging from 50km to 1400km and what might have sounded like a simple bike ride becomes more of a challenge – one that is appealing to increasing numbers of cyclists year on year.