Easiest – A challenge for beginners, suitable for most fitness levels.
Moderate – Slightly more demanding. Some previous experience is beneficial.
Advanced – A difficult challenge, a real test of endurance and agility.
Expert – The most strenuous of our challenges. High fitness and specialised gear are often necessary.
Commemorate the 110th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme on the Big Battlefield Bike Ride 2026. A 4-day charity cycling challenge of history, camaraderie and fundraising.
Our annual charity cycle is a 250+ mile four-day challenge suitable for riders of all abilities.
Mark the 110th Anniversary of The Battle of the Somme with a community of riders making a real difference to the lives of veterans today.
Start in Ypres before cycling through historic WW1 sights in Northern France. Finish with a poignant tribute to the fallen soldiers of the First World War at Thiepval Memorial — the largest Commonwealth war memorial in the world.
Our experienced cycling events team ensures seamless support before, during and after the ride. All you need to do is focus on pedalling and raising money to change the lives of veterans and their families.
This challenge is bespoke to Help for Heroes and organised and managed by our event provider, Discover Adventure.
Camaraderie, history and cycling in the amazing countryside. It ticked all the boxes. It’s a brilliant experience.
Photographed by Jen Bott
There are two ways of funding your ride. For both options, there is a non-refundable registration fee of £199 to secure your place.
Option 1 | Fundraising
By choosing to fundraise you commit to raising a minimum of £3,000 per person.
To make fundraising easier, this has been split into several targets and due dates.
| Date due | Total amount to have reached | |
| Secure your place | On registration | £199 |
| First fundraising target | 20 March 2026 | £1,549 |
| 80% of target | 12 June 2026 | £2,500 |
| Minimum fundraising target | 04 September 2026 | £3,000 |
Option 2 | Self-funding
Alternatively, you may prefer to cover all the trip costs yourself.
If you wish to do this, you agree to pay Discover Adventure (our ride provider) your registration and the trip costs directly. You also pledge to fundraise £1,451 by 04 September ’26.
| Date due | Amounts due | |
| Secure your place | On registration | £199 |
| Trip costs | 20 March 2026 | £1,549 |
| Pledged fundraising target | 04 September 2026 | £1,451 |
Whichever option you choose, every penny you raise after meeting your trip costs goes to help veterans and their families. That includes anything up to and beyond your total fundraising target of £3000 (due on 04 Sept 2026).
If you have any questions about this bike riding challenge then the Help for Heroes Events Team is on hand from Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Email: events@helpforheroes.org.uk
In addition to answering your questions here are just some of the things you can expect from Team Help for Heroes:
A dedicated support team on hand to assist you with all aspects of the cycle challenge
Fundraising and training advice
Free digital fundraising tools with everything you need to get started including your fundraising guide, posters and sponsorship forms
Big Battlefield Bike Ride Facebook Group where you can meet your fellow riders and find all sorts from cycling tips to fundraising advice, so get involved!
If you are thinking of signing up for a charity cycle challenge like this, then it is understandable that you may have some questions.
Take a look at our FAQs to find out more about the multi-day cycling event and some of the most frequently asked questions since 2008.
Not at all, the ride is suitable for a mix of abilities and we have plenty of first-time riders each year. We advise that you do regular training rides on a mix of hills and flats before the event, so you're prepared for cycling for four days.
We'll send you a training guide within your first month. We're happy to help with any training preparation too so you can have a truly enjoyable ride. This year's ride is 250 miles in total.
Here's what one of our riders said:
“I’d never really cycled up until I started to train for my first event. I really enjoyed the cycling, and now cycle three or four times a week. All of my training was done alone, so being able to ride with a group was amazing!"
You'll get access to our cycling event participant Facebook Group upon registering, so you can join forces with fellow riders on training sessions and get motivated.
Whether your experience includes a London to Paris bike ride, a cycling event in Europe, or you're new to long-distance cycling, you’ll find the Big Battlefield Bike Ride a fun and rewarding experience.
The Big Battlefield Bike Ride charity bike ride is not designed to be a race; however, you should be comfortable maintaining around 10 - 12mph. An average day will be around 60-70 miles and in true Help for Heroes style, you can expect some sneaky hills along the way. The days in the saddle will be broken up with water and food breaks, along with historian-led stops and visits to war cemeteries.
Yes! If you are part of a team please make sure you let the Events Team know by emailing events@helpforheroes.org.uk, if you haven’t already done so on your registration. We will do our best to put your group in the same hotels during the ride.
The first target covers the cost of your trip (including accommodation, transport and food) is due by 20 March 2026.
We know this sounds daunting, but we have seen fundraisers raise this amount over a weekend!
Of course, we're here to support you to make sure you smash your fundraising.
Yes you can. These costs need to be paid by 20 March to secure your place.
Simply register, then contact us at events@helpforheroes.org.uk and we'll help you with this.
The suggested minimum fundraising target for this cycling challenge is £3,000 of which £199 is payable on registration, and £1,549 must be received by Help for Heroes by 20 March 2026 to cover the cost of your trip.
The remainder of your fundraising will support veterans and their families. You'll still have three months after your challenge to boost your fundraising.
We encourage all fundraisers to be open and transparent. No matter what fundraising activity you are planning, it's always important that you state if a proportion of all money raised is going towards the costs of your participation in the challenge. Unless you've self-funded the trip costs.
We suggest the following wording: “Please note that a proportion of the total money raised will be used to cover the costs of my participation in the challenge, which totals £1,549.”
Our Events Team are always on hand to guide you through your fundraising. Once you register you'll receive our comprehensive fundraising guide, planner and sponsorship form via email to help you get started.
Keep an eye on your inbox because we'll send you tools and fundraising ideas to support you throughout your challenge. There's also our participant Facebook Group brimming with advice. From top tips to newsletters, advice to wristbands; we will do our best to help you become a fundraising champion!
If you're raring to get going simply search 'Fundraising Tools' on our website.
We recommend using a road/racing or e-bike for this cycling challenge. Whatever bike you choose to use, you should complete plenty of training on it, so you are comfortable.
Clipless pedals (with cleated shoes) give you greater power from the effort you put into each pedal revolution – they take some getting used to though and most people will fall off a few times. Please ensure you get used to them in good time before the ride.
To comply with French standards, your bike must have reflectors at the front and rear, plus you must always carry a hi-vis vest and wear it in poor visibility.
Please comply as French Police can stop you. If you have a high-quality bike frame without reflector fittings, ensure it can be attached securely to your saddle bag or clothing.
It is essential that your bike is in good mechanical order before leaving the UK. If in doubt most good bike shops will service it for you.
There will be a full tool kit with spares (e.g. inner tubes and puncture repair kits) carried in the support vehicles but we cannot supply spares for all eventualities. Spares will be charged at competitive rates advised by the mechanics on the ride.
If your bike has unusual features (e.g. flat spokes) please bring suitable spares and tools required. Do not assume bike shops on route stock everything, many have to order specialist parts.
Help for Heroes works closely with Discover Adventure, our tour operator who supports the logistics of the ride. We have worked with Discover Adventure for many years and teams from both companies are present during the event.
After the evening meal, your time is your own. Some people choose to rest their weary limbs and get an early night, others choose to spend time getting to know each other better.
Most meals are included apart from those stated above. Lunches are prepared using fresh local ingredients and will give you lots of energy, and there is plenty of it! Evening meals will either be taken in hotels or in local restaurants.
We recommend bringing some snacks if you'd like an extra boost during cycling, or once the day's ride is over.
The Events Team is on hand Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm to answer any questions you may have. Email events@helpforheroes.org.uk and we’ll respond as soon as we can or give you a call back if you prefer.
Whether your question relates to fundraising or cycling, we’ve probably been asked it before so get in touch and we’ll point you in the right direction.
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Johnathon, who lives in Portsmouth, took part in Help for Heroes’ flagship event for the first time in 2019 as part of his recovery as a member of the charity’s fellowship group, the Band of Brothers – and was due to take part in the BBBR in 2020 before
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Mark Elliott has attended all the Charity’s Big Battlefield Bike Rides, but still insists he’s no cyclist ...
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Fundraiser Michelle Darragh has taken on many challenges as well as volunteering at events, and will be tackling both Ben Nevis and the Sahara Desert treks in support of the Charity.
