Frequently Asked Questions

The ride will start and finish at Windsor Racecourse.

There will be start waves for both the Epic and Classic routes, with Epic waves starting from 08:30 am and Classic waves from 09:15 am. The event village will be open to riders from 07:30 onwards.

The Classic – approximately 40 miles, suitable for beginner cyclists who have put in some training beforehand. We’ll be on hand to help with training advice well before the event, so you can make the most of your ride.

The Epic – approximately 65 miles, suitable for 18 years and over only, due to the distance and technical challenge of the ride. 

Both routes start and finish at Windsor Race Course. More details about the routes will be available soon and are subject to change.

You can preview the planned routes here, though please note these may be subject to change. On the day of the ride, the route will be clearly sign-posted and marshalled.

Classic (40 miles): PCUK Classic · Ride with GPS

Route summary: The Classic offers a nice mixture of flat roads and climbs for riders keen for a more relaxed day in the saddle. After cycling past the historic Windsor Castle you’ll touch the edge of the stunning Chilterns before dipping down to Henley and back over the Thames. The majority of the climbing is finished before the halfway point in the ride leaving a gentle return back to the finish to celebrate at Windsor Racecourse.

Epic (65 miles): PCUK Epic · Ride with GPS

Route summary: The Epic goes through the town centre and past Windsor Castle and the renowned Eton College. Crossing Dorney Common, to the village of Cookham and the picturesque town of Marlow. The route then becomes hillier with several climbs in the Chiltern Hills. You’ll reach the highest point of the ride at the 40-mile mark with a nice easy run back to the finish at Windsor Racecourse.

Both routes will be fully sign-posted and marshalled to make sure your ride is safe and enjoyable. There will be rest stops with food and drink, a medical team, mechanics, and support recovery vehicles if you need to pull out of the event at any time. Chip timing will also be used so you can know your exact time. 

The cut-off time for the ride is between 4 and 4:30pm. If you do not make this cut off time, we will have recovery vehicles that can transport you and your bike back to the finish line. 

Yes - you’re welcome to change your route on the day of the ride. Please go to the registration desk when you arrive and we will give you a new rider number and update your details.

The Big Blue Bike Ride will take place on Sunday 8 September.

Yes there will be free parking available at Windsor Race Course on the event day, more details will be sent out nearer the time. 

We would love for you to set up a team. Please follow the steps below: 

1. Ask each member of your team to register for the event on our website 
2. During registration you will each be asked to set up a JustGiving Fundraising page 
3. Once you have all registered and have your JustGiving pages follow this guide on JustGiving to create and invite members to your team 

Pre-registration has now closed but you can still register on the day.
Visit our registration desk when you arrive, choose your route and pick up your FREE cycling jersey and get ready to ride!

If you registered before 10am on Wednesday 4 September you should receive your cycling jersey in the post before your ride. If you registered after 10am on Wednesday 4 September, or your jersey doesn't arrive in time, please head to the registration desk on Sunday and we'll provide you with your free jersey on the day.

If you registered before 10am on Wednesday 4 September you should receive your rider pack in the post before your ride. If you registered after 10am on Wednesday 4 September, or you no longer have your rider pack, please head to the registration desk on Sunday and we'll provide you with your pack.

Yes, registration for this charity event is £35 per rider.  

Your £35 fee includes a free branded technical cycling jersey upon entry, a rider pack to get you ready for the Big Blue Bike Ride and a medal when you cross the finish line.   

Yes. There will be toilets to use throughout the day at Windsor Race Course and food and drink for you to buy before and after your ride. There will also be toilets available at rest stops.

We’ve teamed up with Runningwithus, to give you expert information on how to train safely in the run up to your Big Blue Bike Ride. Drop us an email at [email protected] so we can send you the link to download our guides.

If you’re feeling a bit rusty, check out Runningwithus’ guide to better cycling for more advice.

We’ve teamed up with Runningwithus, to give you expert information on how to train safely in the run up to your Big Blue Bike Ride.

RunningWithUs created bespoke training plans for our two Big Blue Bike Ride routes:

The 40 mile Classic

The 65 mile Epic

If you’re feeling a bit rusty, check out Runningwithus’ guide to better cycling for more advice.

The Epic ride is an adult-only ride (18 years and over) due to the distance and technical challenge of the route. 

You must be over 14-years-old to take part in the Classic ride. Anyone under 18 years of age will need a parent or guardian to register on their behalf. As the parent or guardian, you agree to take full responsibility at all times for any children under the age of 18 that you have registered to attend the Big Blue Bike Ride. 

If you would like to register a child between 14-17 years of age, please contact us at [email protected].

The route is not suitable to take part with someone in a child's seat on your bike. 

Both routes are on-road so your bike must be suitable for road riding. If you want to check if your bike is suitable for the ride then please contact us at [email protected].

If you have any accessibility needs, please get in touch at [email protected] so we can support you.

Yes. For your safety at this event, we strongly recommend always wearing a helmet whilst you are cycling. Please make sure your helmet conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened. 

For further information about cycling safely, please refer to our cycling code of conduct

The Big Blue Bike Ride will be supported by experienced mechanics on the day. More information about where they will be stationed and how to get in touch with them will be available in advance of the event. 

This charity event may be photographed or filmed for our use in print, press and online marketing. By attending this event you're giving consent for your image to appear in these. If you're concerned or do NOT wish to be part of these materials, please contact us in advance of the day by emailing [email protected]. Or speak to a member of staff when you arrive on 8 September.

There will be refreshments available at Windsor Race Course and at the rest stops along the route, but we would also recommend that you bring your own food and drink for while you are out on the ride – especially if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.   

We’ve teamed up with WMP Events who recommend bringing::

• A waterproof cycle jacket 
• Your Prostate Cancer UK T-shirt, which you received after signing up. Or your blue Prostate Cancer UK cycling jersey, if you raise over £500. 
• Padded cycling shorts
• Cycle shoes 
• Helmet (to be worn throughout the ride - Snell, ANSI or CE approved) 

• Bike lock 
• Drinks bottle and personal snacks 
• Sunglasses and sun cream 
• Casual clothes and a change of footwear for before and after the ride 
• Carry a spare inner tube, tyre levers and a pump 
• Bring sufficient layers of clothing with you – these should be brightly coloured, or highly visible clothing so other motorists can spot you easily

Although we will have support on-hand during the event, we recommend that you learn or know how to repair a puncture and get your bike serviced before the event day. 

Once you complete the Big Blue Bike Ride you will get a well-deserved finisher medal. You can then enjoy our event village at Windsor Race Course, where there will be food and drink available while you celebrate with your friends and family.  

We encourage your friends and family to join us at Windsor Race Course to cheer you on. There will be food and drink to buy, music and seating. 

They are also welcome to join us along the routes and at our Mile for Men to support you. More details about where they can wait will be available well in advance of the event.

Whilst we would love to welcome your friends and families to our rest stops, we ask that these areas are reserved for our cyclists, so there is enough space for them to rest and enjoy a refreshment.

The Mile for Men is a mile within the ride dedicated to all the dads, brothers, partners, grandads, sons, uncles and mates affected by prostate cancer. When you enter the Mile for Men at Dorney Common, take a moment to ride, remember and reflect:

Ride for the 1 in 8 men affected by prostate cancer in the UK.

Remember and celebrate the times you’ve shared with the men you love.

Reflect on the challenge you’ve taken on to help beat prostate cancer.

Sign up

We’re asking cyclists to raise as much as they can to help beat prostate cancer and save men’s lives. We’d suggest aiming for £200.   

£200 could pay for ten hours of research, bringing us closer to stopping prostate cancer being a killer.

We would encourage you to start fundraising as soon as you have registered for the Big Blue Bike Ride. You can keep fundraising before, during and up to six weeks after the ride.

Getting started with your fundraising is really simple. Here are three easy steps to get going:

1. Set up your JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/prostatecancer
2. Share your fundraising page link with friends and family, and ask them to donate
3. Pop in a donation yourself to get the ball rolling

We’ll be on hand to support and offer advice on how to smash your fundraising target - feel free to get in touch with any questions by emailing [email protected]. We’ll also send you tips leading up to the ride.

Log in to your page

We encourage all cyclists to set up a JustGiving page for this event – this is the easiest way for you to collect your sponsorship money. You can send the link to your JustGiving page to your family and friends,  so they can make a donation to your page. 

1. Set up your JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/prostatecancer
2. Share your fundraising page link with friends and family, and ask them to donate
3. Your lifesaving donations will come straight to Prostate Cancer UK without you needing to do anything