Big Ride Challenge

Our annual mileage challenge has four different distances to sign up to and comes with smaller targets to hit along the way.

By Simon Richardson

last updated 14 May 2025

Are you looking for something to give your riding an extra boost this summer? We launched the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge at the beginning of 2025, but it's definitely not too late to join in!

Sign up to one of our four ride challenges and we’ll help inspire you to ride further than ever before. From 500 to 5,000 miles we’ve got a challenge for everyone.

Alongside the motivation that comes from setting yourself a clear cycling goal, sign up below and we'll send you two monthly challenges on the first day of the month. These range from fun, photo based challenges to specific distance, climbing or time goals.

They're all easy enough to do, but hard enough to keep challenging you. And most of the challenges can be completed on an indoor trainer with a virtual riding platform logging your miles. So no matter where you are in the world, you can log your miles and earn yourself a medal!

If you want extra motivation then join the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge Facebook group and our club on Strava. Here you'll be able to see how other riders taking part in the challenge are getting on, read some fantastic stories and see some beautiful images. We'll also be featuring riders taking part on the website and in Cycling Weekly magazine!

And very soon you'll be able to join other MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge riders – and members of the Cycling Weekly team – on weekly rides on MyWhoosh. We're just preparing the first ride and will let you know as soon as its ready to go!

MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge logos — No matter how far you want to ride in 2025, we've got a challenge to inspire you (Image credit: Future)

The Mini - Ride 500 miles. This could take you one month, three months or all year. It doesn’t matter. 500 miles in a year is just 41.6 miles a month, so there’s no rush to start riding in the middle of winter. That’s why the monthly challenges for The Mini will at first focus on general health and fitness, before getting you to venture out on your bike when the daylight hours stretch out and the temperature starts creeping up.

The Midi - Ride 1,000 miles. To complete this challenge you’ll need to hit just under 100 miles a month. That might not be too hard in the middle of summer, but in winter it can be a big ask. For those who hit the distance sooner than they think, there’s always the chance of moving on to The Maxi

The Maxi - Ride 2,500 miles. A serious task for any rider, no matter how committed you are. Completing this challenge will require you to ride over 200 miles a month, that means 49 miles every week. As per the other challenges, all miles count toward the total, including indoor miles logged in virtual worlds.

CW5000 - Ride 5,000 miles. The original challenge and still a mammoth task for any rider, requiring consistent riding all year round. We’ve never had more than 1,000 people complete the challenge in the four years it’s been running. Could 2024 be the year we see a record number? You can find out who completed this challenge in 2024 with our finishers list. Sign up to add your name to the 2024 list.

Sign up for free

CW Big Ride Challenge testamonial — *No matter the distance, the challenge inspires riders from all round the world* (Image credit: Future)

How it works

Sign up: It’s simple, quick and free. Enter your details into the form above, select which challenge you want to tackle click 'Sign me up to the Big Ride Challenge!' You’ll receive a welcome email when you sign up, but a lot of these end up in SPAM folders. Please check yours and update your settings to let your email provider know that we’re not spam.

Get riding: This is the important bit. Get out and ride your bike. Or stay in. All miles count whether they’re on an indoor trainer with a screen in front of you, or out on the road in real life. Remember, it’s an individual challenge for you to complete, you’re not in a race with anyone else. Keep an eye out for our weekly rides on MyWhoosh and join other riders from around the world!

Log your miles: Keep a record of every mile you’ve ridden and watch them add up through the year. Most of our riders log their miles on Strava, but there are lots of ride logging platforms available and we don’t mind which one you use. You can also log them on a spreadsheet or on the CW mileage chart. We’ve been printing it in the magazine for over 100 years, and thousands of cyclists have used it in that time.

Get involved: The private Facebook group linked to this challenge is a supportive and friendly place where people post about their riding. You can also join the Strava club or the WhatsApp channel where we'll be posting fitness, riding and training content. We love hearing about your two wheel adventures, and the best stories and photographs are used in our monthly round ups. You’ll also be set two smaller challenges every month to help keep you riding.

Order your medal: Once you’ve completed the distance send us proof of your mileage and you’ll be added to the challenges finishers list. You’ll also be able to order your medal that we’ll send out along with a finishers certificate.

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Big Ride Challenge

Sign up for free

How it works

'Cycling Saved My Life': MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge rider, Elaine Scott on her driving force

How to strike the perfect balance between indoor and outdoor cycling

Join us for a 45-min spin on MyWhoosh every Thursday evening

MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge 2025 July targets

More bang for your bucks – does indoor cycling really offer a harder workout than an outdoor ride

Hot weather cycling: 6 tips to help you keep your cool

'Friends of mine tell me I've got a wonderful sniffer': How one rider combines his love of cake with an obsession for riding

I rode my bike outside for the first time in four months after a winter cycling indoors - did riding 2,000 miles in my shed prepare me for outdoor reality?

What is MyWhoosh? — What to know about the UCI's chosen virtual cycling platform

Why pay for Zwift when you can ride on MyWhoosh for free?

I'm living proof that life begins at 50: Why it’s never too late to be the fittest you’ve ever been

CW Big Ride Challenge monthly targets

MyWhoosh 4.0 is here with virtual gear shifting and dynamic road creation

Riding with Raynaud’s: How to beat cold hands and feet over winter

Download the 2025 CW mileage chart

Which muscles does cycling work the most?

Big Ride Challenge 2024 Finishers List

'My riding companion proceeded to fragment into countless tiny particles and dissolve into the night sky — I was hallucinating': Inside a 500km ultra ride

‘What MyWhoosh is planning over the long term excited us very much,’ says UCI - here’s what’s in store for the Cycling Esports World Championships

Eight-step guide to crafting your achievable goal this year, according to a cycling coach

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ERG mode for indoor cycling explained: what it is, how to use it - and when you shouldn't...

Time to rethink your cycling goals? Here's how to set sustainable targets for the year ahead