Ridestaffs

I bet he’s reaching for a crisp packet.

I know I always have one somewhere in the tool roll.

Not because I’m especially committed to mid-ride snacks — although that helps — but because an empty crisp packet can be surprisingly useful if you badly cut a tyre and need something to sit between the casing and the inner tube.

It got me thinking about all the slightly odd things cyclists carry because, at some point, they learned the hard way.

So I’ve pulled together 5 less obvious things worth packing for a sportive — the sort of stuff you don’t always think about until you suddenly really need it.

There’s a chain quick-link, disposable gloves, emergency cash, offline route prep… and, yes, the humble crisp packet.

You can get pretty much everything on the list at PAU Run and Ride Trentham.

For the crisp packet, you’ll have to pop into the PAU Café , buy the crisps and make the sacrifice of eating them first. Nom nom.

But what’s the weirdest or most unexpectedly useful thing you always take on a big ride?

And what happened that made you start carrying it? 👇

For a while, for one weekend a year, cycling took over Staffordshire. Then it stopped.

The Staffordshire Cycling Festival was more than a bike race.

Crowds lining the streets of the county town, elite riders racing through Stafford and Shugborough, young cyclists getting their chance to compete and hundreds of people heading out on the county’s roads.

You could ride it. Race it. Watch it. Volunteer at it. Bring the family and simply be part of it.

Cycling felt visible. It felt important. It felt like Staffordshire had an event of its own.

Then covid...and the festival disappeared.

And perhaps we lost more than we thought.

Do you remember the festival?

Did you ride, race, watch or volunteer?

Would you do it again?

Which of these would you spot first at 20mph?

A route arrow has one job.

You need to spot it quickly, understand it instantly and make the turn without grabbing the brakes because you noticed it three seconds too late.

The plain red arrow is the design we’ve used previously. It works—but we think we can make the Sandon Century arrows stand out more clearly against hedges, walls, road signs and whatever the Staffordshire weather gives us on the day.

So we’ve created three alternatives.

Which one would you be most likely to notice from a distance while riding?

A — Keep the existing plain red arrow
B — Blue arrow outline with an orange sign border
C — Blue arrow outline with a blue sign border
D — Orange arrow outline with an orange sign border

Comment A, B, C or D below—and tell us what made your choice stand out.

We’ll use your feedback to help decide what guides riders around the Sandon Century on 20 September

The height of summer might be here, but every great cycling season deserves an unforgettable finale. ☀️🚴

On Sunday 20th September, join us for Sandon Century – our end-of-season sportive through the stunning Staffordshire countryside.

This year, we're excited to introduce a brand new 70km route, alongside our classic 100km challenge, so whether you're ready to conquer your first longer sportive or tick off one final century before autumn arrives, there's a route for you.

Every entry includes:
🚴 Fully signed route
🍌 Feed stop
🏅 Finisher's medal
📸 Event photography
🙌 A brilliant atmosphere from start to finish

💥Sign up in store at PAU Run & Ride for just £34.99💥 (online entry £39.99).

👉 https://ridestaffs.co.uk/the-last-big-ride-of-summer/

Home - Ride Staffs Get a feel for what our rides are all about.See the routes, the riders and the moments that make our Staffordshire sportives special. Watch highlights from previous events and hear directly from the people who joined us on the road.