🚲 The Tejo 16 → 80 km Challenge

Has your bike been gathering dust? Or perhaps you've been wanting to cycle more but haven't fancied heading out alone?
This autumn we're getting back on our bikes together with a Saturday morning cycling series along the Tejo, starting small at just 16 km and gradually building our confidence and distance together.

You don't need to be a serious cyclist, own an expensive bike or already be capable of riding 80 km. The whole point is to start at an achievable distance and see how far we can get together.

These are social rides, not races — beautiful routes, chatting along the way, planned stops to regroup and, of course, the option of a well-earned beer and some food at the finish. 🍺🚲

🌿 THE AIM
Each week we'll gradually build up the kilometres by taking the train a little further out along the Tejo and Camino route, then cycling back towards Lisbon.

Our October challenge:
🚲 3 October — ~16 km
🚲 10 October — ~32 km
🚲 17 October — ~48 km
🚲 31 October — ~64 km (24 October there is a hike)
🏁 7 November — ~80 km

We'll ride at a comfortable pace, regroup along the way and have planned stops for water, a rest and a chat.
Wherever possible, routes will prioritise cycle paths, riverside trails, tracks and quieter roads, rather than busy traffic.

You don't have to attend every ride or complete the entire challenge. Come for one ride, a few rides, or join us each Saturday and see if you can make it all the way from 16 km to 80 km!

🚲 WEEK 1 — PÓVOA → LISBON
📅 Saturday 3 October
📏 Distance: approximately 16 km
☕ 09:00 — Meet at Baobá Specialty Coffee Roasters, Marvila
We'll meet for a quick coffee, introductions and a short ride briefing before heading to the station together.

09:15 — Leave Baobá by bike
09:26 — Train departs Braço de Prata
09:46 — Arrive Póvoa
~09:55 — Start cycling back towards Lisbon

Although 16 km isn't a particularly long ride, we'll still have a short social/water stop around halfway.

The stops are part of these rides. They're a chance for everyone to regroup, refill water, have a chat and make sure everyone is doing okay — something that will become increasingly important as we build up the distances.

We should arrive back in Marvila at approximately 11:15, where those who want to can stay for a well-earned beer and some food. 🍺🍴

☕ GETTING TO THE MEETING POINT
Don't be put off if Marvila isn't particularly close to where you live!
Part of the idea behind these rides is to use Lisbon's train network to make adventures further along the Tejo accessible without needing a car.

If you're coming from elsewhere in Lisbon, one of the easiest options may be to bring your bike on the train to Braço de Prata.

From Braço de Prata station, it's only around a 3-minute cycle to our meeting point at Baobá.

So your morning can simply be:
🚆 Train to Braço de Prata
↓
🚲 Cycle ~3 minutes to Baobá
↓
☕ Meet the group at 09:00
↓
🚲 Cycle back to the station together
↓
🚆 Take the 09:26 train to Póvoa
↓
🌿 Cycle back to Lisbon together!

Bicycles can be carried free of charge on CP Lisboa Urban trains, although bike transport is subject to available space.
At the end of the ride you'll be back in Lisbon, so there's no need to arrange transport home from our furthest point.

🚴‍♀️ MY CYCLING BIO
Since getting my dog five years ago, I've done a lot more hiking than cycling, but I'd really like to get back into it — especially now I've discovered just how many beautiful, surprisingly flat and largely off-road routes there are to explore in Portugal.

At the peak of my cycling days, I was a member of the London Bike & Beer Group (LBBG), taking on rides of around 48–80 km across the UK, as well as joining the monthly iBikeLondon and Critical Mass rides around London.

My favourite kind of cycling has always been away from busy roads and, preferably, flat!
I'm much more interested in exploring somewhere beautiful with good company than racing to the finish.

So if you've been meaning to get back on your bike too, this is a chance for us to build up the distance together, one Saturday at a time.

👋 WHO IS THIS FOR?
You don't need to be an experienced cyclist, and you certainly don't need to be capable of cycling 80 km now.
That's the whole reason we're starting at 16 km!

You should, however, be comfortable and confident riding a bike and have enough basic fitness to cycle for around an hour at a relaxed pace.

As the weeks progress, you can decide which distances feel right for you.

This is about building confidence and endurance together, not proving how fast you can ride.

👭 SMALL GROUP — 8 PLACES ONLY
To keep the rides friendly, manageable and safe, these events will be limited to 8 cyclists, including the organiser.
We're also travelling together by train with our bikes, and although bicycles can be taken on CP Lisboa Urban trains, bike space is limited and can't be reserved.
For that reason, please only RSVP if you're genuinely planning to come. If your plans change, please update your RSVP as soon as possible so someone on the waiting list can take your place.
The small group is intentional — these aren't big organised cycling events. The idea is to ride together, chat, regroup regularly and get to know each other along the way.

🚲 WHAT KIND OF BIKE?
We'll be riding on mixed surfaces.
Depending on the section, that may include:
• Paved cycle paths
• Riverside paths
• Compacted dirt or gravel tracks
• Uneven surfaces
• Quiet roads
A touring, hybrid, gravel, trekking or mountain bike should therefore be ideal.
⚠️ Very thin road-bike tyres are probably not suitable for these rides.
You don't need chunky mountain-bike tyres, but your bike should be capable of comfortably handling occasional gravel, dirt and uneven paths.
E-bikes are absolutely welcome — this isn't a competition!

🎒 WHAT TO BRING
Please bring:
🚲 A roadworthy bike
⛑️ A helmet
💧 A full water bottle
🛠️ Basic puncture repair kit and/or spare inner tube
🍌 A small snack
🧥 Weather-appropriate clothing
You will also need to be able to manage your own bike on and off the train.

🚆 THE TRAIN
For Week 1 we'll travel together from:
Braço de Prata → Póvoa
🚆 Departure: 09:26
🚉 Arrival: 09:46
⏱️ Journey time: 20 minutes
Bikes can travel free of charge on CP Lisboa Urban trains. We'll board together and use the designated bicycle areas where available.
Please be ready to leave Baobá with us at 09:15 sharp — if we miss this train, the next one isn't for another hour! 😅

💧 THE PACE
This is a no-drop social ride.
We'll aim for approximately 15–16 km/h while moving, but we'll adjust according to the group.
We'll regroup at junctions and planned stops, and nobody gets left behind.
For Week 1, expect approximately:
🚲 16 km cycling
⏱️ ~1 hour moving time
💧 One social/water stop
🏁 ~1¼–1½ hours overall
As our distances increase, we'll introduce additional water and rest stops, and eventually a proper food stop for the longer rides.

🏁 THE CHALLENGE
The goal isn't to see who can cycle 80 km fastest.
It's to see whether, by starting together at 16 km, we can gradually build ourselves up to something that might seem a little daunting today.
16 → 32 → 48 → 64 → 80 km

Five Saturdays. Five adventures further along the Tejo.

And hopefully quite a few coffees and beers along the way. ☕🍺
Coffee. Train. Tejo. Bikes. Beer. Repeat. ☕🚆🌿🚲🍺