We caught up with dermatologist Ian Coulson to get a feel for what the London to Paris experience is really like...

How did the decision to do the bike ride come about?
After a few glasses of wine, doing the London to Paris seemed like really a good idea! I’d never even cycled ten miles a day let alone 100.

How hard did you have to train?
I wasn't particularly fit, so a serious fitness strategy was needed. I cycled the ten mile journey to work two or three times a week from about April. By the time summer came along, it was getting a lot easier, and some team outings gave us the confidence that 100 miles a day was actually achievable.

How difficult was it to find sponsorship?
Not too tricky at all. We got a lot of support from the BSF on fundraising ideas and events. Our team donated our fees from lectures and meetings, held a traditional ‘Lancastrian pie and peas’ quiz evening and got loads of sponsorship. A striptease down to cycling shorts (thankfully) raised a lot too.

On the first day, were you nervous at all?
To be honest it was actually a relief to get started. Once we’d made our way out of London, we were soon in quiet Kent county lanes. We had some good banter, and the route was marked by the guides who travelled ahead of us so we could concentrate on enjoying the ride. We quickly got into a routine of cycling, water, then wee and chocolate stops. The second day I was a bit stiff, but the team pulls you through. During the five days you get to have some fabulous food - local cheeses, cold meats, nice little hotels to bed down in too. Arras and the pretty views of the Somme valley were highlights for me.

How did it feel at the end?
The Eifel Tower came into view with still 30 miles to go, so getting there was a real achievement. Once we got there, we assembled beneath the Tower, refreshed ourselves with a glass of bubbly and did a lot of congratulating! There were certainly some moist eyes in the group. I really enjoyed the whole experience and hope to do it again. It is a challenge, but with preparation, even at my age, an achievable one.

To register for this year’s Schuco London to Paris bike ride, click here.