Cycling 1,500km to Scotland and back for Israeli veterans

Setting off from Guildhall in London at 5am on Sunday, August 3, Stephen will begin the arduous 724km journey to the Scottish capital, only stopping at specific sites to take selfies and get his brevet card stamped as proof that he was there, before traversing all the way back, taking a slightly different route.

He is setting out with a “rough plan” of where he hopes to take his first rest stop – the town of Richmond, 400km away in north Yorkshire – which he hopes to reach after about 20 hours of non-stop cycling.

A range of competencies and abilities take part in the ride, but typically the “top 10 per cent are trying to make really good times. I’m in that top 10 per cent, so I’ll try to be competitive,” said Rosen.

Raised in Stanmore, Stephen had a “typical north London Jewish relationship” with Israel growing up, having been many times to the country. In 2003, he married an Israeli, Orit, with whom he has three children.

Despite the monumental cycling challenge, Stephen said it was “nothing” compared to the daily sacrifices Israeli soldiers made to defend their country and people.

“I think we’re all far more focused on our community since October 7, and this is a way I know I can do something to help,” he said. “I think this cause has never been more important because clearly the number of vets has gone up drastically as a consequence of the war.”

He has, so far, raised £10,000 – double his target –  for Israeli vets via the rehabilitation charity Beit Halochem UK, through his JustGiving page. Donations are still rolling in.

[Missing Credit]Stephen Rosen

Despite only getting into long-distance cycling during the pandemic lockdown, he has quickly become an avid hobbyist, and these days covers between 300 to 400km a week.

In 2023, he took part in the well-known long-distance cycling event Paris-Brest-Paris, where upwards of 6,000 people ride 1,200km across northern France, finishing in 68 hours, and last month, Stephen rode 600km in Wales, at times ascending to almost 800m above sea level, in 24 hours of cycling.

But even for the well-attuned, the physical toll of sitting on a bike for hours does “strange” things to the body, he said.

“Saddle sores are common over such distances, which leads to what we call the penguin walk. During the Paris-Brest-Paris, I was on the bike for so long that my big toes and a little finger went numb, and stayed numb for five months afterwards.”
Also on the Paris-Brest-Paris, at about the 1,100km mark, as Stephen was peddling through the French countryside in the middle of the night, he began feeling physically ill, so much so that he had to lie down on a bus stop bench for several minutes.

“It’s a mental game as much as a physical game,” he said. “There are plenty of dark moments during these long rides, especially after a few hundred kilometres, when cyclists are spread out and you spend hours riding effectively on your own. You’re in your own head a lot.”

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As if the gruelling physical exertion was not enough of a challenge, a number of other considerations must be made before setting off, such as potentially encountering headwind, which can slow down progress, so being sure to bring the right clothes to handle severe variations in weather is imperative.

Although food will be provided at check points along the route – it takes a “huge” amount of daily calories to fuel long-distant rides – quite a lot is carried on the bike, too, as well as litres of water. Tools, in case the bike has a puncture or other issues, must also be taken.

“I can’t wait to get going,” Stephen said.

To donate to Stephen’s JustGiving page, click here