Past PoppyBike events

We have held our flagship event Pedal to Paris every year since 1996. Other cycling events have included Bike to Brussels, Operation Normandy, Aylesford to Ardennes, London to Lausanne and various day rides.

In 2009 we held a Pedal round Portsmouth ride as part of the D-Day 65 celebrations and followed this with a Big Bike Ride in Portsmouth in 2010. 

Pedal to Paris 2011

2011 was the Legion's 90th anniversary year and saw the singer Laura Wright join 300 other riders including Chris Simpkins, Director General of the Legion, and his family on our 16th annual Pedal to Paris.

The sun shone and the four-day event was again a great success raising over £530,000 for our valuable work.

You can view the itinerary for the 2011 ride here and read comments from a few of the participants.

Pedal to Paris 2010

The 15th annual Pedal to Paris was a great success with perfect weather. This year we created a video diary of the event so you can get a feel of what it's like.

Click here for more details.

Pedal to Paris 2009

3 - 7 September 2009

Another tremendous year, with everyone successfully making it to the Arc de Triomphe on time (indeed, about 15 minutes early). 

Read the day by day action from our on the road reporter or this glowing testimonial from one of the intrepid riders.

D-Day 65 Pedal around Portsmouth

In conjunction with Cycle Experience, the Legion held an anniversary charity bike ride at Southsea, Portsmouth on Saturday 6 June 2009.

Over 300 riders took part in this fantastic opportunity to see the sights of Portsmouth by bike and ride on the extensive cycle network that the city has developed.

There were three routes to choose from so entrants could cycle 16 miles, 8 miles, 2 miles or just join where they could.

A cycling roadshow continued through the afternoon with over 500 people trying out some weird and wonderful bikes and trikes. Our thanks to Cycle Experience for their support and assistance.

Pedal to Paris 2008

4 to 8 September 2008

Year 13 was unlucky for the weather and there were many wet riders on the road but this didn't dampen their spirits. Another highly enjoyable and successful ride.

Around 230 cyclists participated in the 13th annual Pedal to Paris, aiming to raise funds for Poppy Support services. As usual, the cyclists set off from the top of London's Greenwich Park to travel through Kent to catch the ferry at Dover.

This year the weather wasn't kind and it was a very soggy trip on the first two days. Day 3 saw the sun shining and a fantastic reception from the village of Auchy. But as usual, the highlight for most cyclists was riding through Paris with roads closed off, finishing at the Arc de Triomphe and receiving their medals.

Pedal to Paris 2007

30 August to 1 September 2007

The 12th year of our flagship Pedal to Paris ride was a tremendous success! Thank you to everyone who participated.

Almost 300 cyclists took part in this year's Pedal to Paris, aiming to raise around £300,000 for Poppy Support services. The cyclists set off in spectacular fashion from the top of London's Greenwich Park to embark upon an epic four day ride that took them into the heart of Paris.

After travelling through some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes of Kent and Northern France including the picturesque and historic landscapes of the Somme and Oise regions of Picardy, the end of the ride was marked with a poignant ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.