Long rides give a new meaning to ‘sitting on your bum all day’ – and though a sportive is a lot more fun than staring at the telly on your sofa, without the right equipment it can be less comfortable.

Padded shorts are designed to provide comfort – they’re carefully engineered to ensure that the padding is distributed in all the right places, and there is generally no stitching across the pad, to ensure no chafing. It’s important not to wear underwear with your shorts, as this counters all this careful design.

8 Essential Things to Think About When Buying Cycling Shorts

You don’t have to go all out in lycra on your ride, and if the idea of lycra shorts fills you with dread, you can opt for padded underwear and comfortable gym wear – just make sure the ankles are tapered so they don’t flap.

You can make the shorts work even harder by applying chamois cream, which further prevents chafing and also has antibacterial properties to keep you fresh and prevent saddle sores.

No amount of padding or cream, however, will cover the evils of a poorly fitting saddle – so try to find a saddle you like, and complete a few training rides on it, before you set off.

Changes to saddle height, position, or the saddle itself are best avoided before an event, unless absolutely necessary, so try to get most of that dialed a few weeks before your first event.