Six things I learned on my hardest ever ride

Josh Croxton crosses the finish line of Chasing Cancellara Zurich Zermatt
(Image credit: Chasing Cancellara: Sportograf)

Last week I was lucky enough to go to Switzerland to ride the Chasing Cancellara Zurich-Zermatt ultra fondo. At 275km long, with two mountain passes and a third mountain-sized ascent to the finish in the Alpine ski resort of Zermatt, it was the longest, and by far the hardest, challenge I'd faced on two wheels. 

Naturally, such is the way when pushing oneself to new boundaries, things are learned. Some of those were simple mistakes that, while I've undoubtedly learned from, will probably be replaced with others in future. Forgetting to pack a towel for the finish line was a new one, alongside loading the route before starting the ride, or making a note of how much I'd eaten so I didn't need to try and remember. 

Josh Croxton
Associate Editor (Tech)

Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. 

On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.