Cycling contact Simon Johnson sent through a link to this video a few days ago. We tend to think we innovate in cycling but much of what we do is simply reinventing the past. Off-road adventure cycling is nothing new… “Join Big Jim Collie – a Scottish crofter who lives alone in a bothy in the foothills of the Cairngorms – as he embarks on one of his epic cross-highland trips. Jim is on his way to Braemar, which is 60 miles away – if you plan on sticking to the roads. Luckily, Big Jim knows a shortcut through the Lairig Ghru – the highest mountain pass in the highest mountain range in Britain – that brings the journey down to a more manageable 22 miles, albeit over some of the harshest terrain in Scotland. Fortunately, Big Jim has a secret weapon; the Lairig Flyer, a rickety old bicycle. Furthermore, he has a wealth of experience – this is his 105th crossing of the Lairig Ghru. Perhaps most importantly of all, he has strategically stashed an armful of whisky bottles along the route – just the thing to keep his spirits up.”
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Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda, was published in May 2024 and recounts Andrew P. Sykes’ journey around France, into the Alps and down the Rhine in the summer of 2022. It is available as a paperback and as and eBook from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com (and other international Amazon sites). The paperback is also available from Waterstones or Foyles and the eBook from Apple iBooks.
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