Cycle Touring Inspiration: A Map, Two Festivals And Four Books

By Andrew on September 19, 2026 • ( 1 Comment )

You wait all week for a piece of cycle touring news that will inspre you, then three arrive all at once; there’s news from the European Cyclists’ Federation, news from the newly formed Cycle Touring Festival committee and there’s news from me. What links all three pieces of news is that they all provide travel inspiration, in three different ways. And what better time of the year to start planning future adventures on two wheels than the autumn as the days get cooler and the nights begin to draw in…

First up the European Cyclists’ Federation. Periodically they update their overview map of the EuroVelo network and a new one has just become available. I usually have a map of Europe or Britain stuck on a wall somewhere at home, placed strategically at a point where I walk past it on a daily basis. It keeps reminding me to stop procrastinating and plan something for the following summer. Next summer for me? Who knows? Perhaps a trip to see the solar eclipe in southern Spain? I should invest in one of the maps…

EuroVelo overview map showcasing the European cycle route network, with two cyclists on a road in a cityscape.

EuroVelo overview map of Europe featuring cycling routes and points of interest.

…that said, they are not cheap. €19.99 for the map itself and another €15 for the postage. Here’s the link if you are tempted. (And rich.)

Good news from the Cycle Touring Festival. It’s back. Not once, but twice. It’s now been renamed as the ‘Cycle Touring and Bikepacking Festival’ and, as in previous years, there will be an autumn virtual festival followed by an in-person event in the spring. The virtual event takes place from the 16th to the 18th October and talks cover a varied range of destinations and topics; Denmark, the Royal Chilterns Way, Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, around the world, Scotland and Czechia amongst others. There are some familiar names delivering the talks; Anna Hughes, Dave Barter, James Briggs and Rob Ainsley to name but four. Here’s a message from the organisers;

Everything is FREE (although donations are welcome) and there is loads of good stuff to listen to. We’ve got tales of a trip to the Arctic Circle, a record breaking father-and-son journey, and dicussions on different styles of cycling and how doing it in your own way, at your own pace is ultimately what its all about.

We have one particularly special talk on Friday 16th with Anna Hughes, remembering Tim McKenna, a regular at the festival who died in 2025. Anna will be sharing the story of the group ride the length of the UK held in his memory.

There are still a few additions to come, so we’ll send more details about these once confirmed.

Remember to sign up in advance to receive the Zoom link for each talk you want to attend. Click Join Event in the talk listing to register. You’ll receive a confirmation email, plus a reminder from Zoom an hour before the talk begins – very hand if you forget to note it down.

The Cycle Touring and Bikepacking Festival committee

Here’s the link that you’ll need to reserve your place in the Zoom meetings.

The in-person event will return to Coniston in the Lake District over the bank holiday weekend of April 30th to May 3rd 2027. Save the date!

And finally… news from me. The audiobook versions of Crossing Europ…, Along The Med…, Spain to Norway… (all on a Bike Called Reggie) and Le Grand Tour…. (on a Bike Called Wanda) will soon be available to stream / download from Audible. Most of the recording has now taken place and the books are in the hands of the editor and publisher. If you are an Audible subscriber you can use your monthly credit to listen to the books (there’s even a bundle of the three Reggie books which I’m told will be available for your one monthly credit) or they are available to purchase for those who don’t subscribe. All books can now be pre-ordered and all are narrated by the author. That would be, err… me.

The observant amongst you will notice that the cover for Spain to Norway… looks a little different. The image being used was originally created when the book was going to be called The Thirty-Five Degrees (referring to the 35 degrees of lattitude that were crossed during the trip from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway). when the book was picked up by the publishers, they changed the name and adapted the cover so it’s nice to see Andy Mitchell’s original artwork being used even if the original title (which was my preferred) is not being used. Andy has also created a new image for the three-book collection. Listeners of The Cycling Europe Podcast will also be delighted that the publisher of the audiobooks has chosen to include the podcast theme music, composed and played by the talented cycling polymath Rob Ainsley. (He gets everywhere!)

Click on the images below for more details about each of the audiobooks. The Reggie books are due to be published on October 1st. Le Grand Tour will be available before the end of October.

Cover of the audiobook 'Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie' by Andrew P. Sykes, featuring an illustration of a cyclist with a bicycle and panoramic mountains in the background.

Illustration of a cyclist riding along a coastal road with the title 'Along The Med. on a Bike Called Reggie' prominently displayed. The background features scenic views of the Mediterranean coastline and colorful graphic elements.

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Promotional banner for the book 'Le Grand Tour' by Andrew P. Sykes featuring positive reviews and the text 'Now Available'.

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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