The Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyre: The Video
Now I’m already a fan of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre but whilst looking up its exact specifications for the new book, I found this. Not sure I would dare…
The Correlation Between Craft Beer And… Cycling?
Does it exist? Apparently so… I know this as last week I received an email from Ben Black of Beer 52 in Edinburgh. “I wondered if you would like to review our craft beer club – Beer52. It may seem like a digression from your normal posts, but […]
The Copenhagen Bicycle Strategy: Read And Weep…
I’ve spent the last couple of hours examining the Copenhagen Bicycle Strategy 2011-2025 as part of my research for the new book. It’s enough to make your average British cyclist weep. Well worth a read but have tissues to hand… Draft extract from The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on […]
Cycling Day 73: Grimsbu To Kvikne
A year ago today, en route to Nordkapp, Norway…
Summer Book Sale! £1.99 / $2.99 / €2.99
In preparation for the publication of the final book in the popular and acclaimed European cycling trilogy (The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie, published in spring 2017 from Summersdale) until August 31st… CROSSING EUROPE… / ALONG THE MED… JUST £1.99 / $2.99 / €2.99 Latest Reviews for Crossing Europe on a […]
Cycling Day 1: The Temple Of Poseidon To Athens
On this day three years ago…
How To Fuel A Grand Tour
The Tour de France 2016 is almost upon us and SIS have created an infographic that gives an insight into how the riders in Team Sky stayed fuelled during those long days in the saddle. I have to say my own approach as I cycled across Europe was […]
Mmm…
The 35 Degrees… Available Spring 2017
An updated promotion video for The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie, published by Summersdale in spring 2017.
Pro Seat Rail Mount From GoPro
I’m a GoPro fan – see some of my videos here – so this caught my eye…
Hot Or Cold Shower After A Bike Ride?
By Samantha Long It is one of cycling’s greatest conundrums; greater even than the matter of deciding who is the all-time best cyclist. Or what is the most challenging climb? Or where is the most spectacular ride in the world? The question in question is… A lovely relaxing […]
The Cyclist’s Bucket List / Le Tour Race Log
Just arrived home after a weekend visiting friends back in my old life in Reading… and discovered these items of great beauty on the doorstep. They have been sent by Laurence King Publishing and are very nice indeed; The Cyclist’s Bucket List, A Road Bike Journal and Le Tour […]
“Why Your Next Bike Should Be A Touring Bike”
I only have one bike, a touring bike obviously, so when I saw a link to this article on the RoadCC website, I was immediately interested. What do you think? Why your next bike should be a touring bike—the most versatile bike type around#cyclinghttps://t.co/7oZLSs3AD9 pic.twitter.com/CXljTDttvG — road.cc (@roadcc) […]
The Referendum Is Over… Back To The Cycling!
Normal service is resumed… And to get us going how about a little reminiscing; 100 photos from last year’s cycle from Tarifa to Nordkapp. The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie will be published by Summersdale in spring 2017. Available in all good bookshops […]
Should The UK Remain In Or Leave The European Union?
You know where I stand. If you don’t, a few clues below. Don’t forget to vote…
What Has The EU Ever Done For Us?
“What did the EEC/EU ever do for us? Not much, apart from: providing 57% of our trade; structural funding to areas hit by industrial decline; clean beaches and rivers; cleaner air; lead free petrol; restrictions on landfill dumping; a recycling culture; cheaper mobile charges; cheaper air travel; improved […]
Who Is In? Who Is Out? Where Do You Stand?
The lists below will come as no surprise to most people. If Britain does vote to leave the EU, I hope that those in the list at the bottom (and perhaps you if you plan on voting ‘out’) will appreciate the fact that it is those in the first […]
EU Referendum: Four Possible Legal Outcomes Of Brexit
Are you up for paying but having no say? More details at Square One Law.
Honeymoon Traveling
It’s been a grim week but as I was reading up on events this morning on the BBC news website I spotted this short video about a Japanese couple who went on a very long honeymoon, with a drone. The results were outstanding and here they are. Worth […]
EU Migration: Don’t Believe The Lies
If you watched last night’s programme on BBC 2 about EU immigration to the UK, you may remember the woman at the start who lived and worked in Clacton-on-Sea. She blamed the lack of availability of housing in the area on EU immigrants. Clacton is part of the Tendring […]
The Bicycle Film Festival, Brighton
More details on the website. If you can’t make Brighton between July 14th and 16th, perhaps you can attend in New York, Amsterdam, Milan, Mexico City or Sydney…
Our Future, In Or Out Of The EU?
If you follow this blog via Twitter or Facebook I should perhaps start with an apology that over recent weeks, the tweets and posts about cycling and travelling have been far outnumbered by those on the subject of the EU referendum next week. It’s a hollow apology however […]
“Britain Should Lead In Europe, Not Leave It”
I agree with every word of Gordon Brown’s film. If you are no fan of Gordon, read what Michael Heseltine had to say on the same topic in the FT. My thoughts on why we should stay in the EU coming soon on CyclingEurope.org.
The Travel Bookshop Is Open!
The revamp of CyclingEurope.org (and its new sister site apsykes.com) continue apace with the opening of a new bookshop which can be found up there in the menu and also here. It so far has four shelves with around 20 carefully selected books each: The Cycling Bookshop The […]
Yorkshire Lass Charity Cycling Sportive
Melanie Rice writes: Yorkshire lasses Kate Horsfall of Wetherby and Judith Worrall of Thirsk are inviting all ladies who like to cycle to their Yorkshire Lass Cycling Club’s first charity sportive on 14 August – 140 entrants have already signed up and just 160 places remain. Supported by […]
Introducing… apsykes.com!
Actually, apsykes.com has existed for some time and it redirected to here, CyclingEurope.org. But that’s no longer the case as apsykes.com has fledged the nest and is now out there on its own. Looks good, no? It’s amazing how much fun and just how satisfying it is creating […]
The Cycle Touring Festival: Friday Night, Saturday Morning
So far, so good…
The 35 Degrees: A Great Deal To Shout About
Some news tonight of something that I never really thought would happen. The kind of thing that happens to others, not a French teacher from Yorkshire. But it has. I am delighted to announce that earlier today I signed on the dotted line… …and that The 35 Degrees: […]
A tale of two fell races
Mark Beaumont “Africa Solo: Cairo To Cape Town”
Cycling Fallacies: All The Ripostes You Will Ever Need
Cycling China: Last Flight Of The Pigeon
The Brooksbank School Cycling Open Day: The Video
This morning’s action. If you are reading this today, Sunday 8th, the event continues until this evening… More details here.
Sir David Attenborough: Wonderful Life
Happy 90th birthday Sir David…
A One Million Hit Blog
Yes, you are looking at it. This website – CyclingEurope.org – has tonight notched up its one millionth page hit. I didn’t quite catch the big moment but here is the situation as of 8pm this evening. As you can see, a million page hits ‘only’ equates to […]
Tour De Yorkshire 2016
See you in Halifax in 2017…
Cycling Europe… The PowerPoint Presentation
Yes, you thought you’d seen it all… First the cycles and the blogs, then the books, now the PowerPoint. Fear not, Cycling Europe has not entered the world of middle-management training, but I have spent the day putting together next Saturday’s presentation. 7pm, HX5 0TD. Pie and peas […]
The Tour De Yorkshire 2016…
…is nearly here! Full details on the Tour de Yorkshire website. I’ll be on BBC Radio Leeds (available worldwide online!) on Friday afternoon at 2pm talking about things cycling. Here are the routes for the three days of the event. Better bring a jumper. Perhaps even a snow shovel…
“Don’t Forget Your Pump… Don’t Give Up!”
By Shaun Lane, BiPolar UK “I felt like a challenge, not having ridden 100 miles for a very long time, something like 30 years!” In 2014 Steve took part in the Prudential Ride100. Having been diagnosed with bipolar in 1997 Bipolar UK is very close to Steve’s heart […]
The Brooksbank Cycle Circuit Open Day
Never Stop Exploring
Fingers Crossed?
The 35 Degrees: The Map
Here’s the map (the first version at least). Feedback welcome.
“Cycling Is Big Business”
From the ECF, the European Cyclists’ Federation: “Featuring exclusive insights from professionals in the cycling sector as well as important data from our report on job creation in the European cycling economy, the #CyclingWorks video shows compelling arguments why investing in cycling pays off. Cycling is the transport sector […]
The 35 Degrees
EXCLUSIVE! The 35 Degrees: The Tenth Degree
The second exclusive extract from the upcoming book, The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie which will hit the shelves later this year. As with the previous extract – the fifth degree – what you read below is, of course, subject to change but it hopefully gives […]
Life In The Yorkshire-Norwegian Media Spotlight
Earlier this week I received a call from the BBC. Now don’t get too excited as it wasn’t (yet) The One Show requesting that I become their cycling-travel expert. Perhaps one day… It was my friends at BBC Radio Leeds. If you remember, shortly before I set off […]
How To Shoot Epic GoPro Videos
This post comes in two parts. Firstly, this very useful guide, courtesy of Currys PC World, all about how to make ‘epic’ GoPro videos… (part two coming up in a few minutes)
Meet The Cycling Author In May 2016…
…and probably his famous bike too. I’ll be talking at two events in May this year, on opposite sides of the Pennines. First up is this event at the Thompson-Jones Hall near Halifax in West Yorkshire on Saturday 7th May at 7pm: If you would like to reserve […]
The Yorkshire Schools Exploring Society: Borneo/Morocco 2017
If you know anyone who is aged 15 to 18 and who is currently in full-time education in Yorkshire, please pass on the details of these amazing expeditions that are now being organised by the Yorkshire Schools Exploring Society or YSES. The society has a long history of […]
Revolutions: Wandering And Wondering On A Sabbatical Year
Traveller and cyclist Pete Martin has written a new book and if you follow this link you can read an extended extract here on CyclingEurope.org. The publisher has provided the following below. For anyone travelling along Eurovelo 15, the Rhine Cycle Route, it’s probably worth a read. “This is an […]
World Book Day 2016
…and here is my favourite bit of shelf. The books say much about my life!
Cycling Holidays In Andalucia
By Geoff Cumming It is often said that the essence of Spain lies in the beautiful countryside, remarkable mountains, fascinating villages and the warmth and hospitality of the people of Andalucía. Cycling Andalucía, a small, friendly cycle touring company, has recently started offering cycle tours in the heart […]
EXCLUSIVE! The 35 Degrees: The Fifth Degree
It tends to go a bit quiet here on CyclingEurope.org as I’m writing the books but this should keep you occupied for a few minutes; the first exclusive(!) extract from the upcoming book, The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie which will hit the shelves […]
Bicycle Traveler: Issue 10 Now Available (For Free!)
Here’s the link…
Norway, July 2015
Cycle Touring Festival 2016
Remember this? Perhaps some of you attended the event last year. I couldn’t as I was cycling somewhere in western Germany at the time, en route to Nordkapp. But the good news is that the event is back in 2016! Over the weekend of the 27th to the […]
Cycling Holidays In The Limousin
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Catherine and Jim who live in France. They invited me to visit their place in the Limousin but, alas, circumstances are not going to allow me to take them up on their offer. However, I did say that I would […]
Leeds Bicycle Film Club: The Kid With A Bike
From Ian Street of the Leeds Bicycle Film Club: Our February screening on 15 Feb will be the award winning The Kid With A Bike: Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, the deeply moving […]
The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie
It’s taken a while to get started but start I have; The 35 Degrees: Tarifa to Nordkapp on a Bike Called Reggie is now in production and here’s an exclusive sneak preview of the very first chapter of the upcoming book… “It may not have required great feats […]
Blazing Saddles Is Rising…
I had Reggie serviced after last summer’s Tarifa to Nordkapp cycle at my new local bike shop here in the Calder Valley, Blazing Saddles in Hebden Bridge. Alas, along with many other businesses in the valley towns of Elland, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge, Blazing Saddles was […]
Henry Worsley
I heard this guy being interviewed on the radio last week and was struck by his quest to walk solo to the South Pole. A tragedy that he has died. When I was in Oslo last year I visited the The Fram Museum, an institution that tells the […]
Cycling… Japan
This caught my eye today. The maker of the video below – a chap called Jacob Laukaitis – emailed me earlier today with the link. For those of you who were paying attention last year, I did mention at some point after having cycled Tarifa to Nordkapp that the next […]
Still ‘Hot’!
It’s good to know that after all this time, Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie and Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie are still ‘hot’ in the eyes of Apple… We are in good company: Bryson, Palin, Beaumont, Kennedy, Orwell, Clarkson… Hopefully The 35 Degrees* […]
Vote For CyclingEurope.org!
We have been nominated for an award… (At last!). More details here. If you do vote for CyclingEurope.org, thanks.
Brandon Semenuk’s Stunning One-Shot Ride
This is not only astonishingly shot, but also very beautiful. Thanks to my German friend Claus in Stuttgart for pointing me in its direction. Enjoy! …and here is how they did it (there was I thinking it was a GoPro on a cheap drone…): I’m in the wrong job.
Our Little Valley…
Janapar – A Love Story
By Ian Street, Leeds Bicycle Film Club: We are going to kick off 2016 with Janapar an incredible story of adventure, love and enlightenment. Janapar is an award-winning true story, filmed over four years in thirty-two countries by one man on a bicycle. 23-year-old Tom Allen is all […]
2015/16…
2015 was a busy year… but here’s to 2016. Happy New Year!
Bike, The TV Channel!
If only I had SKY TV… Channel 464. Have you watched it? Seems to have a good variety of programming. Here’s the website and the Twitter feed. Here’s a reminder of my own latest contribution to the audio-visual world…
Year Round Essentials For Cycling
Last minute Christmas shopping? Here are some ideas from Halfords…
Challenges And Opportunities Of Yorkshire Hills: Part 2
This post will make more sense if you read the previous post – part 1 – first. Done that? Good. Then I’ll begin… I had certainly heard people mention Pennine Cycles before ever having discovered that it was the nearest dealer in Bianchi bicycles to where I now live in […]
Challenges And Opportunities Of Yorkshire Hills: Part 1
As the winter nights draw in (OK, for pedants, they have stopped doing that as we are now the 23rd December but you know what I mean…) and cycle touring in the northern hemisphere is left to the hardy adventure cyclists out there – I’m afraid to say that, […]
Danny MacAskill / Boneshaker
I was trying to find a link between these two cycling-related videos that appeared this week. Only when writing the title just now did the link become obvious; if you do what Danny MacAskill does… Of all MacAskill’s videos this is probably the most hair-raising. Worth 5 minutes of your […]
The Tour De Yorkshire 2016
Here are the stages… (More details here.)
“I Enjoyed Every Page Of The Trip – A Highly Recommended Read”
A couple of nice reviews for Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie (now only £8.99 in paperback!) in the past few days… Remember that signed copies of either or both books are available for Christmas presents. More details here. By L. Lane on 4 December 2015 The brilliant follow up […]
Bespoked 2016 – Europe’s Premier Handmade Bicycle Show
If you go to one bike show in 2016, I’d recommend this one. I went to the one held back in 2013. In 2014 it decamped from Bristol to the Olympic Velodrome in London. Not sure what happened in 2015 but it is certainly back in Bristol in 2016! […]
The 35 Degrees: Cycling Tarifa To Nordkapp – The Complete Photographic Collection
In their entirety, the photographs – yes, all of them! – are now available on the Cycling Europe on a Bike Called Reggie Facebook Page: Part 1: Spain Part 2: France Part 3: Belgium / The Netherlands Part 4: Germany Part 5: Denmark Part 6: Sweden Part 7: Norway […]
Norwegian American Weekly
What a great title for a newspaper. And in the next edition, I’m being interviewed! You can already read the article online. I do like the picture that they have chosen (and cropped, and perhaps even coloured?) to accompany the text. If I wasn’t already (quite rightly) committed […]
Sunday Morning Fiddling…
That’s not a euphemism. A few tweaks to the CyclingEurope.org homepage. Can anyone spot the changes?
The 2016 Prudentnial RideLondon 100 For Unicef
Pictures speak a thousand words… (…but here are a few anyway.) About Prudential ridelondon 100: Date: 31 July 2016 Location: London and Surrey Distance: 100 miles: 100 miles Description: Prudential RideLondon 100 is a cycle like no other. Starting in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the 100 mile race takes place exclusively […]
Andrew Neil Speaks Sense
A message for the Paris attackers from @afneil as he opens the show… #bbctw https://t.co/dYNQHQ3yGl — BBC This Week (@bbcthisweek) November 19, 2015 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Why?
Here’s the list, in pictorial form, of the current best sellers on Apple iBooks ‘Travel Writing’ section in the UK. Only two of the books on the list are, as far as I am aware, self-published. Since publication (in 2011 & 2014 respectively), those two self-published books have […]
The 35 Degrees: And We’re Off!
One of the greatest frustrations when writing Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie and subsequently Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie was the constant need to rearrange the windows on the laptop in order to see what I needed to refer to either online or elsewhere […]
Charging Gear While Cycling: Your Opinions Needed!
Last weekend I chatted on the phone to a student at Glasgow School of Art called Chiara. She had contacted me to talk about her plans to design an effective wind turbine for use on a bike while cycling. Here is a link to a survey that she has […]
Along The Med On A Bike Called Reggie: 100 Today! (Kind Of…)
Today has seen the posting of the 100th Amazon review for Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie.Below are reviews 97, 98, 99 and 100. Now, I really need to crack on with book 3… 5 Stars: Cracking Read By Book Addict on 8 November 2015 Couldn’t wait to start […]
Mark Beaumont: The North Coast 500
This brings back a few memories of my own cycle along the north and west of Scotland in 2014… “The North Coast 500 (NC500) has been hailed as Scotland’s version of Route 66 and contains over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery, historic landmarks and thriving communities. Recently […]
Ride Of My Life: The Story Of The Bicycle
Originally posted on Leeds Bicycle Film Club by Ian Street “Amazingly my idea to have a monthly film night themed around the humble bike appears to be working and our November evening will be the thoroughly enjoyable documentary Ride of My Life: The Story of the Bicycle ‘Anyone […]
A Wonderful West Yorkshire Weekend
Tomorrow morning I return to the wonderful world of being a secondary school teacher. I left the classroom at the end of January in order to complete my litttle 8,000km cycle across the continent… But it’s now time to get back to work! My final weekend of under-employment […]
7 Of The UK’S Scariest Cycling Routes
By Phil Harvey With Halloween on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get your heart racing and your nerves on edge attempting these adrenalin pumping routes dotted around the UK. Recommended by the enthusiasts and experts at Formby Cycles, are you brave enough to try any […]
Bikmo Hits The Big Screen With 10 Epic Must-See Films This Halloween…
By Emily Dunlop With Halloween just around the corner, Bikmo Plus pay homage to the best horror films going, and the list just would not be complete without a thrilling cycling twist. The Shining Former Teacher turned Writer makes the foolish mistake of signing a contract to look […]
Spring 2016 Travel Bursary From Pannier
I’m not getting paid to post this by Pannier; I just think it’s a good idea! I don’t have plans for a long-distance cycle myself in 2016 (too busy writing a book!) but perhaps you do… “Pannier are excited to be offering two travel bursaries to travelling cyclists […]
The 35 Degrees: Teaser Trailer
OK, it won’t be a film (yet), but here’s a little teaser trailer (move over Star Wars and Spectre…) for the new book, The 35 Degrees: Heading North on a Bike Called Reggie…
Adventures In Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Reggie: Wheear ‘ast tha bin sin’ ah saw thee? Andrew: On Ilkley Moor, with my hat. The Mountain Equipment one that kept me warm in Norway. It’s a very fetching bright blue. Reggie: Wheear ‘ast tha bin sin’ ah saw thee, ah saw thee? Andrew: I just said; […]
The Decathlon Innovation Awards / The Aptonia Double Use System
A few weeks ago I received an invitation from Decathlon to attend the annual Decathlon Innovation Awards in Lille, France. Great! Well, in the end I had to withdraw as I had the slight matter of a job interview to attend last Friday… However, this is the product […]
The Tour De Yorkshire 2015
It’s been a quiet week at CyclingEurope.org; I’ve been busy getting a job! Anyway, I spotted this in an email that came from the organisers of the Tour de Yorkshire announcing the host towns for the 2016 race. Very pretty! (At the time I was somewhere in Spain/south […]
Heading North On A Bike Called Reggie: The Start!
Here it is… …the very first draft of the new book. Well, kind of. It is merely the posts that I wrote for CyclingEurope.org between setting off from southern Spain at the start of April to the moment I set foot on British soil again in early August […]
Useful Apps For Cyclists
By Thomas Carter Although the humble activity of cycling has been with us for around 200 years, the basic form of cycling hasn’t changed too dramatically. However, thanks to the digital revolution, there are now a many apps available to assist the modern cyclist. Navigation Despite the worldwide […]
The Bicycle Den, Hebden Bridge
I had a bacon butty at the Bicycle Den today… …and here is what the town centre looked like earlier in the beautiful early autumn day:
Felix Rides To Slovenia For Charity: Update
Felix Leckie (see the original post here) writes with an update about his cycle to and from Slovenia: Hi – For those of you who have sponsored me – Thank You! For those who haven’t heard what I got up to this summer with my dad then please […]
