It’s not a good thing to wish away your time but sometimes it’s all but inevitable. My Instagram countdown of the days that I have to work before finishing my current job and heading off for my adventures elsewhere has now reached number 12 and has created its […]
Last weekend I wrote about cycling in Norway, the final country on my 3rd pan-European quest next year. I’m purposefully starting at the end and working backwards so as to avoid falling into the trap of thinking a lot about the first few countries in advance and ignoring those […]
Yesterday morning, immediately after having clicked on the ‘publish’ button for the previous post, I was presented with the following page. 2000! This is number 2001 and I’m about to put pen to paper (well, I’m not but you know what I mean) to write post 2002 all […]
I’m spending my Saturday morning signing and wrapping copies of Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie and Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie. If you would like to purchase a signed copy of either or both of the books, follow this link to find out […]
It’s good to know that ‘Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie‘ is still finding new fans. Here’s a review just posted by Daniel Cox on Amazon.co.uk (where you can currently download the eBook for just £1.55 – bargain!): “Given I thoroughly enjoy cycling and European travel, I had […]
When I cycled from Greece to Portugal in 2013, I spent most of my time pre-trip thinking about Greece, Albania and, to a certain extent, Croatia. I didn’t spend too much time considering the western European countries through which I would be cycling. In France, a country I know […]
A few weeks ago I put out an open invite to anyone who would like to contribute a piece to CyclingEurope.org. Simon Stanforth from Stanforth Bikes was the first to respond and he has written an article about the inspiration behind the touring bike that he manufactures, the beautiful […]
Like all insurance, I suppose it only matters if you make a claim but as you never know when that will be… OK, you know how insurance works. Only a few years ago insuring your bike was out of the ordinary to say the least and if you did, […]
A couple of new reviews. The first from Paul Dennis at Amazon.co.uk for Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie: “Once again Andrew Sykes (and Reggie) lead you on an adventure, exploring new places and making you feel like you are actually there with them. Beautifully written […]
OK, it’s not the greatest adventure, but my daily commute from Reading to Henley-on-Thames by bike (Reggie the bike no less) does give me the opportunity of testing out my newly acquired Go Pro Hero 4 (silver) camera. And it worked a treat! I videoed the entire half […]
What do I need to do to get a literary agent and a publishing contract???? Positions number 1 and 4 in the iTunes ‘Travel Writing‘ chart. Number 1 in the iTunes ‘Travel and Adventure‘ category and a third book out in 2016. It’s enough to make you leave […]
I spend more time doing that than doing, if that makes sense. The focus of my recent thoughts has been the Spanish portion of my 2015 ride along the Eurovelo 3 from Santiago de Compostela to Trondheim (and then North Cape via the Eurovelo 1). A Twitter twit […]
This is a clever twist on a famous journey. The trip took place earlier this year – full details on the Beeline Britain website – and the film is premiered at the Royal Geographical Society on Friday 28th November. AS THE CROW FLIES Trailer from Image Impossible on Vimeo.
That’s what I did, via the publishers Completely Novel and this week they used the image above to publicise a new section of their website encouraging others to do the same. The photograph was taken on the shore of the lake at Ioannina in northern Greece in summer […]
Here’s an interesting idea from Ian Street, the chap who invited me to speak at an event in Leeds earlier in the year. It’s called ‘Leeds Rides‘ and (in the words of Ian himself) “…is designed to show the human side of cycling in Leeds… Whatever style of bike you ride; […]
At the risk of turning this site into an advert for learning Spanish in Salamanca, here’s the ‘official’ video to encourage you to do so! Please read the previous post to find out why it’s relevant. The purists amongst you will be delighted to see the the bicycle […]
I write this from an ever-so-slightly echoey flat. Last week my plans for 2015 took a significant step forward in that I moved the bulk of what is best described as my ‘stuff’ to Yorkshire and it is now sitting in a large heap in the garage of […]
This is one post that most definitely has nothing to do with cycling . Apologies. It has everything to do with, err… an office building. Reading, the town where I have lived since late 1999 (and which I will soon be leaving to return to Yorkshire albeit via […]
I’m always happy to use this little corner of cyberspace to publicise a good cause. If, like Neal and his friends (see below) you have a tale to tell, please feel free to contact me with your story. Contact info over there on the right. Over to you […]
The first blog post by Sam (@205beast on Twitter). Not sure about number 4… I have still to venture into the world of wild camping.
A French lesson? No, just Belgian cycling activists making a valid point with their tongues firmly in their cheeks. Listen carefully; there will be a comprehension test later!
It’s that time of the year again when the route of the Tour de France is released and as per usual there is an accompanying video to reveal all. This year the video is a real cracker; it seems speeded up somewhat and the mountain stages are shown […]
Kevin Mayne, formerly of the CTC and now at the European Cyclists Federation has just posted a review for ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie’ on his own cycling website…
Back in July 2012 I sang the praises of Instagram (in a minimal way) with a post called ‘In Praise Of… Instagram‘. An update seems overdue. Here are some of my Instagrammed pictures from the past two and a half years of using the program. There does seem […]
By Victoria Sharpe Comfort will make your cycling holiday all the more enjoyable – and to maintain it you’ll need the right clothing and kit. Here are some tips to help you make sure you’ve got what you need. Taking Your Own Bike The question of whether to take […]
An interesting coincidence last night. On the left of the photo is Alberto, my weekday lodger who is originally from near Vicenza in northern Italy. On the right is Alberto ( you can see where this is going…), my latest visiting Warm Showers touring cyclist who is from […]
By Victoria Sharpe No matter how careful we might be when cycling, or how confident we might feel, the fact is that sharing the roads with motorised traffic reduces the quality of a ride. It feels more dangerous, it can be awkward to navigate, and there are exhaust […]
About a month ago I summarised the reviews that had so far been posted to Amazon for Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie. Here’s an update as to what people have been saying in October; “I am approximately two thirds of the way through this and […]
Not that I have done this yet, but it is part of next year’s plan to cycle along the Eurovelo 3 from Santiago de Compostela to Trondheim (and beyond, along the Eurovelo 1 to North Cape). Yesterday’s trip to London (see previous post / video) allowed me a […]
Before I go on can I just say that this video is posted here in the context of my quest to become a competent travel ‘vlogger’. I make no claim to greatness for what you (might) have just watched but although it may be lacking in riveting content I am […]
Apologies if you’ve seen this pop up three times now; I think I’ve finally cracked it! In my quest to master the art of vlogging (see yesterday’s post), as I sipped my coffee in my local cafe I made the video below. The progress since yesterday’s time lapse […]
You can see that I’ve got the video bug. This one has nothing to do with cycling or travel but it’s pretty…
Danny MacAskill’s latest epic production – watch it here on YouTube – has got me thinking about using more video on this website. It wasn’t so much the video itself (which is just sublime) as the ‘making of’ documentary that I stumbled upon last night while looking for the […]
When it comes to writing pieces for this website, September is always a lean month. I’ve just been looking back at the number of posts made every month and since 2009 when CyclingEurope.org burst into life on the world wide web (albeit under the much less catchy soubriquet […]
I hope to visit Copenhagen next year when I cycle along the Eurovelo 3. Well, it will mean deviating a little from route 3 – see the official route through Denmark – but I think it will be worth it. A cycling nirvana? It’s what would be suggested […]
Should you ever wish to contact me with tales of your own cycling adventures – and some people do – your chances of them appearing here on CyclingEurope.org in some way, shape or form are significantly increased if you include some good pictures. That’s what Paul Ram from […]
Not sure about doing this on a laden touring bike… “Johannes Pistrol rides the Steinerne Rinne from Goinger Halt, July 2014. The upper section from the summit down to the upper rinne is relatively straight forward, albeit slightly exposed. The lower section contains the hardest and the most […]
‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ has now been available for nearly two months and the reviews have been very positive! Here is a selection of comments from the reviews so far posted to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com: “Humorous, entertaining and even informative. Hard to put down. Travel writing […]
At the risk of alienating potentially 45% of readers in Scotland, I am glad that the vote was to stay as part of the United Kingdom. Where else on our rocky island is there cycling like this… (all photos taken during my summer 2014 Scottish expedition)
A few months ago in late spring I was interviewed over the phone (I suppose that bit is important) by a journalist from The Weekly News. Excellent! It was a nice chat with Craig, I sent him some pictures and he proceeded to write the article and send it […]
I’m hoping to be on my next little jaunt across Europe when this event takes place in Clitheroe next May which is a great pity as I would have loved to attend. There is of course a website and Twitter account to keep an eye on. The organisers have posted the […]
After the long summer holiday afforded to teachers, the new academic year has started and is now over a week old. The days are shortening, the mornings getting colder, but the cycling commute is at its most beautiful. This morning was a stunner, certainly on my commute through […]
I live in Reading, Berkshire and I’m a member of the Reading Cycle Campaign. I wrote the following for their current newsletter: “The Cycle Campaign asked me a couple of months ago if I’d be interested in contributing something to the newsletter and here is my first piece. […]
From the Cycle To Work website: “Celebrate your commute and take to two wheels on Thursday 4th September 2014! Cycle to Work Day is a national event, championed by multi gold medal winning Paralympic cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey, which aims to encourage everyone to take to two wheels and […]
I’m frequently contacted by people who are planning their own long-distance cycle and I’m always happy to reply. I do, however, often find myself repeating the same bits of core advice, so, here is my own top ten of things that I would recommend that every prospective long-distance […]
Read the original post on the WashingMachinePost.
I’ve just been looking at the descriptions and maps produced by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) for the Eurovelo 3 and the portion of the Eurovelo 1 that would guide me from Santiago de Compostela to North Cape. You can have a read of the descriptions here. I […]
Here’s something that nicely fuses my two ‘professions’…
By Aiden Watson (@aidenwatson89) I’m really excited to be training for my first big race — the Tour of Britain. Like so many amateur cyclists, I found the Tour de France hugely inspiring and a great boost for my training plan. I took up cycling last year after deciding […]
The end of the summer means many things to many people; for me it is the reality of returning to the classroom after six weeks of freedom from teaching French… so it’s nice to have a few good things to look forward to in the early autumn before […]
By Jonathan Gardner There’s an old Scandinavian saying which states that “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”. And as far as the coming months are concerned, this still rings incredibly true for die-hard cyclists. For as we head into winter, a simple ensemble of […]
By Jonathan Gardner It would be easy as dedicated, serious cyclist to dismiss spinning as simply a fad, not worthy of consideration or recognition. However, to disregard the activity would be churlish. For there are a number of benefits to this form of cycling that make it an […]
Now in stock at Amazon!
Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Not much cycling in this post, quite a bit about architecture but as I have never claimed to be an expert when it comes to writing about the former, I see no reason to hold back when it comes to waffling on about the latter. […]
…courtesy of the Seaman’s Mission in Mallaig. Unless, that is, if you are vegetarian… I catch the train to Glasgow at 10:10am.
The cycling is now complete. Just a couple of miles short of 300 along the northern coast of Scotland from Dunnet Head to Tongue (via Thurso), along to Durness (and a quick non-cycling detour to Cape Wrath), south to disappointing Scourie, to the relative metropolis that is Ullapool […]
There was a faint air of dryness in the air this morning as I left the youth hostel in Ullapool. The sky was just as dark and foreboding as it has been for much of the last week or so, but it was at least hinting that I […]
I didn’t know what was in store for me when I left the campsite in Scourie. I was glad to be leaving; despite being listed in the Cool Camping Scotland book that I had bought prior to the trip, the only cool aspect of the place (and here […]
Grim. One word sums up quite well the experience of cycling today from Durness on the north coast of Scotland to Scourie on the west coast. When I woke (ha! Woke?) this morning, the campsite in Durness had been transformed overnight from one of Scotland’s most stunning to […]
Quick catch up: yesterday was a remote cycle from Tongue over the headland to, and then around, Loch Eriboll (or, as the café owner from Pontefract preferred to call it, Loch ‘Oribal which was strange as it wasn’t and it had made him stay there for the last […]
I think in recent years I have become too accustomed to cycling in kilometres. Prior to this little jaunt across Scotland, I had changed my CatEye cycling computer to show me everything in miles and obviously all the road signs are telling me how far away things are, […]
Not too much cycling today but a great day of travelling on many levels. I left you last night in the buffet car of the sleeper train to Inverness, or rather Perth. I didn’t get murdered by nine people who I have crossed swords with during my life, […]
By Henry Arnold The Tour de France was an overwhelming success. The two stages held in Yorkshire: Leeds to Harrogate and York to Sheffield, drew crowds totalling 2.5m. Not only did the Tour bring the sport into more and more homes it also proved that the Yorkshire terrain […]
I thought that the cycle from Reading to London to catch my train from Euston station would be a bit of a formality. Anything but… I have now come to the conclusion that National Cycle Network route 4 or rather the bit between Windsor and Richmond Park, is […]
Night train from Euston to Inverness on Monday, wake up in Scotland (well, stop making an effort to fall asleep on a train in Scotland…). I’m particularly looking forward to the photo opportunities the north and west coasts of Scotland have to offer. Expect more photographs and less […]
Some of you may have noticed the short video that appeared on the homepage of CyclingEurope.org a couple of weeks ago. If you didn’t, here it is: It was made for me by a company called Stormnet Media (free of charge!). They are a video production company and if, […]
Last week, Decathlon published the first part of an interview with me. They have now put the second part on line…
This morning I posted a picture to Twitter of some of the equipment that I will be taking with me to Scotland next week for my two-week cycling tour. Someone responded that I should do a video… Good idea! Here it is: Cue barrage of comments about what […]
Feel free to comment… The map, alas, is no longer available online. Sorry.
Fear not! It’s not another book, and it won’t be (unless someone calls with an offer I can’t refuse) but it does sum up my plan for August 2014 in terms of cycling. This afternoon I bought a ticket for the overnight sleeper train from London Euston to […]
Courtesy of Wordle, here are the top 100 words contained in Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie… (see comments below) The top 100 words do not include very common English words. The word ‘cycling‘ appears 568 times in the book but the word ‘but‘ rears its […]
Just been down to London for the day to take in a bit of culture including the Travel Photographer Of The Year exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington. I was hoping it would encourage me to do a bit of (minor) exploring myself this summer. […]
I have a friend who owns a Brompton bicycle. When I meet him for a coffee, he invariably arrives at the cafe on his Brompton. He speaks lovingly about his travelling companion in the same way that I speak about my own bicycle, Reggie. People think that I […]
A few weeks ago, Decathlon, the sports shop, asked me a few questions about cycling and they have just published the interview on their own website. Here it is! Part two will be posted on August 7th…
Another great poster from Transport For London, this time advertising the Prudential Ride London event in a couple of weeks’ time. More details on the website.
I was contacted recently by a Greek cycling blogger who asked a few questions; he’s just published my answers on his own website. Here they are:
Well, I’ve got to have a press release, no? Press Release: ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie’ For immediate distribution Wednesday 30th July 2014, Reading, Berkshire We are delighted to announce the publication of the cycling travelogue ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ by Yorkshire […]
Not quite like waiting for a bus, but nearly… I received an email from Martin a couple of nights ago: could he stay overnight as a Warm Showers guest? No problem. No sooner had he arrived last night than I received a call from a woman in cycling […]
Here it is… (If you see any errors, please let me know before it goes to print! It’s not geographically perfect by the way…): Here is a previous version (spot the differences!):And here is the draft version:
Earlier this year David Simms and James Hesketh stayed overnight with me as WarmShowers guests. At the time they were en route to Paris on a tandem. They never actually got there due to problems with the ferry I seem to remember but Paris was only a trial run. […]
…will be published on Friday 1st August 2014. The much anticipated follow up to ‘Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie‘ will be available initially as an eBook at Amazon and in paperback from CompletelyNovel. ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ will be available on other platforms […]
This has simplicity, beauty and European cycling written all over it. Or rather, printed all over it. It’s nice. I received an email from a chap called Laurence this week. This is what he said; “We’re a small not-for-profit letterpress print company located in Bristol and two members […]
Here’s a great video from Welcome2Yorkshire summing up in images and music the two-day visit of the Tour de France to Yorkshire. A few screen shots to whet your appetite…
By guest blogger Andriy How many times have you heard the story of the invisible bike? The one that came out of nowhere, and appeared too late for a driver to stop. The one that should have been more visible than it was. The one who left it […]
Moving on… I’m a sucker for a good poster (I think I said the same thing only last week about the Transport for London posters…) and here is another good one. More details on the Brompton World Championship website.
Information courtesy of Europcar!
The atmosphere today on the Côte de Greetland (known locally, more prosaically as Queen Street, Hammerstones and Blackley Road) was wonderful. Half the population of the small town of Elland (c. 20,000) must surely have been somewhere along the hill. I was brought up on Blackley Road and my […]
Information courtesy of Europcar!
…for two days at least. It should be fun!
Information courtesy of Europcar!
