The Grand Départ 2014 Stage 3: Cambridge To London
Information courtesy of Europcar!
The Côte De Greetland, Elland, Sunday 6th July 2014
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 […]
The Grand Départ 2014 Stage 2: York To Sheffield
Information courtesy of Europcar!
Le Tour De France: Grand Départ, Leeds
The Moment Arrives: Yorkshire And France Become One…
…for two days at least. It should be fun!
The Grand Départ 2014 Stage 1: Leeds To Harrogate
Information courtesy of Europcar!
Forget Leeds, Harrogate, York, Sheffield…
…Elland and West Vale are the places to be! The locals have embraced Le Tour and it’s all rather nice. I love the yellow window. It should win awards!
Best Places To Watch The Tour De France In England
By guest blogger Ian Fergusson Le Tour de France has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1903 as a newspaper publicity stunt. The world’s greatest bicycle race is also the world’s largest free sporting event. Thousands line the streets of France every year to cheer on […]
Welcome To Yorkshire
Three Kings, From London To Barcelona
Here are three guys who cycled along a similar route to me but from London Barcelona taking in large chunks of my 2010 journey from England to Italy and then my 2013 across southern France and into Spain. I wrote books about my adventures; these chaps have made […]
Attention! Le Tour De France Arrive A… Londres
Well, disappointing news about David Millar (see previous post and today’s news of him being dropped by his team, Garmin), but the Tour de France circus moves on… After Yorkshire it arrives in London and here are a couple of cracking posters produced by Transport for London. Both posters […]
Capture David Millar At The Tour De France
Here’s an interesting press release relating to pro cyclist David Millar: “Cycling Films and Scottish Documentary Institute are looking for budding volunteers to shoot, record and photograph pro cyclist David Millar during his last ever Tour de France. Called ‘Capture David’, this is a unique opportunity to collect images […]
The Tour De France Explained In Animation
Here’s a timely repeat (I’ve posted it at least twice before) but it’s a great explanation of the Tour de France, past and present.
Cyclism
Le Tour De France At Brooksbank School, Elland, West Yorkshire
My old secondary school, Brooksbank School in Elland, West Yorkshire are doing their very best to make sure that those who will be in the area for stage 2 of the Tour de France have a great view of the race both during its passage through the town, […]
L’Eroica Britannia: Great Poster!
…and I’m sure it’s also a great event. It takes place this weekend – 20th to 22nd June. More details on the event website.
Alistair Griffin / Kimberley Walsh: The Road – Official Tour Yorkshire Song
Reading Bike Kitchen Open!
Anyone Excited About The Tour De France In Yorkshire?
Courtesy of ‘Yorkshire Jules’ (@julieredred on Twitter) this must be the best Tour de France related photo I have yet seen. Fabulous! (Update from her mum: she is Phoebe, aged 9, started cycling 2 years ago and rides with Clifton cycle club in York.)
“Breakaway” Music Video Celebrates Bike Race Season
I’m no music critic so I’ll simply post the press release and you can make up your own mind: Hearts in Notes today releases “Breakaway”, a contemporary instrumental composition, along with an accompanying music video. The release is the first from Michael Thomas’ Hearts in Notes since last […]
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Tour De France…
…but were afraid to ask? Well, perhaps not. But if you do want to find out almost anything about the Tour de France, here is a good place to start, or rather two good places to start. I was sent the two books shown here by the publishers […]
Yorkshire Bicycle Show: The Talks
The Yorkshire Bicycle Show takes place over the weekend of the Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire, the 4th – 6th July, at Leeds Town Hall. The organisers have just finalised the list of talks that will be hosted as part of the event and here it […]
Local, Sustainable: The Growth Of Bike Culture In The UK
By guest blogger Emily Buchanan With the Tour de France set to depart from Yorkshire in July, there’s never been a better time to embrace bike culture in the UK. From a 100-day cultural festival in the North East to the second annual Edinburgh Festival of Cycling in Scotland, […]
“Issues Arising From Reading Your Book” Oh Dear…
Yesterday was my birthday. It wasn’t a great birthday as I also happened to be ill and had taken the day off work. I’m still ill and I’m still off work. Late last night as I was coughing in my bed, unable to fall asleep, I heard my […]
Is Reading Ready For Ready Bike?
During my European cycling exploits I have often cycled into towns and cities where there is a bike hire system up and running. Increasingly it’s not just the major cities that have them, the smaller cities and towns are jumping in and offering their own bike hire services. However, […]
Vento: Italy By Bike Along The River Po
I followed a similar route myself when I cycled across northern Italy in the summer of 2013… I’m writing a book about it, these guys have made a film! I do like the point they make that 630km of cycle path costs the same as 2km of motorway […]
“New DIY Bicycle Workshop… To Move Into Old Jacksons Store”
From the GetReading.co.uk website: “The Jacksons department store building will be buzzing again later this month when it is taken over by Reading Repair Cafe and a new DIY bicycle workshop. The regular Repair Cafe event where anything from bikes to computers can be repaired is moving into the […]
The New Cover Arrives At Amazon.co.uk
Luke Chiswell tweeted the picture below this morning and it reveals the great news that despite what the image on their website would have you believe, Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie is now being delivered with its brand new cover. Yippee!
Fathers’ Day Cycling Gifts From Halfords
These are fun and available at Halfords. My favourite is the bell as it has a real ‘brringg’!
Thank-you Yorkshire!
My short speaking tour of Yorkshire ended last night here in Ripon. Appearing on the radio and making presentations is far more tiring that riding a bicycle long distances. Thanks to Russell of Russell’s Bike Shed, the people at Amici and Bici and Iain Pearce in Sheffield, to […]
Vélo Pale Ale: Brilliant Idea From Black Sheep Brewery
It’s No Longer So Grim Up North…
Le Grand Départ / The Big Start
It all kicks off from here in just 37 days… I do hope the organisers have checked out the local bye laws.
Le (Speaking) Tour de Yorkshire: Sheffield
Here is Russell of Russell’s Cycle Shed in Sheffield. You’ll normally find him in his workshop (and he’s about to move into new premises at Sheffield train station) but tonight to was at the cycling café called Amici and Bici hosting my talk. The crowd was friendly and […]
The European Elections Explained…
I don’t often get political on here but here’s something to think about. Turnout: 34.19% in the UKPercentage of votes for UKIP: 27.50%Percentage of the population voting UKIP: 9.40%Percentage of the population NOT voting UKIP: 90.60%So fewer than 1 in 10 people voted for Nigel Farage and the closet […]
Coming Soon: Le Speaking Tour De Yorkshire
Coming To A Radio Station / Café / Pub / Bike Shop / Cathedral Near You! Well, if you live in Yorkshire… Later this week I’ll be talking a short break from putting together the final chapters of Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie (due out […]
Pedal Power / Bicycles Don’t Pollute
Someone just emailed me about these badges; they are quite fun and retro, no? Here is the website if you are interested. Is Lycra a good thing to sew things onto? Not sure…
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT 3: Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie
Here is the third in a series of extracts from the soon-to-be-published book ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to read extract 1 (which was about cycling day 11 in Albania) by following this link and read extract 2 (which […]
Where Will You Be Watching Le Tour?
Well, I’ll be in Leeds at the Yorkshire Bike Show for the launch of ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ at 3pm on 5th July (come along!) after having watched the ‘off’ just outside Leeds Town Hall (which is the venue for the show). On Sunday […]
John Degenkolb’s Sprint In The Tour Of California Stage 1
Quite amazing…
Night of the Long Rides – Preview
Ian Street, who has organised the ‘Night of the Long Rides’ event where I will be speaking in Leeds later this month, has written a preview for the event on his own WordPress site. Unfortunately the talk is sold out but don’t forget that I will also be […]
One Gear, Solid Tyres, No Brakes…
Raleigh Chopper v. Mont Ventoux
I may be a cycle-touring author in my spare time, but at 6:30am every Monday to Friday for 38 weeks every year I cycle from my home in Reading to do my day job of teaching French in a state secondary school in Henley-on-Thames. It’s the reason why […]
Bring Bring, Bring Bring…
Andrei Burton’s Big Start Road Trip – Northern Ireland
While Yorkshire gears up for the Tour de France, Ireland – north and south – get ready for the arrival of the Giro d’Italia in 2014…
Cycling Insurance: A Bit Of Advice
By guest blogger Ashwin Iyer Why do you need cycle insurance? You only have to surf a little to find the statistics about yearly cycle thefts in London, and you’re guaranteed to see shocking figures. To put things in perspective, you can safely believe anybody who tells you that […]
Beautiful Cycling Film: Havana Bikes
A message from Diego of Kauri Multimedia; “We are a production team specialising in web documentaries and have completed a short film on Havana bicycle culture which we believe may be of interest to CyclingEurope.org. The documentary provides an insight into Cuban bike tradition and the mechanics who […]
Wheels For Change: A Visit To The London 2012 Velodrome
You may have noticed that for some time now the home page of CyclingEurope.org has had an advert for a UNICEF organised event; Wheels for Change. So, what is it? Well it is “…a cycling challenge that will help to turn young lives around. The money raised will go to […]
New Book (Not Mine): France En Vélo
I suppose being a French-teaching cyclist, I am the perfect target audience for a new book which is subtitled ‘The ultimate cycle journey from Channel to Med – St. Malo to Nice‘. Even if you are not a French-teaching cyclist (which, let’s face it, the chances are you […]
Inspiration For The Next Cycling Generation
By guest blogger Tom Nelson The countdown to Le Grand Depart has at long last begun with a one hundred day cultural festival that celebrates the start of arguably the greatest cycle race of all time, the Tour de France. Indeed it is the first time that such a […]
Summer Cycling Gear From, Yes, Aldi!
Last autumn I was sent some cycling clothing by the supermarket Aldi to test out. I wrote about the items in a post called ‘Cycling Gear From… Errr… Aldi‘. As you might guess from the title I was a little surprised that Aldi actually sold cycling gear and, […]
Beginners’ Guide: Cycling In The High Alps Of Europe
I’ve had a bit of experience cycling over the Alps – in 2010 over the Gotthard Pass (in Switzerland) at 2,091m and then in 2013 over the Tende Pass (just north of Nice on the French-Italian border) at 1,871m. They were both memorable days of cycling and I can […]
You’ve Not Read The Book… But You Can See Half Of The Photos!
I’m nearing the half-way point in writing “Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie” (you can read two extracts here and here) and to whet everyone’s appetite I have just posted the photographs from my travels through Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia to the new […]
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT 2: Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie
Here is the second in a series of extracts from the soon-to-be-published book ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to read extract 1 (which was all about cycling day 11 in Albania) by following this link. Tuesday […]
CTC’s Space For Cycling Campaign
CTC are calling on local councils to make our roads safe and inviting so everyone can cycle. What is the Space for Cycling campaign calling for? Watch the video below (& then visit the Space for Cycling website for further instructions!)
British Pathé Publishes Archive… Cycling Films Included!
Some interesting cycling-related videos on the new British Pathé archive just made available on YouTube. See the article below for more details but here is my choice of the cycling films; ‘Cycling Tips’ (1936) ‘Herne Hill Cycling aka Holiday Sport’ (1952) ‘Queer Cycling’ (1942) From Sky News; Film […]
Crossing Europe On A Bike Called Reggie… Reborn!
Here it is in all its glory; the new cover for Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie as designed by Andy Mitchell of Custard4Gravy. It’s wonderful and better than I ever imagined. I’m now in the process of updating the various editions of the book that are […]
EuroVelo Map… Again
Back in August 2008 I got very excited when my EuroVelo map arrived – read about it here – and I’m delighted to reveal that in April 2014 I’m equally delighted to have been given an updated version of the very same map. My policeman friend Titus (aka […]
Get Back In The Saddle: British Cycling Habits
The Peak District In Pictures
Nothing to do with cycling but some pretty pictures from my weekend trip to The Peak District…
Bespoked: The UK Handmade Bicycle Show
When I visited the newly-opened (to the public) Lee Valley Velopark at the Olympic Park in London yesterday, the stands were being set up for the 2014 UK Handmade Bicycle Show. It’s a pity it wasn’t open; I went last year when it was in Bristol and throughly […]
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London
It’s changed a bit since I was here as a GamesMaker back in 2012… My timed lap came in at 22.85 seconds. The professionals do it in 13.
“Excellent Reading” – There’s Still Time!
You’ve still got time to make sure you’ve read ‘Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie‘ before ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ hits the shelves this summer. ‘DartmoorScottyDog‘ did just that and he seemed to enjoy the experience…
The Lighter Side Of Cycling: See And Be Seen!
Here in the UK the clocks have just changed which means that cycling commuters such as my good self can look forward to six months of travelling to and from work without having to remember to fix the lights on the bike for all except the earliest of […]
Cycling Europe… On A Penny Farthing!
I’ve mentioned the first two days of the Tour de France 2014 frequently in recent months as it will be visiting Yorkshire, the region where I myself was born and grew up. I haven’t really written about day 3 of Le Tour which will see the cyclists set off […]
Going Potty Over The Tour de France in Yorkshire
Yorkshire is going potty over the arrival of the Tour de France in July. Yorks of Thirsk* a cafe in North Yorkshire (@YorksTea) are going, err… tea potty. Just look at these displays they have created; *”A friendly independent café in the market town of Thirsk. Cyclists and […]
Evolution Of The Bicycle
By Visual Artwork. Cool, no?
The Tour Of Britain 2014 (Yorkshire Is Now In France!)
More details on the TOB website… (It looks as though Yorkshire is now part of France! Perhaps in 2015…)
Maggie’s Monster Bike And Hike
I’m always happy to give a little publicity to a good cause and here is a very good one: Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike. “To let you know a bit more about the event, the Monster Bike + Hike is a 24-hour event where teams of two to […]
Wartime Road Safety Posters…
…spotted at Hughenden Manor, the former home of Benjamin Disraeli. Still as relevant now as they were in the 1940s.
An Audience With… Andrew P. Sykes
Here is the link to get hold of your ticket…
Top Four Road Bike Routes In The UK
By guest blogger Tom Nelson With the National Road Race cycling route now confirmed and the weather picking up into longer, brighter spring days it’s time to get on your bike and explore the beauty of Britain. The plethora of exciting cycle routes in this relatively small country […]
100 Days To The Arrival Of The Tour De France In Yorkshire!
Watch the video here… I’ll be there. Will you?
The “Green-Ways” Around Spain – Cycling and Walking For All Ages
My uncle, who lives in the south of Spain, has just sent me this article about the Vias Verdes cycle routes in Spain. It was originally posted on the website Eye on Spain / Max Abroad: The Best of Spain and I hope they don’t mind me republishing it […]
Giro Cycling Hotels, Italy
One of my students at school this week was writing in French on the subject of health and fitness. As part of the text she expressed her dislike for pasta. I couldn’t believe it and (kindly) lambasted her for her culinary preferences. I asked her if she had […]
Bike. Camp. Cook.
These people put me to shame… I usually head off to the local cafe, bar, pub or occasionally a restaurant. More information about the book on the Bike. Camp. Cook. website.
European Cyclists Federation Manifesto For 2014 European Parliament Elections
Click here for the website and here for the full manifesto PDF!
Update: Me For Queen Presents… A Cycling-Inspired Concept Album
A couple of weeks ago I posted about Mary Erskine and her band Me For Queen. I have an update from Mary: “Hi Andrew! We are now live! We just hit 25% this morning, so we are pumped – BUT still a long way to go… Here is […]
Night Of The Long Rides, Leeds, May 29th
Free tickets for this event in Leeds (starring me!) available from Eventbrite. “Have you ever felt like getting on your bike and going on an adventure? maybe heading off on a long distance tour and visiting other countries? Andrew Sykes and Tom Bruce have done just that, cataloguing […]
Got Your Tickets Yet For May 30th?
Follow this link to the Eventbrite event page… and here for the Le Tour Ripon website. See you in May!
GCN’s Top Ten Ways To Lose Weight Through Cycling
How To Decorate Your House… With 200 Bicycles
From the BBC’s ‘week in pictures‘: “Pet Horstmann, who runs the Fahrradhof bike shop in Altlandsberg, eastern Germany, looks out of his house decorated with more than 200 old bikes.” Here’s another shot of the same house from Panoramio:
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT 1: Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie
Over the next few months as I write about my 2013 cycle from Greece to Portugal along the (rough) line of the Eurovelo 8, I will publish an occasional extract from the book here on CyclingEurope.org. The book will be published on the 10th June 2014. Here is the first […]
10 Minutes To Go… #cycling
In just 10 minutes – at midday – you’ll be able to read an exclusive extract from my forthcoming book ‘Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie‘ here on CyclingEurope.org. The book will recount the tale of my cycle in summer 2013 from the Temple of Poseidon […]
1 Hour To Go… #cycling
2 Hours To Go… #cycling
3 Hours To Go… #cycling
The AA – Now You See Me
One For The Fans Of Eurovelo…
“EuroVelo director Adam Bodor sat down with Andy Carling to talk about the many new bike routes spanning through Europe as a means of connecting European countries and increasing bicycling tourism across Europe.”
Calm Down Dear… It’s Only Top Gear
I’ve just been reading some of the online reaction to the edition of Top Gear that was aired on Sunday evening and which contained a piece about creating a public information film with the aim of making cycling safer. Oh dear… It doesn’t seem to have gone down […]
The 2014 Tour Of California… With Peter Sagan
Changing Gears: Preparing For Spring Cycling
by guest blogger Tom Nelson Even the most seasoned cyclist is happy to see the bad weather fade away towards the end of winter and see the beginnings of spring emerge. When the days start to get longer and the snow begins to melt away, it’s time to […]
An Evening Of Pscycle Analysis, Wednesday 26th February
Yesterday I popped down to London to meet Michaela Delmonte at the Cycle PS bike shop-cum-café in Camberwell Church Street (SE5 8TR) that is run by her friend Harvey. Michaela describes herself as a “…food designer and novelty cake maker, artist, swing dancer, cyclist, founder of Pscycle.” We […]
Me For Queen Presents… A Cycling-Inspired Concept Album
I’m increasingly getting contacted by people in the wider cycling world who would like me to help a little bit with publicity for their event, charity, cycle etc… and I am usually more than happy to oblige (see previous post as a good example). It costs me nothing […]
UNICEF’s Wheels For Change Sportive – 24th May 2014
UNICEF, the charitable branch of the United Nations that aims to improve the lives of children across the globe and Barclays, sponsors of the Premier League football here in the UK are coming together with the aim of raising £500,000 to help young people ‘turn their business dreams […]
The Evolution Of Bicycles
Made by New York based infographic company Pop Chart Lab, this intricately-designed bicycle family tree is fascinating. Can you find your bike? Reggie’s branch of the evolutionary process is there… You can buy a print of the image by visiting the Pop Chart Lab website (where the rest […]
Le Tour Ripon 2014 Presents Several Audiences With…
Berlin: An Instagram Retrospective
My Instagram account is, predictably, CyclingEurope. There is a link over there on the right of this page. Down a bit. Yes, you found it.
Berlin: Day 2, After The Reichstag…
