YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Episode 068 Of The Cycling Europe Podcast

Tony Lenihan, a retired policeman, works for his local council in the English Midlands as their โ€˜Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinatorโ€™. Heโ€™s also a keen cyclist and, in the early autumn of 2022, after more than 40 years of work, he decided to take a career break and head off on a solo cycling adventure from Bilbao to Athens. It would be a 7-week ferry-hopping Greek odyssey that took him through northern Spain, to the islands of Sardinia and Scilly, across the heel of Italy to Brindisi before sailing the Adriatic to his final destination of Greece.ย  He talked to The Cycling Europe Podcast about his continental experiencesโ€ฆ but also about โ€˜active travelโ€™ in the UK and how the country measures up (or not) to its European neighbours.ย 

EXTRA: Active Travel – Tony Lenihan

Tony Lenihan is a touring cyclist and in the next full episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast – number 068 – you will hear him talk about a journey he made ‘from B to A’ – Bilbao to Athens in the early autumn of 2022. The podcast was recorded at the same time as the British Chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister) was delivering his annual budget to parliament and the nation. Tony works for a council in the English Midlands and is their ‘Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinator’. Before we spoke about his trip, we took the timely opportunity to discuss his professional interest in cycling; active travel, which has recently seen a large cut in funding in England. I comment in the recording that what we said was worthy of a podcast in itself… so here it is. A little shorter than normal – just 15 minutes – with no introduction etc… Spolier alert: the chancellor didn’t announce a U-turn on funding, just ยฃ200 million for potholes… The full podcast will be published on YouTube: YouTube.com/@CyclingEuropeYouTube – on 18.3.23 and then across all podcast platforms on 25.3.23.

asphalt road leading to the summit of mont ventoux

Cycling Mont Ventoux: Everything You Need To Knowย 

Cycling Mont Ventoux should be on the bucket list of every avid cyclist. It’s the highest mountain in Provence, and because it’s isolated from other mountains of the same size, it’s one of the most prominent geographical features in northern Provence. You can access the top of Mont Ventoux by road, from where you can enjoy the spectacular views of Provence and Rhรดne valley, the southern Alps, and even the Pyrenees when the air is clear.ย 

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 067 – Cycling In Brittany – Tim Boden / Geoff Husband

In June 2022, Tim Boden – an experienced group cyclist – set off on his first solo cycle tour, to Brittany in north-west France. His route took him from the port of Roscoff along the Vรฉlodyssรฉe / EuroVelo 1 to Redon. He then joined French regional route number 42 to follow the coast to Saint-Nazaire before returning to the Vรฉlodyssรฉe for a cycle beside the Loire to Nantes and back to Redon. Here he rejoined the eastern portion of route 42 to cycle north to Saint-Malo. Tim talks about the routes but also the history and culture of this distinctive French region. We also revisit two encounters from episodes 55 & 56 with three French cyclists – Fabian, Julian and Guillaume – and, from Breton Bikes and Camping de Gouarec, Geoff Husband.

Episode 067: Cycling In Brittany – Tim Boden / Geoff Husband

In June 2022, Tim Boden – an experienced group cyclist – set off on his first solo cycle tour, to Brittany in north-west France. His route took him from the port of Roscoff along the Vรฉlodyssรฉe / EuroVelo 1 to Redon. He then joined French regional route number 42 to follow the coast to Saint-Nazaire beforeย  returning to the Vรฉlodyssรฉe for a cycle beside the Loire to Nantes and back to Redon. Here he rejoined the eastern portion of route 42 to cycle north to Saint-Malo. Tim talks about the routes but also the history and culture of this distinctive French region. We also revisit two encounters from episodes 55ย  & 56 with three French cyclists –ย  Fabian, Julian and Guillaume – and, from Breton Bikes and Camping de Gouarec, Geoff Husband.

John Vincent: On An eBike Around Europe

A few weeks ago, John Vincent , a Canadian based in British Columbia got in touch. He explained that he and his wife were enthusiastic eBike tourers in Europe and could he write a piece for the website about his experiences. I was delighted to take him up on his offer and below you can read what he has to say. If you’d like to get in touch with John, he has included contact details at the foot of the article. And if you’d like to contribute your own article for publication on CyclingEurope.org, please get in touch. All the contact details can be found here. Over to you John!

YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Episode 067 Of The Cycling Europe Podcast

In June 2022, Tim Boden – an experienced group cyclist – set off on his first solo cycle tour, to Brittany in north-west France. His route took him from the port of Roscoff along the Vรฉlodyssรฉe / EuroVelo 1 to Redon. He then joined French regional route number 42 to follow the coast to Saint-Nazaire beforeย  returning to the Vรฉlodyssรฉe for a cycle beside the Loire to Nantes and back to Redon. Here he rejoined the eastern portion of route 42 to cycle north to Saint-Malo. Tim talks about the routes but also the history and culture of this distinctive French region. We also revisit two encounters from episodes 55ย  & 56 with three French cyclists –ย  Fabian, Julian and Guillaume – and, from Breton Bikes and Camping de Gouarec, Geoff Husband.

black under amour sneakers

The Beginnerโ€™s Guide To Barefoot Cycling

You may have heard of barefoot running. But have you ever heard of barefoot cycling? Itโ€™s starting to grow in popularity but itโ€™s difficult to pinpoint where the trend actually came from. So, why are people cycling barefoot? Does it actually provide any health benefits over wearing regular or cyclist shoes? Here weโ€™ll discuss how cycling barefoot can improve your cycling ability and some tips if you’re considering trying it for yourself.