An update on my efforts to cycle 300 miles in September for Cancer Research UK. Date Time Miles Climb 9/12/2018 31:42:00 5.22 231 9/12/2018 28:43:00 5.31 168 9/11/2018 45:03:00 7.24 279 9/11/2018 25:38:00 4.97 151 9/9/2018 57:06:00 9.68 315 9/7/2018 28:00:00 5.33 168 9/6/2018 2:42:50 31.71 788 9/5/2018 […]
By Ian Clark
So, here is the complete film of my August quest to climb the highest peaks of England, Wales and Scotland. 26 minutes of hiking adventure…
Today, Mobike, the bike sharing service, announced that that they would be pulling out of operating their system in Manchester due to theft and vandalism of their bicycles. You can read more about this sad, but very understandable decision in this article on The Guardian website. A cyclist […]
The challenge is accomplished! Three peaks in three weeks? I didn’t need all 21 days in the end, just 18. OK, plenty of people do the national three peaks in 24 hours. On a physical level, I take my hat off to them. But then again, speed isn’t […]
There’s enough in and around Fort William – the local town to Ben Nevis – to keep the average man occupied for a day. I’m an average man and it has kept me occupied until 4pm. The campsite is at the foot of Ben Nevis itself… …and I […]
It’s always good to from people that I have met on my travels. This week, two fellow continental drifters from the cycle from Spain to Norway back in 2015 have been in touch. First up is Peter Udell. I met him in northern Spain in the early part […]
This website is in celebratory mood… Much of what you can find online is ephemeral; here today, gone tomorrow and, often, that’s no bad thing. I note, in passing, that the list of antonyms of ‘ephemeral‘ include words such as ‘permanent‘, ‘perpetual‘ and even (goodness!) ‘eternal‘. Well, CyclingEurope.org […]
“In this video we explore what makes us want to cycle – and encourage you to start your own bicycle tour. It’s possible! Back in June and July of 2018, my girlfriend Belén and I cycled the famed ‘Pamir Highway’, through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. During our trip we […]
The art of camping is in keeping as many things as possible of off the ground, which, if you are in a tent (for that is proper ‘camping’ – don’t get me going on that one…) is usually grass or mud. I’m not sure I’ve ever made that […]
By Marc Martorell Cycling is more than getting from one place to another and even more than a sport. Committing to this way of life is a deliberate choice, so no wonder people want to take their bikes everywhere they go. Even in the most industrialised regions of the […]
By Penny Martinelli Cycling holidays are for everyone and everyone should enjoy them in their whole life for at least once. Of course, there are many destinations in the UK for a great cycling holiday, but if you want to get away and experience a different way of […]
All good walks end up in the pub. Today’s ascent of England’s tallest mountain, Scafell Pike, was a good walk. And I’m writing this in the pub with that first pint glow adding a silver lining to a cloud that didn’t require one in the first place. It […]
“L’Eroica could only have been born in Tuscany. It’s a matter of soul, land, white roads, landscapes, of genuine food and wine, of culture and passions, of history and of Bartali. Now world-renowned for the special people it involves and for the values it upholds, Eroica encapsulates the very essence […]
Some things make you want to scream. I’ll get to one of those in a few moments. In the meantime, there’s a small family of ‘Cycling Europe’ websites out there: CyclingEurope.com – the big one, not used but up for sale if you’d like it for many thousands […]
One morning last August I made an impromptu decision to head off to the Dales and hike up the three major peaks of Yorkshire: Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside. I did so over the two days of August 20th and 21st. I’m hoping to do something similar this August […]
Lost Japan (1993), Alex Kerr Follow this link to the Japan 2020 pages of CyclingEurope.org This is the first book I’ve read about Japan (aside from delving into sections of the Rough Guide) and I’ll be honest; I only understood probably about a third of the detail. The […]
Fitness, time, money and equipment. Those were the four key things that I listed as potential hurdles if I am ever to cycle the length of Japan in the summer of 2020. Of the four hurdles, three are relatively passive, but one is, by necessity, active: fitness. With […]
Saltaire, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Halifax… where better to celebrate on August 1st?
I’ve ridden a Brompton bicycle only twice in my life. The first time when I visited the Brompton factory in London in 2014 – more details here – and the second time last year on a visit to Brussels on the bicycle above – more details here. I’ve […]
By Oliver Devon Nothing beats the fresh air, breathtaking view, and the thrill of riding your bike on a new barely touched trail. The adrenaline of rushing down that unknown path makes the hair on the back of your neck stand. The anticipation is high, especially if you […]
In the back of my mind, I’ve been thinking about my list of requirements for a bespoke bicycle that I would dearly love to have built before I travel to cycle the length of Japan in 2020. I have yet to write down a definite list – perhaps […]
It seems timely… Here’s the route being taken by today’s cyclists in the Tour de France compared to my own cycle into Paris in 2015 en route to Nordkapp: Somewhat different although the two routes do coalesce somewhere near the Champs Elysées. Here’s how I described the journey […]
…and an exclusive film. Keep reading (and watching). Exactly three years ago today, after 96 days of cycling and 15 days of not cycling (much), I pulled on the brakes of my good steed Reggie for the final time at the monument that marks the northernmost point of […]
By Penny Martinelli As a relatively new destination on the tourist map, Cuba offers plenty of intrigue and adventure. However, have you considered a cycling holiday there? To really lose yourself in the culture and get to grips with the heritage of this unique country, hop on your […]
DEADLINE FOR BIDS – MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY 31ST JULY IF YOU’D LIKE THE COPY OF THE CICERONE GUIDE MENTIONED BELOW, IT WILL GO TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! YOUR BID MUST ARRIVE BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY 31ST JULY . I’LL DONATE THE MONEY TO THE TEENAGE CANCER TRUST AND […]
By Sally Fox What could be more exciting than loading up the bike rack and catching the ferry to France for two weeks of pedalling pleasure? These beautiful destinations are perfect for your next two-wheeled adventure. If you’re after coastal charm, Normandy is a winner. At only 3 hours […]
Maxine Dodd’s pictures are beautiful. It’s well worth exploring her website to see some of her pictures from this year’s Tour de France. If you happen to be in Northampton, you can see them at the jgallery as well.
I spent much of the past weekend filmmaking. I’ve dabbled in the past with short videos, usually taken with the iPhone and/or GoPro (and have produced some good results) but if I am to cycle the length of Japan in 2020, I’d like to make a proper film. […]
There’s been much about the Far East in recent weeks, but let’s come back to Yorkshire and more specifically the Ryburn Valley. Some of you may remember me mentioning the Ryburn Valley Greenway project on CyclingEurope.org in the past – follow this link to read the previous posts. […]
First came the website, then the books and the podcast. It’s time, I feel, to move into film…
Today I bought a map of Japan and this evening I have stuck it to the wall of the spare bedroom. I did this prior to the three cycles across Europe and, each time, I achieved my objective. Let’s hope the strategy works for a 4th time… I […]
Trump, Brexit, May (although see below)… I’ve had my fill. In other news: I joined BBC Radio Leeds presenter Andrew Edwards last Thursday morning for a walk along part of the route of the disused Sowerby Bridge to Rishworth railway line and one day, hopefully, the walking- and […]
Time to roll back the years… and catch up with a few people from last night’s talk (see previous post).
Arrived in Ulverston on the southern edges of the Lake District yesterday afternoon to give a talk as part of the Retro Rendezvous / Vélo Retro Festival. (I even now have the t-shirt…) One of the nicest things about giving these talks is visiting corners of the country […]
I’m at Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax tonight – Thursday 12th July – to see… Tickets still available – click here – … and you can store you bicycle in the Cornerstone room! “Scottish-born David Millar bought his first road bike aged 15 and when he turned […]
UPDATE: Wednesday 11th July 2018 Today I drove over to Leeds to pay a visit to Woodrup Cycles and spent about an hour chatting to one of the guys who works in the shop. It was an interesting conversation and took place whilst standing over this bike (I […]
Impressive…
It’s almost as if the designers of The Piece Hall in Halifax had The Antiques Roadshow in mind when they built the place in the 18th century… Below is The Piece Hall, minus red gazebos and people but plus a bike. This is, after all, supposed to be […]
Second half… First half…
A slew of Tour de France-related emails have arrived this week promoting this product, that cause etc… The race itself, of course, sets off today from the Vendée in western France. Of all the emails that I have received, two stick out from the rest. The first comes […]
I’m tempted to register… From the European Cyclists’ Federation website: “The registration for the EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism Conference 2018 that will take place in Belgian Limburg on September 26th – 28th is open! You can now register here. Do not miss the leading cycle tourism conference in Europe, a unique occasion to share knowledge, highlight […]
During all that, I took pictures of clouds while listening to Radio 5 Live. If only we were all as passionate about preventing the folly that is BREXIT as we are in progressing in the World Cup. More clouds, perhaps, in the quarter finals…
I would love a new bicycle. Who wouldn’t? Reggie, the Ridgeback Panorama, has served me well for nearly 10 years, although admittedly he hasn’t seen much action since I bought Dale, the Cannondale CAADX 105, a cross bike that I now ride whenever I need to get on […]
Cycling the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway (eastern loop) from Malham to Settle and back, travelling in Japan and an interview with Mike Webb of PulpedTravel.com and cycling to the summit of one of the Tour de France’s most iconic climbs: Mont Ventoux.
Cycling the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway (eastern loop) from Malham to Settle and back, travelling in Japan and an interview with Mike Webb of PulpedTravel.com and cycling to the summit of one of the Tour de France’s most iconic climbs: Mont Ventoux
You may remember that back in May at the Cycle Touring Festival, I met a chap called Robert, an academic at Reading University. I posted a few pictures of his Ridgeback Panorama touring bike that he had converted to carry ‘bike-packing’ bags rather than panniers. You can read […]
There’s something reassuringly old school about the York Cycle Rally. Not retro, just old school. Nothing forced; no obligation to ride a bicycle that dates from a day before the word ‘comfort’ appears to have come to the attention of bicycle designers, just reassuringly traditional. Neither fashionable not […]
With suitably melodramatic background music and available on demand in the UK from June 25th… From the filmmakers: “LE RIDE follows the story of the first English speaking team to ride in the toughest sporting event on earth, The Tour de France. In 1928 a small under-resourced, untested team from […]
In order to cycle the length of Japan (more details here), one of my priorities needs to be to get fit again. I’ve got plenty of time; 2020 is my planned departure date. Prior to all three of the long European cycles, I was cycling on a regular […]
A friend commented to me a few days ago that I seemed to be on a three-year cycle. Not a three-year ‘ride’, but a three-year ‘cycle’.
I often think that West Yorkshire – the county in which I now, once again, live – is a microcosm of Britain. Urban yet rural, modern yet old, beautiful yet ugly, cherished yet neglected… When I cycle, my commute to work, from near the village of Stainland to Square […]
In a stupendous example of failing to plan, after my talk on Friday evening and short cycle around Edinburg on Saturday morning, I was scratching my head as to what to do. Should I stay in Scotland, find somewhere to stay, do a little exploring on or off […]
The Australian film-maker Cameron Nichols featured on CyclingEurope.org back in September 2017 after having cycled the length of New Zealand and having produced a film about his adventure: Cycling The Long White Cloud. He’s been in contact regarding a new, rather different, film which makes for fun watching. […]
It was an all-too-brief visit to Edinburgh to speak at the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling at the weekend, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. The event is now in its sixth year and spans across 18 days in June – there are still plenty of things going on until […]
I now find myself with several ‘jobs’. Although no longer a full-time teacher, I continue to spend two or three days every week in schools. I visited one particular secondary today – Salendine Nook High near Huddersfield here in West Yorkshire – and found this. Worth sharing I […]
For those who like their cycling art just as much as their cycling facts and figures, this book could be for you: “Racing Bicycles: The Illustrated Story of Road Cycling“. “Everything you need to know about road cycling – the bikes, the races, the famous riders – in […]
Scotland is once again on my mind as, this coming weekend, I will be speaking at the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (Friday, 6.30pm in the Pleasance Cabaret Bar – details and tickets here). The last time I visited the country was in 2014, shortly after the Commonwealth Games […]
It’s June 3rd, it’s World Bicycle Day and… it’s back! The Cycling Europe Podcast Episode 006 for June 2018 has just been published and awaits your ears to to turn in its direction and enjoy a bumper 73 minutes of cycling chat. This month you can… Relive last […]
The Cycle Touring Festival 2018 featuring Stephen Fabes, Libby Bowles, Sophie Esterer and Laura & Tim Moss, taking your bicycle on a train in northern England and William Manners, author of ‘Revolution: How The Bicycle Reinvented Modern Britain’.
The mini-series draws to a close with part five (links to parts one, two, three and four below) and a report from the upcoming Cycling Europe Podcast which will be published in its glorious entirety at the beginning of June. Trans Pennine Trains here in the north of […]
By Lee Dover Strength manifests itself in a number of ways, whether it be in strongman competitions or on the road. It’s not just squats and deadlifts which impress when showcasing this trait either, as speed, strength and stamina of insane magnitude can all make us pause and take […]
Well, it’s a world tour if you ignore the other 194 countries… More details below or by visiting the speaking page of CyclingEurope.org. 8th June 2018: Edinburgh Cycling Festival, Scotland 23rd June 2018: The York Rally, The Knavesmire, York 13th July 2018: Vélo Retro Festival, Ulverston, Cumbria 21st […]
Great news; these videos didn’t self-destruct on May 26th!
I mentioned in part one of the mini-series of posts that I had recently been asked to contribute my thoughts about travelling by train in Europe from the perspective of a cyclist for a report called The Great Train Comparison. The survey has now been published… …and the thoughts of […]
OK, perhaps not self-destruct but the videos will disappear on May 26th and they make for a good watch. There’s a good line in the French film Taxi 2 where one of the characters tells his girlfriend (who is keen on him arriving home to, well, ‘comfort’ here) […]
Here’s an interesting and important statement from Sustrans regarding the future of the National Cycle Network here in the UK. It’s worth a read: “The National Cycle Network (NCN) will undergo a major review of its walking and cycling routes to ensure they meet the highest design standards […]
The cycling-public transport mini-series of posts continues… It kicked off with my own story of how I managed to transport myself and Reggie the bike back from Nordkapp in August 2015 using an assortment of trains and ferries; that was Part One. Prompted by changes to their bicycle-carrying […]
I love the artwork for this. I’m sure the event is quite good too… “Montalcino’s long weekend will begin on Friday 25 and finish with the heroic ride on Sunday 27 May. Cyclists, enthusiasts and collectors of wonderful experiences from the Val d’Orcia and all over Europe will participate in […]
A heavy-duty bit of research has gone into this post. I hope someone finds it useful… Not so much about the ferries this time (if you want detailed information about taking your bicycle on a ferry there’s some useful advice here), it’s just the trains. If you read […]
Warning! There are some pretty pictures and videos in this post… …but I also need your opinions. Scroll to the foot of the post for more information… I don’t write murder mysteries. This is why I have no problem in revealing to anyone who hasn’t read Spain to Norway […]
Three years ago today, I trundled into Paris… …arriving in, well, triumph at the Arc de Triomphe late in the afternoon. Here’s how the story unfolded in ‘Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie‘: Having attempted to cycle several times along the Thames Valley into central London […]
So far we’ve got to number 10 in the list of my Top Fifteen Tips for Long-Distance Cycling… Do a trial run Never buy a one-person tent Don’t let the weather put you off If you see a mountain, cycle towards it Try to be lucky! Write about your […]
Three years ago today… Cycling along the Loire à Vélo / EuroVelo 6 / EuroVelo 3 (take your pick) in France.
I’m occasionally tweeted a picture of one of the books in far off locations. The latest addition to the collection is from Thomas Soininen – @dvlrnr – who is from Tallinn in Estonia. Here he is, book in hand, on a beach in Mexico. The books have travelled […]
They don’t call it Hardknott Pass for anything! With an energy-sapping gradient of one in three in places, only Rosedale Chimney in Yorkshire is anything like it. But having failed spectacularly once before, this time, I was determined to make it up in one go, without getting off […]
“Endurance athlete Sean Conway has set a new world record for the fastest, unsupported crossing of Europe by bicycle. Sean has broken the world record by 9 hours after cycling 3,980 miles (6,405 kilometres) in 24 days, 18 hours and 39 minutes. Sean cycled across Europe starting from […]
Here’s part two of the run down of Cycling Europe’s 15 Top Tips for Long-Distance Cycling as revealed at this year’s Cycle Touring Festival. You can read part one – tips 1 to 5 in detail – in this post on CyclingEurope.org but here’s a summary of what […]
Following last weekend’s Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe, this year’s Cycling Europe speaking tour moves on to… Edinburgh in June: I’ll be speaking on June 8th at 6.30pm in the Pleasance Cabaret Bar (!)… …and tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling website. More generally, […]
For the past three years I’ve been honoured to give a talk at the Cycling Touring Festival in Clitheroe, Lancashire. It’s a wonderful, friendly event and this year was drenched in continuous sunshine from beginning to end. That aside, in each of those three years the festival has […]
You’re cycling down the road and you see something ahead of you on the tarmac. It’s not moving and appears somewhat flattened. Rubbish? Horse shit? A hub cap? You get a little closer and discover it’s none of these… it’s a hedgehog. Or rather it was. As the […]
Ready to be transported to a street in Egypt? Read on… The new podcast has actually been available to listen to for a few days here at CyclingEurope.org (via that button over there on the right or perhaps way down at the bottom if you’re on your phone) […]
What a good day… It’s been the fourth edition of Laura and Tim Moss’ Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe; I’ve been to three of them and it has been the best I’ve experienced so far. Great people, interesting stories and with my podcast hat on today was spent […]
One of my talks here at the Cycle Touring Festival was subtitled ’15 Top Tips for Long-Distance Cycle Touring’. I’ll post the list to CyclingEurope.org in the coming days. However, at number three in the list was ‘avoid flying with a bicycle’. Neil Wheadon, vet and cycle tour […]
One of the nicest things about the Cycle Touring Festival here in Clitheroe is the conversations that take place between the more formal sit-down-and-listen sessions. Earlier this evening I was approached by a chap called Robert, an academic at Reading University. We got chatting and it turns out […]
It’s that time of the year once again… I’m with my homies here in Clitheroe. Beautiful weather, interesting talk, nice food and decent beer. A quadruple whammy of goodness at the Cycle Touring Festival. I delivered two talks (‘Ten Years of Cycling Europe’ and ‘Podcasting on Tour’) and […]
Guest post by Michael Payne England is a beautiful country for cycling. Its famous countryside areas offer routes that are both challenging and picturesque, and in many cases you can also begin or end a cycling journey with a specific attraction or tourist destination. That way, you really […]
The great and the good of cycling out in force for the pre-event launch of this year’s Tour de Yorkshire; Welcome to Yorkshire’s Sir Gary Verity, the Tour de France’s Christian Prudhomme and La Vuelta’s Javier Guillén. Is that a sign that Spain’s big race might be coming […]
Not sure how many of days 1 to 4 upon which there will be comment on CyclingEurope.org but here I am on the eve of ‘Le Tour Yorkshire’ in Leeds. The (non-cycling) action kicks off at 6pm in Millennium Square with the usual razzmatazz associated with any big […]
Here’s the route of this year’s race combined with a few memories… Look out for more posts over the next few days on CyclingEurope.org from the heart of ‘Le Tour (…de Yorkshire)’!
Around the World with Tim Moss – ‘With The Sun on Our Right’, cycling the National Cycle Network routes 66 and 69 in Yorkshire, and sound effects…
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Cycling Europe website. It wasn’t called ‘Cycling Europe’ back in August 2008; it went by the rather more specific name of ‘Puglia 2010’ which made reference to the destination of my first trans-continental ride that was planned for the summer […]
I had one big job to do today and lots of little ones. The little ones have all been done, but the big one remains untouched… Such is life. More of the ‘big job’ in a few moments. One of the ‘little’ jobs was to erect the new […]
Guest post by Sasha Francis There really is a cycle route for everyone in the Lake District! Routes like The Lakes & Dales Loop cover some of the most beautiful parts of the landscape and as threatening as a 196-mile circular loop sounds, it’s easily broken down into […]
Three years ago today… I was nearing the end of the Spanish portion of my cycle from Tarifa to Nordkapp. Original post to CyclingEurope.org below the video (just look at that road surface!) & image.
An interesting take on cycling infrastructure in The Netherlands…
UPDATE: Tuesday 24th April 2018 I’ve gone for the Vango Force 10 Xenon UL 2+ (significantly reduced in price from Go Outdoors down to £222 with a bit of price matching and their offer to undercut any online price by 10%). Pity it’s green but there you go… Sunday […]
From the perspective of this seasoned continental cyclist, the best thing about a ferry is the fact that it isn’t an aeroplane. No hassle packing up the bike; just a case of riding over a ramp, finding a seat and relaxing while someone else does the hard work of […]
Regular readers of these posts will know that I quite often receive emails from people asking for information about cycling in Europe as occasionally I post my exchanges with such people on the website. In the case of Simon Ruddenklau, however, I didn’t. Perhaps it was a busy […]
