Above Average: The Life And Times Of A Glasgow Cycle Courier

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Back in the 80s and 90s, bicycle couriers were a bit of a novelty. I remember seeing them when I lived in London. I don’t think many people thought they would stick around beyond their allocated period of being a fad. Surely a cyclist couldn’t match the speed of getting some important document from one corner of the city to the other! But clearly they could and 30 years later, cycle couriers are indeed still around, and with the likes of Deliveroo and cargo bikes, the sector is not only surviving but flourishing. And some people who were cycle couriers in their youth – Emily Chappell and Julian Sayarer come to mind – have gone on to greater things in the wider cycling world.

Winter In Spring: April Snow Showers In Northern England

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We seemed to have had more than our fair share of snow in the north of England during the winter of 2020-21. Last week, however, the temperatures were in the low twenties and people were sunbathing on the beaches at Scarborough so I wasn’t quite expecting to wake up this morning and see that the snow had returned in April. I put the drone into action and here is the result. I reckon that by midday it will have all melted – probably until next winter – but you never know…

Cycling Slovenia: The Outsider’s View

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A few weeks ago, shortly after attending an online seminar on the subject, I posted an article about cycling in Slovenia. It was kind of the ‘official’ version. My experience of cycling in Slovenia, as I set out in that post, is very limited; just a few hours back in 2013 as I cycled from Croatia in the direction of Trieste in Italy. Even after such a short visit, however, I was impressed and the seminar made it clear that there was much, much more to see in this, one of Europe’s smallest countries. A few days later a Slovenian cyclist called Miha Pavšič emailed with an ‘insider’s view’ of cycling in Slovenia. All good things come in threes and clearly cycling in Slovenia is no exception as Robin Watkins has now been in touch. He visited Slovenia in September 2017 and below are his thoughts on travelling through the country and, again, some beautiful photographs.

L’Enfer Du Nord / The Hell Of The North

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The Paris-Roubaix cycle race has been postponed until later in the year. No surprise there bearing in mind the new lockdown just announced in France. Cobbles are an (almost) every day part of cycling here in the Calder Valley of Yorkshire. My bones have been shaken on a regular basis in recent years since my return to God’s Own County. Perhaps they should have just moved it to the north of England rather than waiting until the autumn of 2021… I wrote about the Paris-Roubaix in Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie.

biker holding mountain bike on top of mountain with green grass

Cycle Touring Friends (Romans, Countrymen… [And Countrywomen…])

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As I was croaking my way through recording the links for the latest episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast that was published overnight, I mentioned that I would put all the relevant links to the accommodation providers on the website. We, here I am doing just that. The four people interviewed were Tahverlee Anglen from the accommodation sharing website WarmShowers, Simon Ainley from the Youth Hostel Association of England and Wales, Simon Kershaw from a new hotel – soon to be a chain of hotels – called Bike and Boot in Scarborough and the wild camper Tim Millikin. You can find more details about Tim’s travels and the book he has written by visiting his website.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 031 – Cycle Touring Accommodation Special

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Across the globe, the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 are beginning to ease. Foreign travel may not be an easy option for most people in summer 2021, but being able to explore your own country probably is. In this episode of the podcast, we look at some of the accommodation choices available to touring cyclists including wild camping, hotels, hostels and reciprocal accommodation sharing with contributions from WarmShowers’ Tahverlee Anglen, wild camper Tim Millikin, the YHA’s Simon Ainley and Simon Kershaw from Scarborough’s newest hotel, Bike and Boot.

Episode 031: Cycle Touring Accommodation Special

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Across the globe, the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 are beginning to ease. Foreign travel may not be an easy option for most people in summer 2021, but being able to explore your own country probably is. In this episode of the podcast, we look at some of the accommodation choices available to touring cyclists including wild camping, hotels, hostels and reciprocal accommodation sharing with contributions from WarmShowers’ Tahverlee Anglen, wild camper Tim Millikin, the YHA’s Simon Ainley and Simon Kershaw from Scarborough’s newest hotel, Bike and Boot.

BBC World Service: Cycling Across Europe In The Pandemic

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The countries of continental Europe and the European Union itself have been much criticised in the (right-wing) British media in recent weeks on matters relating to the distribution of the COVID vaccines. In those criticisms there is, of course, a non-too-subtle dollop of British smugness. To at least 48% of the British population (of which I am part), these are sentiments that make us squirm. They are predictable and fail to take into account the ‘bigger picture’ of a continent which, in terms of the quality of people’s lives, is light years ahead of most parts of backward, squalid Britain.

Cycling Slovenia: The Insider’s View

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Last weekend I posted an article about cycling in Slovenia (Cycling Slovenia: It Was “Blinking Marvellous” (…And Probably Still Is). I have only visited the country very briefly myself – back in 2013 en route from Greece to Portugal – and most of my comments were based upon an online event that I had attended a few days earlier. However, in response to that post, local resident and keen cyclist Miha Pavšič has been in touch with some interesting comments and some beautiful images.

Mark Beaumont / Markus Stitz: Explore Your Boundaries

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Two of Scotland’s finest – one born and bred, one adopted – have come together to invite you to ‘explore your boundaries’. Both are familiar to listeners of The Cycling Europe Podcast; one is Mark Beaumont (episode 16), one is Markus Stitz (episode 29). Mark is an athlete and broadcaster with a string of cycling accolades to his name; Markus became the first person to cycle around the world on a single-speed bike and now runs Bikepacking Scotland. They not only share a name (nearly…) and a passion for cycling, but also great filmmaking and storytelling skills and they have come together to produce the following film, not in a far flung foreign location, but on their doorsteps in Edinburgh…

My First Time Buying Glasses Online (Spoiler – I loved It!)

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Have you recently had your eyes checked and got a prescription from your optometrist? Well, if you’re reading this article, chances are that you’re out in the market for a new pair of stylish glasses that will help you see and look better. I recently bought these glasses online from SmartBuyGlasses and had a great experience, unlike any time when I shopped from a regular optical store. Let me tell you all about it.

Cycling Slovenia: It Was “Blinking Marvellous” (… And Probably Still Is)

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“Slovenia was pretty and flat and in the late afternoon of a hot day in July, it was a very picturesque and pleasant place through which to cycle. Although linguistically (and probably culturally – I didn’t really have the chance to find out) much the same as Croatia, physically, the countryside was more like southern Germany and, I guess, Austria which was only 100km further north. All the fields had been freshly cut and large rolls of hay were strewn across the landscape like discarded Liquorice Allsorts made from Shredded Wheat. In the distance were the hills, carpeted by a continuous cover of dark green trees, which pushed this area to well over 700m above sea level. It was in total contrast to the coastal cycling that I had been experiencing for much of the previous week and it was blinking marvellous.”

Manos Charalampakis: Cycling In Athens – The Good, The Bad And The Beautiful!

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Attentive readers will hopefully remember that, way back in 2013, I flew to Athens with Reggie (the bike) with the intention of cycling from Cape Sounio in Greece to Cape St. Vincent in Portugal, following the coast of the Mediterranean and as later recounted in Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie. Before setting off, I had arranged to meet local cyclist and journalist Manos Charalampakis. Manos works for a newspaper in Athens and, among other things, he often writes about cycling. Indeed he writes a blog for the newspaper’s website and earlier this week he got in touch with a few thoughts about being a cyclist in Athens.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 030 – Tandem WOW / Joff Summerfield

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Cycle touring is normally undertaken on a bicycle composed of two wheels of the same size and one cyclist sitting on the saddle. But not always… The guests in this episode of the podcast didn’t for one minute allow their desires to break free from the norms of cycling to quell their lofty ambitions. On the contrary. All three contributors – tandem cyclists Rachel Marsden and Catherine Dixon, and penny-farthing rider Joff Summerfield – have cycled thousands of kilometres across the globe. They talk to the podcast about their cycling adventures with a twist.

Episode 030: Tandem WOW / Joff Summerfield

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Cycle touring is normally undertaken on a bicycle composed of two wheels of the same size and one cyclist sitting on the saddle. But not always… The guests in this episode of the podcast didn’t for one minute allow their desires to break free from the norms of cycling to quell their lofty ambitions. On the contrary. All three contributors – tandem cyclists Rachel Marsden and Catherine Dixon, and penny-farthing rider Joff Summerfield – have cycled thousands of kilometres across the globe. They talk to the podcast about their cycling adventures with a twist.

What Did You Do During Lockdown, Sir?

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When I woke up this morning I noticed a report on the BBC website titled ‘I’ve been listening to 300 vinyl records to get me through lockdown’. That’s an impressive achievement, I’m sure, and probably a very enjoyable one. On Monday March 8th I return to work after having spent most of the last twelve months on lockdown. It’s been a mixture of furlough from my job at a local arts centre combined with on-off periods of working in local schools as a teacher but that has only amounted to three months out of the twelve. So basically, like many others across the world, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. Lots of walking, a fair bit of cycling (including the trip around the UK of course and a few days up in the Yorkshire Dales), reading, TV, films… the usual stuff. Ah yes! There’s also been The Cycling Europe Podcast. On that score, it has been a very productive year…

6 Bike Customisation Options To Enhance Your Cycling

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If you’re an avid biker who is looking to give your ride a little upgrade or makeover, this is the article for you. Whether you’ve got a shiny brand new bike that you’re looking to accessorize or simply looking to give your beloved old bike a stylish new makeover, accessorizing your bike is one of the most fun ways to add a personal touch to your ride. In today’s article, we have a look at 6 bike customisation options to enhance your cycling — because bikes don’t have to be boring!

street vehicle vintage design

Bicycle Frames: Alloy 6061, Titanium, Wood And… Grass?

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Wanda’s frame is made out of, err… an alloy! Sexy 6061. According to Wikipedia, “… is a precipitation-hardened aluminium alloy, containing magnesium and silicon as its major alloying elements. Originally called “Alloy 61S”, it was developed in 1935. It has good mechanical properties, exhibits good weldability, and is very commonly extruded (second in popularity only to 6063). It is one of the most common alloys of aluminium for general-purpose use.” So there you go. (I now need to work out what ‘extruded’ means in this context but moving on…).

Coming Soon: Wanda Reviewed!

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Wanda, my Koga WorldTraveller Signature bike, purchased in 2019, is currently back at the bike shop for a service; new tyres (Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour to replace the Schwalbe Almotion tyres she came with), new bottom bracket, brake pads, Rohloff oil change… that kind of thing. But since purchasing the bike back in 2019, I’ve never formally reviewed it. So, after 20 months of riding the Koga, I thought it was about time I did. I’m off to Tadcaster later in the week to pick her up and cycle her back to Pennine Yorkshire at which point I’ll crack on with a review – probably posted to YouTube although I’ll no doubt write something here as well. It won’t come as a spoiler to say that my comments will be overwhelmingly positive, but there are few things that are worth pointing out should you be thinking of investing in one of bikes yourself…

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 029 – Markus Stitz / Bikepacking The World

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Markus Stitz is a German-born, Edinburgh-based cyclist, writer and filmmaker. In 2015 he set off to cycle the world on a single-speed bicycle, travelling 34,000km through 26 countries. Since his return to the UK, he has been involved in a series of Scottish-based projects promoting both on- and off-road riding. However, in the autumn of 2020 he returned to his roots and embarked upon a 700km cycle along the strip of land that, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, was home to the border fence between East and West German. He talks about all his journeys, near and far…

Episode 029: Markus Stitz / Bikepacking The World

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Markus Stitz is a German-born, Edinburgh-based cyclist, writer and filmmaker. In 2015 he set off to cycle the world on a single-speed bicycle, travelling 34,000km through 26 countries. Since his return to the UK, he has been involved in a series of Scottish-based projects promoting both on- and off-road riding. However, in the autumn of 2020 he returned to his roots and embarked upon a 700km cycle along the strip of land that, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, was home to the border fence between East and West German. He talks about all his journeys, near and far…

Cycling Flanders: Limburg, Knooppunts And The UCI World Championships 2021

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In the summer of 2015 as I cycled from Tarifa to Nordkapp (and as subsequently recounted in the book Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie) there is one evening that stands out as being almost perfect. It was the day I cycled through the fruit orchards of Limburg in Belgium. The sun was out, the terrain not too challenging and the countryside around me a delight. Such was my mood that I treated myself to a rather nice B&B that evening in the town of Borgloon.

Cycling Germany: The Mosel / Langeoog

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In for a pfennig, in for a deutschmark… That joke no longer works obviously but after having just posted about Lithuania based upon a press release that arrived in my inbox earlier, here’s part of another one that has also just arrived. The German Tourist Office is trying to encourage us to #DiscoverGermanyFromHome and they have suggested a few ways of doing so. I have picked out the two that mention cycling; if you’d like to browse the full list, visit the webpage of Germany.Travel. I’ve also replaced the supplied video with one that I made when I visited the Mosel back in 2019.

sea city road traffic

Cycling Lithuania: Short Routes, Long Routes (And A Very Long Route)

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I’m not usually in the habit of publishing verbatim a press release that has been sent in my direction but I’m going to make an exception. I’ve received an email from Lithuania Travel with some suggested cycling routes in Lithuania and the seven-point list is below. The furthest I’ve travelled in that direction on the bike is Copenhagen or, off the bike, Berlin, Czechia and Slovakia. I’ve never visited Poland or any of the countries to the east but clicking on the links in the list below, I am seduced by the landscape. More reminiscent of Scandinavia than anything ‘eastern bloc’.

Online Games That Are Harnessing The Power Of Two Wheels

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Historically, cycling has not featured too much in the world of online gaming, mainly due to it being quite difficult to recreate the thrills and spills of road racing or long distance touring on PC or console. However, as that begins to change thanks to more immersive experiences and virtual reality apps, we thought it was time to take a look at the online games that are really beginning to harness the passion people have for two-wheeled pursuits. Here are some of the games out there in the online ether which are on trend and have decided to put cycling in the spotlight.

Dan Joyce: How To Adapt Any Bike For Cycle Touring

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Earlier today I had the privilege of introducing and later questioning the editor of Cycling UK’s Cycle Magazine, Dan Joyce, at the Cycle Touring Festival. Dan gave a talk about touring bikes. You can actually watch the presentation and question-answer session on the Cycle Touring Festival Facebook page (although you’ll need to sign in to Facebook and be a member of the Cycle Touring Festival group). Some of those attending the session asked if we could make the presentation that Dan used available as it contained a wealth of information. Well, here it is, as a video. You may need to pause the video to read all the slides. Each slide appears for 10 seconds. Enjoy! (Again…)

Cycling Films At The Cycle Touring Festival

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The virtual Cycle Touring Festival has got off to a good start – perhaps you have already ‘attended’ some of the events – and the programme continues throughout this week. There’s a full run-down of the live events in this post on CyclingEurope.org in which I made a passing reference to the ‘other events’ that form part of the festival. One of those is a programme of films and I’m slowly making my way through the listings. So far I’ve watched the following three films, each of which are very different in their style.

The Cycle Touring Festival: Touring In A Time Of COVID

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This weekend sees the start of the 2021 Cycle Touring Festival. It’s virtual once again so you can listen to the speakers and watch the films from the comfort of your own living room. You do need to register however for each of the sessions (delivered via Zoom) and you can full details on how to do that by visiting the Cycle Touring Festival website. My contribution this year will be mainly in the form of a short talk in the first session at 8pm on Friday 12th February. The theme is ‘touring in a time of COVID’ and I’ll be discussing the motivation behind setting off last summer to cycle to the four capital cities of the UK as well as the journey itself. Below are a few screenshots to whet your appetite. Look forward to seeing some of you there.

young woman on bicycle fixing hair in countryside

Cycling Trip Tips For 2021

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Are you the type who isn’t satisfied to simply lay at the beach while on holiday, or lounge around a pool at a large hotel or resort? Do you prefer to be more active, and experience a variety of sights, cultures, and highlights while on holiday? If so, a European cycling trip can be the perfect solution, as you’ll be active each and every day, you’ll have the luxury of setting your own itinerary and pace, and there will never be a dull moment.

Cycling Can Be Very Tyresome

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Even after all these years, much of ‘cycling’ remains a mystery, especially the technical side of things. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has read my books. I wouldn’t say that I have a phobia of the mechanics of a bicycle; it’s more of a lack of familiarity that gives me a sinking feeling every time that I know that touching the nuts and bolts cannot be avoided. If I fiddled with my bike on a regular basis, I’d be fine. But I don’t, and the result is that I am scared by all the technical (what I would refer to as) nonsense. (Which isn’t nonsense at all if you are familiar with bikes…)

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 028 – Simon Parker / Earth Cycle

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Simon Parker is a travel writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He has travelled to over 100 countries on reporting assignments for the BBC, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent. He also has a sideline in cycle touring… In 2016 he sailed and cycled from China to London and in 2018 he set off from northern Norway and cycled 3,000km south to the southern tip of Sweden. His 6-week adventure is now the subject of a documentary available on Amazon Prime Video. PLUS: A message from Tim Moss about the Cycle Touring Festival 2021.

Episode 028: Simon Parker / Earth Cycle

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Simon Parker is a travel writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He has travelled to over 100 countries on reporting assignments for the BBC, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent. He also has a sideline in cycle touring… In 2016 he sailed and cycled from China to London and in 2018 he set off from northern Norway and cycled 3,000km south to the southern tip of Sweden. His 6-week adventure is now the subject of a documentary available on Amazon Prime Video. PLUS: A message from Tim & Laura Moss about the Cycle Touring Festival 2021.

The Cycle Touring Festival 2021

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The Cycle Touring Festival has, for obvious reasons, gone ‘virtual’ once again this year. And it’s earlier in the year than normal, taking place over the week of the half-term holiday in mid-February. The schedule of events – spread out over 10 days – has just been published and the list is below. However… you do need to register for most events (as they will be delivered via Zoom). To do so, visit the Cycle Touring Festival website and follow the instructions.

Helmets: Cracking Open A New Kask

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I tread wearily when broaching the subject of cycling helmets as I know what contentious / passionate debates they can provoke. Some hate them and will never wear them; others love them and would never not wear one. I stand somewhere in between; I have one and wear it when it’s appropriate to do so. I accept the argument that if you are run over by a truck whilst cycling, there is little that a bit of plastic and foam is going to do to save you, irrespective of how highly engineered that plastic and foam might be. That’s not why I choose to wear a helmet when I do wear a helmet. I wear a helmet when the conditions would suggest that it is prudent to do so. This is not an exhaustive list but I usually do so when it is raining, when it’s windy, when I am going downhill fast or when I feel the traffic is somewhat intimidating. If I’m on a short journey – usually when I am commuting – I tend to wear the helmet as I don’t want to stop to put it on if I need to. Not doing so also requires you to find somewhere else to put the helmet. Your head, apart from anything else, is a convenient place to store a helmet, even if it’s not needed. And why do I choose to wear a helmet when it’s raining etc…? Because I think that it’s at those times when there is the greatest chance of me skidding off the bike and hitting my head on the floor. In that respect, a helmet might save my life.

man in blue and white plaid shirt and black shorts riding yellow bicycle

A Packing Guide For Cycling In Europe

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Cycling through Europe is one of the greatest adventures you can embark on. With your bicycle, passport, and enough motivation, you can make your way down winding roads through German villages and small French towns, finding somewhere new to rest your head each evening. Safety should be a priority when it comes to any type of travel, but especially those that involve high levels of exercise. To ensure you make the most out of your time exploring Europe on two wheels, here is an essential packing guide.

The Best Apps To Use For Any Budding Cyclist

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A recent report found that around 20 million bicycles are sold in Europe every year, with the biggest % of cyclists per nation coming via Germany – with just shy of half of all Germans said to cycle more than once a week. This influx of budding cyclists has come during an era where technology is ever-changing, and one key aspect of this being possible is the availability of smartphones.

Cycle Commuting When You Can’t Commute

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Over the years, one of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked about the long trips across Europe is ‘how did you train? ‘. The answer is easy; I didn’t. Well, not really… What I did do, however, was cycle to work most days each week for many months, years even, before setting off to ride from one extremity of Europe to another. I suspected – and I am think I am correct in saying this – that the biggest challenge of riding long distances over a period of a couple of months or more is not necessarily the distance, it’s the motivation to keep going day after day, irrespective of your mood or the weather. And this is why commuting by bicycle to work each day in the run-up to a long trip is worth its weight in gold.

three bikers on the road

Core Benefits Of Cycling

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Cycling is an activity that comes along with a whole host of benefits. Even if you have been on a saddle all your life, you may not have taken the time to reflect on some of these advantages and what a big difference they make to so many different aspects of your life. Take a look at this list of some of the core benefits that cycling offers.

The Roads To Sata By Alan Booth

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I don’t think this is a spoiler but in the final lines of Alan Booth’s The Roads to Sata (that I have just this afternoon finished reading) he recounts a conversation he’d had with an old man towards the start of his walking journey through Japan that started at the northern extremity of Hokkaido, Cape Soya. The old man explains that you can’t understand Japan by looking at it, walking through it or talking to its people. Booth asks him how, then, do you understand Japan to which the old man answers ‘You can’t understand Japan’. It’s the final line of the book.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 027 – Dr Ian Walker

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In 2015 I cycled from Tarifa in Spain – the southernmost point of mainland Europe – to Nordkapp in Norway – the northernmost point. It took me over 100 days. In 2019 Dr Ian Walker – an academic at the University of Bath – completed the journey in the opposite direction… in 16 days 20 hours and 59 minutes. In the process he became the fastest person ever to cycle across Europe north to south. That’s no mean feat for a man in his mid-forties who had only taken up ultra-long-distance racing a few years prior to breaking the record. I needed to find out how he did it…

Episode 027: Dr Ian Walker / Nordkapp To Tarifa In 17 Days

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In 2015 I cycled from Tarifa in Spain – the southernmost point of mainland Europe – to Nordkapp in Norway – the northernmost point. It took me over 100 days. In 2019 Dr Ian Walker – an academic at the University of Bath – completed the journey in the opposite direction… in 16 days 20 hours and 59 minutes. In the process he became the fastest person ever to cycle across Europe north to south. That’s no mean feat for a man in his mid-forties who had only taken up ultra-long-distance racing a few years prior to breaking the record. I needed to find out how he did it…

Top Three Cycling Names In 2021

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One of the sports hit hardest by the COVID-19 chaos was cycling. Numerous events were postponed, some even cancelled, and the riders had a rough time keeping their bodies in perfect shape in such confusing circumstances. Once the season resumed, the calendar was much different. We saw numerous surprises, unexpected results, and unusual scenes, such as the snow at Giro.

The Adventure Junkies: Top 25 Bicycle Touring Sites 2021

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It’s that time of the year when TheAdventureJunkies.com publish their list of the top cycle touring websites from around the world. And CyclingEurope.org has maintained its mid-league position. The Leeds United of the cycle touring world? It’s always good to review the ‘competition’ and there are some cracking sites on the list. I’ve just spent a happy couple of hours doing just that. Should you know of other sites that you believe should be on the list, you can submit them via this page of the Adventure Junkies site.

The Mysterious World Of Ultra-Long-Distance Cycle Racing (And Wigs…)

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Now I hasten to point out that I am writing this not because I plan to surprise you and announce that I have decided to enter one of these mythical rides (sorry to disappoint…) but because yesterday I recorded a fascinating chat with Dr Ian Walker for The Cycling Europe Podcast that will hopefully be published in the next week or so. In fact, I would go so far as saying that it was probably the most fascinating discussion I’ve had so far. Perhaps that was down to this ‘mythical’, ‘mysterious’ status that these rides have in the cycling world.

Cycling America’s Western States

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Though there is no shortage of exciting cycling locations here in Europe, America offers some of the finest, scenic cycling routes in the world. In this article, we will be focusing in particular on some of the best cycling adventures that can be enjoyed in the US Western States. We’ll also discuss steps for planning your trip and arranging accommodation, while also highlighting some of the other leisure distractions available to you while you’re in that part of the world.

reflection of gray mosque on water

Reflecting On Events: Putting Trump Back Into His Box, And Perspective…

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“When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper… — despotic in his ordinary demeanour — known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day — It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.’”

European Trail Biking In 2021

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By Donald Martin With many people having been stuck at home throughout 2020, there is now a lot of budding excitement about near-future travel options. Along with coronavirus vaccinations, health and safety are expected to gradually return to Europe over the course of the year. And while it […]

New Year’s Day 2021

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Just returned from a 14km walk. I took my camera with me for the first time in quite a while. I’d forgotten how nice it is just to wander and snap… If you happen to live local, you can probably work out my route. Happy New Year!

2020: The ‘Interesting’ Year In Review

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So 2020… it will go down in history as the ‘interesting’ year. More infamous than famous. It does seem to have been a year that has passed very quickly. Perhaps it was the soap-opera nature of the whole COVID thing, waiting for the next bit of breaking news that might change our lives for the better but which, more often than not, delivered yet more bad news. However, in a year of many, many negatives it is worth reflecting upon the fact that the global pandemic did have knock-on positives. I don’t usually show it, but I consider myself to be an optimist and if ever there was a year when being an optimist – even a blind optimist – was more useful than ever, it has surely been 2020.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 026 – Sarah Mitchell / Suzanne Forup

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In the annus horribilis that has been 2020, cycling has had a relatively good year. When it comes to the number of people cycling, you might even say it’s been an annus mirabilis. An interesting time, then, to start work as the CEO of Britain’s leading cycling organisation, Cycling UK. Channeling the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, The Cycling Europe Podcast asked Sarah about her background, her new role and her plans for 2021 and beyond. We also go back to the summer of 2020 and a visit to North Berwick in Scotland to talk to outdoors champion Suzanne Forup about some of her favourite places to explore north of the border. Plus: an update about episode 21 of the podcast, dedicated to the travels of the early 20th Century cyclist Maximilian J. St. George…

Episode 026: Sarah Mitchell / Cycling UK CEO

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In the annus horribilis that has been 2020, cycling has had a relatively good year. When it comes to the number of people cycling, you might even say it’s been an annus mirabilis. An interesting time, then, to start work as the CEO of Britain’s leading cycling organisation, Cycling UK. Channeling the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, The Cycling Europe Podcast asked Sarah about her background, her new role and her plans for 2021 and beyond. We also go back to the summer of 2020 and a visit to North Berwick in Scotland to talk to outdoors champion Suzanne Forup about some of her favourite places to explore north of the border. Plus: an update about episode 21 of the podcast, dedicated to the travels of the early 20th Century cyclist Maximilian J. St. George…

The Great British Cycle Tour: The Film Première!

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In these somewhat strange times, heading out to the cinema to watch a film, let alone attending a film première, might be off the agenda for most people. Yet today I can offer you the chance to do just that from the comfort of your own home. You are formally invited to the film premiere of The Great British Cycle Tour: The Film. The film premières on YouTube on Sunday 27th December at 6pm UK time (that’s GMT)…

The WarmShowers App Is Here!

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After many years of promises, the WarmShowers app has finally been made available to download from the Apple and Android stores. So a moment for great celebration? Well, yes, mainly. Gone are the days of fiddling with a browser on your phone, logging in yet again and then […]

red and gray pagoda temple

‘Twas (The Rather Frustrating) Week Before Christmas / Japan 2021?

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On Sunday 6th December I was awoken by a ping on my phone. When I looked it was the NHS COVID app. I’d received messages before from the app telling me that all was well and that it was continuing to do its job. This message was different… I was informed that I had been in contact with someone who had subsequently tested positive for the virus and that I should self-isolate for 14 days. For a few moments I pondered the situation. The app is anonymous so I could just ignore it… but that wouldn’t be the best thing to do. In fact it would be the wrong thing to do. So I resolved to stay at home. Somewhat of a pain on several levels, not least the inconvenience of having to, well, stay at home (although living as I do in the countryside, I didn’t see any harm in going for a wander down the valley on a couple of occasions) and that I had to cancel about £1,000 of supply teaching work for which I had already been booked. Not a great start to the month…

A Short History Of Cycling Maps*

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When it comes to the mapping of my various cycles, things have come a long way in the past decade. Today a great leap forward took place and here it is in all its 4k glory (if you have a monitor, tablet, phone or TV that is up for the challenge). Sit back and enjoy The Great British Cycle Tour of 2020 animated map.

city continent country destination

European Cycling Plans For 2021?

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Of all years, this is perhaps the one when people are eagerly looking forward to next year more than ever before. I was intrigued if people have plans to escape to the continent on their bicycles in 2021 and posted the following message on Twitter. The responses came in thick and fast and might inspire your own travels…

The Great British Cycle Tour: The Film Teaser

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My project for December is to edit the film of this summer’s Great British Cycle Tour. I’ve just started piecing things together and have started to consider options when it comes to the ‘look’ of the film. I’m tempted to go down the black and white route. What do you think? Here’s the ‘teaser’ that I’ve just uploaded to the Cycling Europe YouTube Channel.

rear view of man on mountain road against sky

The Long Read: Britain, Cycling And Pillory By German Seven-Year-Olds

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A German student, Hannes, has sent me some questions about cycling in the UK and cycling from the perspective of British person… and I need your help. I’m going to write answers to Hannes’ questions but, as most of you are British and live in the UK, I think it would be nice for you to add your comments into the mix. (Even if you aren’t British and / or don’t live in the UK you may have valid points to make.) You may or may not agree with what I write and it would be good for Hannes to have more than just the one opinion. So here goes…

BREAKING NEWS: There’s No Breaking News…

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It’s foggy and cold outside, CNN is on the TV (as with much of the world, I’m sitting here waiting and hoping for that 253 to change soon) and it’s the first Saturday of Lockdown 2.0. Not a great deal to do other than ponder over the future… That could be a real Pandora’s box but let’s keep things focussed on cycling.

The Yorkshire Dales… On A Bike Called Wanda, The Film

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I’m standing on the shoulders of giants with this; I have long admired the films of people such as Barry Godin (who curates the films shown at the Cycle Touring Festival) and, more recently, Ryan Van Duzer (who I interviewed for the most recent episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast) but also the long-format cycling films such as Tom Allen’s Janapar: Love, On a Bike from 2012. There are dozens of other cycling filmmakers doing similar things to an incredibly high standard. And now there’s me…

Dales Autumn Escape: Day 4/4

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So my short trip to the southern Yorkshire Dales came to an end yesterday with the long cycle back to West Yorkshire’s Calder Valley. Cycling friend Craig offered to join me for the ride and we met up for coffee in the busy farm shop in Airton which, by the time we left at around 10:30am was already heaving with cyclists.

Dales Autumn Escape: Day 3/4

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A full day of cycling but not a particularly strenuous one. If you remember, I have purposefully switched off Strava and the like for this trip to the Yorkshire Dales. The only things measuring my distance are the CatEye ‘computer’ (the word seems a little grand for the […]

Dales Autumn Escape: Day 2/4

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If I were being assessed against my objectives, today I would have been granted some kind of promotion or pay rise. Most of the pre-trip ‘requirements’ were ticked off; I even ended the ‘working day’ with a bit of sketching… But it started off the bike with a […]

Dales Autumn Escape: Day 1/4

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Well that’s all gone rather well. Yesterday I spent all evening watching TV, eating and drinking. (For one week at least, Tuesday night was the new Friday night…) I kept staring at the rug in my living room where I normally assembly a pile of cycling kit prior […]

Distance = Speed x Time (Do You Give A F*ck?)

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I was teaching this formula to a group of disinterested 14 year olds earlier in the week. (Not including the bit in brackets.) They had clearly been reading the book I have just started reading myself; Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck… I give a f*ck far too often. I think I shouldn’t. I’m not sure if this ties in with what I’ve written below but I think it might. If it doesn’t, well, I don’t give a f*ck and clearly the £18.99 spent at Waterstones wasn’t wasted. I’m going to go back and remove the apostrophe in ‘Waterstone’s’ as I’m trying to no longer give a f*ck. I digress…

A Look Back At The Last Five Winners Of The Giro d’Italia

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Usually the first of the three Grand Tours, the 2020 Giro d’Italia gets underway this month after being rescheduled amidst the coronavirus pandemic. While the startlist is still yet to be confirmed, we do know that last year’s winner Richard Carapaz won’t be defending his title, as the Ineos Grenadiers’ cyclist rode at the recent Tour de France and instead, the British team will be pinning their hopes on Geraint Thomas.

A Short Film About Sketching (And Coffee)…

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I have adopted a new hobby; sketching. I mentioned this a few weeks ago and have been busy sketching ever since. Today, I even made a short film about sketching and have called it, rather unimaginatively, A Short Film About Sketching. There’s some coffee in there too as well as a bit of walking. Just watch the thing!

Ten Years Of Cycling Europe: Keeping It Simple

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Last night I gave an online talk to the Halifax Rotary Club here in West Yorkshire. Usually, my talks are all-singing, all-dancing when it comes to the visuals but after experiencing issues with streaming video and complex graphics during online Zoom talks earlier in the year I took a more simple approach. The last ten years of my life was paired down to 30 static slides. Here is the what the Rotarians saw. You’ll have to fill in the commentary for yourselves…

REI Presents: Pedal Through

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I noticed earlier that Ryan Van Duzer – subject of the most recent episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast had interviewed two people involved in the making of this film; Pedal Through. You can watch the film below. Worth 15 minutes of your time. Cycle touring continues to be a very white-dominated activity. Endeavours such as this might help nudge the imbalance in a good direction.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 025 – Ryan Van Duzer – Duzer TV

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Duzer TV is a YouTube channel run by 40-something American adventure cyclist Ryan Van Duzer based in Boulder, Colorado on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains of the USA. His videos recount his adventures going back over 10 years in the Americas and beyond. He spoke to The Cycling Europe Podcast about cycling, filmmaking, bears, alcohol, eating termites, his ‘mom’ and even the Muppets! It’s from them that he gets his motto: “I know I drive some people crazy with what seems to be ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked for me.”

Episode 025: Ryan Van Duzer / Duzer TV

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Duzer TV is a YouTube channel run by 40-something American adventure cyclist Ryan Van Duzer based in Boulder, Colorado on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains of the USA. His videos recount his adventures going back over 10 years in the Americas and beyond. He spoke to The Cycling Europe Podcast about cycling, filmmaking, bears, alcohol, eating termites, his ‘mom’ and even the Muppets! It’s from them that he gets his motto: “I know I drive some people crazy with what seems to be ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked for me.”

The Cycling Europe Podcast: UK Capitals Tour Teaser

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An upcoming episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast will tell the full story of my cycling trip around the four capitals of the United Kingdom during the Coronavirus summer of 2020. Here’s a short teaser to whet your appetite. It focuses upon the background to the journey and cycling day one from my home in West Yorkshire to Bolton Abbey at the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

UK Capitals Tour Teaser

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An upcoming episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast will tell the full story of my cycling trip around the four capitals of the United Kingdom during the Coronavirus summer of 2020. Here’s a short teaser to whet your appetite. It focuses upon the background to the journey and cycling day one from my home in West Yorkshire to Bolton Abbey at the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The full podcast telling the whole story of the capital-themed tour will be available later in the autumn.

Signs Of Life: To The Ends Of The Earth With A Doctor

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Signs of Life is no ordinary cycling travelogue. In fact, to refer to it as a ‘cycling travelogue’ is probably doing it a significant disservice as the book is much, much more than that. The bicycle itself plays a secondary role in this six-year odyssey around the planet. If you are looking for tails of mechanical tribulations, inconveniently timed punctures or day-by-day breakdowns of kilometres cycled and towns visited, you might want to look elsewhere. Dr. Fabes’ approach is much more selective. How could it be anything otherwise when in one volume of writing such a long period needs to be addressed? That said, he manages to be selective without making the reader think they have been short changed. Many of the 75 countries are mentioned only in passing or not at all. Even one or two of the continents do not take up as much space as you might imagine, especially in the early years as he makes his way through Europe and Africa. This might have been a very long, very slow journey for author; it is anything but for the reader.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 024 – Dr. Stephen Fabes – Signs Of Life

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In January 2010, Dr. Stephen Fabes set off on a bicycle tour around the World. He had quit his job working in the A&E department at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and was to spend the next 6 years cycling nearly 90,000 km, visiting 75 countries in the process. His achievement puts almost all other cycle tours into the shade. The Cycling Europe Podcast met Stephen at Hyde Park Corner for a chat about his cycle and his book – Signs of Life – that has just been published by Profile Books.

Episode 024: Dr Stephen Fabes / Signs Of Life

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In January 2010, Dr. Stephen Fabes set off on a bicycle tour around the World. He had quit his job working in the A&E department at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and was to spend the next 6 years cycling nearly 90,000 km, visiting 75 countries in the process. His achievement puts almost all other cycle tours into the shade. The Cycling Europe Podcast met Stephen at Hyde Park Corner for a chat about his cycle and his book – Signs of Life – that has just been published by Profile Books.

The Great British Cycle Tour 2020: Days 19 – 28

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If you are a lover of silent films, this will be a treat for you; the final instalment of The GReat British Cycle Tour 2020 videos. (It has no sound…) It’s longer than the previous ones covering ten days from Liverpool along the coast of north Wales to Anglesey and then across the principality via the Lon Las Cymru before a final sprint for the 4th and final capital, London…

Cycling Day 28: Reading To London

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It started with a cycle to Edinburgh in July… and has ended with an arrival in London in early September. Via, of course, Belfast and Cardiff (and a couple of weeks back home in Yorkshire). The four capitals of the UK have been joined by a cycle touring […]