Tag: England

SailLink: Update For 2026

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Last year I was contacted by cycle tourist Helen Rivers. She was keen to tell me about a new ‘ferry’ service that had been set up for pedestrians and cyclists travelling across the English Channel. Helen and her husband Ben subsequently appeared on The Cycling Europe Podcast to talk about their extensive experiences of cycling in Europe over many years. It is the episode that was published twoards the end of January 2026, episode 98. However, as a result of Helen’s initial contact with me, I contacted SailLink and I included an interview with Andrew Simons, the skipper of the SailLink boat, in episode 91 of The Cycling Europe Podcast.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 095 – Claire Davies – Braver Than You Think

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In this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast, we talk to Claire Davies, former diplomat, cyclist and writer. She chats about her journey along LEJOG and her ‘end-to-end’ cycles around Europe.

“Are you braver than you think? That’s the question Claire Davies began asking herself as she cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, ill-prepared, unsupported and alone. At a mid-life low point, craving space and time to think, or not to think, Claire decided that a long bicycle ride was what she needed. Setting off for Scotland just a few weeks later, on a bike named Trixie, guided by a gadget called Guillaume, she had little idea what she was letting herself in for. It turned out to be a journey not only to better physical fitness and mental health, but also to empowerment and self-discovery, partly through the eyes of the people she met along the way.”

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 094 – From Ibiza To The Norfolk Broads (Revisited)

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In 2020, episode 23 of The Cycling Europe Podcast featured a chat with cyclist and David Bowie fan James Briggs. Inspired by the lyric of his musical hero, David Bowie, James set off on a cycling odyssey from Ibiza… to the Norfolk Broads. At the time he was writing a book about his music-inspired journey and now, five years later, it has just been published. According to the blurb, “Criss-crossing Europe, he visited French chateaux where Bowie recorded, Spanish Olympic stadiums he played, former communist states where his music was banned, and the Berlin Wall he helped topple – all while navigating angry Soviet ballerinas, suspicious village mayors, and an irate Cliff Richard fan.” In this episode of the podcast we listen to what James had to say back in 2020 and catch up with him again about what happened next. We also hear from Rob Ainsley who in episode 23 provided his own suggestions for lyric-themed cycling adventures. Will James find inspiration in any of Rob’s ideas for his next long-distance cycle?

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 093 – The English Lake District – Eskdale & Wasdale

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In this episode of the podcast, Andrew Sykes takes an autumnal short break in the English Lake District. Staying in a camping ‘pod’ at the National Trust campsite in Eskdale, Andrew sets off on two rides as described in Jack Thurston’s Lost Lanes North. ‘Still Glides The Stream’ takes him on a figure-of-eight loop from Eskdale to Broughton-in-Furness and up the infamous Hard Knott Pass with its 30% incline. ‘Mountain High’ is a there-and-back roller-coaster of a cycle along Wasdale, to the coast at Seascale and south to Ravenglass before letting the miniature train take the strain on a chilly carriage ride back along Eskdale and the warmth of the pub in Boot.

A Short Eskape – Day 3

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If yesterday was spectacular, today was fun. Lots of speedy riding along up-down twisty roads, multiple pit stops for coffee, vegan cake, hot chocolate with marshmallows, Kendall mint cake and a couple of beers back in the Boot Inn. Not forgetting a train ride ‘home’ from Ravenglass. I was following another of Jack Thurston’s Lost Lanes North routes – number 3 – ‘Mountains High’ – but the title is somewhat deceptive. There was less than half as much climbing as yesterday’s jaunt south then north and nothing like the 30% incline of the Hard Knott Pass.

A Short Eskape – Day 2

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What a ride! Everything seemed to come together in perfect linemen’s for this first ride of my short break in Eskdale. The campsite is magnificent, the weather almost perfect for mid-October (no rain, no wind and, if not hot, certainly not cold), the route – Jack Thurston’s ‘Still Glides The Stream’, cycle number 2 in his highly recommended Lost Lanes North book – a mixture of challenging climbs and gentle valley saunters, and the landscape… well, this in the Lake District but even the high bar of Cumbria can seldom be surpassed more than by this remote south-western corner of the National Park. 

A Short Eskape – Day 1

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To Eskdale. Get it? Anyway, the burgers of the Together Learning Trust (my employers) have given their staff a day off. Yippee! As I’m now working only Tuesday to Friday, I have a four-day weekend and am hoping to make the most of the opportunity by ‘eskaping’ to the western Lakes. And here I am, in the pub in Boot.

Yorkshire Day: Tour De (West) Yorkshire

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I didn’t set out with the intention of cycling very far; just a short trip down the valley to Brighouse, along the Spen Valley Greenway and perhaps pay a visit to the new market in the centre of Bradford. Well, I did all that… but kept going. By later in the afternoon, via several coffee stops, I had clocked up nearly 103 km in what turned out to be a long Tour de West Yorkshire. Admittedly most of it was along familiar routes although not all. Some sections seemed familiar; the long climb out of Keighly for example, which I’m sure I’ve cycled before… but in the opposite (easier) direction. For a county that most in the country probably percieve as an urban post-industrial sprawl, it’s much more green and pleasant than dark and satantic. Full details below.

Cycling Heaven… And Hell

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Yesterday was a blissful day on the bike. The new Ribble performed to perfection, the ride was challenging, the scenery was stunning, the weather played ball, I loved the National Trust pod where I was staying and I finished the day with a couple of beers and my favourite ‘on tour’ meal.

5k ParkRun / 60k LakesRide

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A memorable summer solstice. I was up early. (I always am.) Beautiful morning. Coffee brewed, I drove into Ambleside for the ParkRun. A friendly affair with far more ‘tourists’ than your average ParkRun. I chatted to a few others and then we were off! A creditable 25:42, only […]

Cycle Touring 2.0

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It’s been a funny old year. A year of changes in my life. I have – in mid-life (if I survive to 112 that is…) – become a lot fitter. I have become a ParkRun regular. I ran the Leeds 10k in 53 minutes, 39 seconds last Sunday. […]

New Film: A Short Escape To The Yorkshire Dales

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Last week, as the weather forecast was looking so promising, I decided to head to the nearby Yorkshire Dales for a couple of nights of early-season cycle touring. Camping in April in the UK is not for the fainthearted (although I’m sure many people reading this will have camped multiple times in the depths of winter) but the daytime temperatures of around 20 degrees made up for the chilly mornings and evenings.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 089 – The Yorkshire Dales Monologue Special

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Andrew Sykes heads into the Yorkshire Dales for a few days and this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast sees him travel from Bradford to Skipton, Appletreewick, Grassington and Buckden, via a canal and a couple of steep hills. Much of this episode, however, is given over to other cyclists who have recently contributed to the podcast in the form of a monologue. We hear from Justin Shiels about Welcome To My Garden, Neal Porter about his cycle around the coast of Britain in aid of MND and from Richard and Cath Jeffries about their winter LEJOG…

April: The Start Of The Cycle Touring Year (For Me…)

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February and March have been a quiet couple of months here on CyclingEurope.org. Indeed in March there was just the one update to the website and even then it was all about, err… hiring cars at Tirana airport in Albania. (I have to pay the website fees somehow…) But it’s now April and things are beginning to warm up, metaphorically and literally.

Le Grand Tour… : The Danish Opinion? “A Classy Exponent Of A Cycling Story”

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“A cycling book with great insight, humor and self-irony! In conclusion, it must be pointed out that the book naturally requires a certain amount of English skills to get the full benefit, not least on the humorous level… Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda is a classy exponent of a cycling story that can get other than just hardcore adventure cyclists on the steel horse!”

The Marcher Castles Way: Just For Bikepackers?

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I see that Cycling UK have just launched another of their routes. This one straddles the English-Welsh border and has been named the Marcher Castles Way. The route – there are now eight of them in total – appear to be aimed more at the bikepacker than the traditional cycle tourist. I wonder how feasible it is to ride them with a pannier set-up on a touring bike rather than a mountain bike and ‘packs’. Looking carefully at the videos and the photos, the surfaces seem to be OK. They remind me of cycling along the Yorkshire coast a few years back from Scarborough to Whitby. Any thoughts?

The Summer Holidays Are Here…

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Not having renewed my passport since it ran out in May, the answer will have to be ‘somewhere in the UK’. I return to work (school) six weeks tomorrow so I have a good amount of time to make any decision and execute a plan. I’m still toying with the idea of a trip to Shetland / Orkney but with the weather gods yet to make their minds up as to whether summer has indeed arrived, I’m reluctant to commit to a trip to the far north. The weather on the Outer Hebrides in August 2021 was reasonable to good. The weather along the north and west coast of Scotland in August 2014 was biblically dreadful. It’s always a lottery north of the border.

Best Cycling Places In Europe

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There are many great places to cycle in Europe. It depends on what you prefer, but it varies depending on the landscape and route. Whether you are an experienced cyclist or simply enjoy cycling as a recreational activity, there are many great places in Europe. In this article, you will find the best cycling routes in Europe that will surely give you the most unforgettable memories.

Diving Into The Deep End At Bespoked 2024

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Scrolling through the archive of CyclingEurope.org (no mean feat as there are now getting on for 4,000 posts on here), I discover that I first attended Bespoked: The Handmade Bicycle Show back in 2013 when it was taking place in Bristol. Over a decade later, the show continues to take place but has been on its travels: to London and Germany and in 2024 to the Victoria Baths in Manchester. This morning, along with a cycling friend, I headed over the Pennines (in my friend’s Volvo rather than on our bikes…) to visit the show. Here are a few notes.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 080 – Cycle Touring 1970s Style – Rob Ainsley

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Writer Rob Ainsley has cycled from Barmouth to Yarmouth because they rhyme. He’s cycled from Britain’s smallest church in Rhos to its largest church in Liverpool. He’s cycled the London Monopoly board. And he continues to amass a long list of ‘end-to-end’ country cycles. So for Rob, cycling from Morecambe to Bridlington along the Way of the Roses cycle route may at first glance appear to be a little, err… pedestrian. But think again. He decided to cycle the route 1970s style. In this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast we chat to Rob Ainsley in York where he reveals all. Was the naffest decade of the 20th century as good a time as any to be on two wheels? Or better forgotten…

Brompton Bikes Meets Car-Centric Mindsets

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There was a crazy news item this week – reported by Road.cc – about Ashford Council having reservations about a new factory for Brompton bikes because of lack of, err… parking. Are we ever going to be freed from the shackles of the car with such small-minded thinking? It seems unlikely. Highways England are bleating about the impact that such a factory could have on the local road network. A bicycle factory. A factory making bicycles.

Route YC: Cycling The Yorkshire Coast

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Markus Stitz has been featured several times on this website and here he is again. And when I write ‘here’, I really mean ‘here’. He’s been to Yorkshire with Mark Beaumont and Heather Graham to cycle the length of the Yorkshire coastline. The route the trio followed has been rebranded and relaunched as ‘Route YC’ (Yorkshire coast) and Markus has made another beautiful film to add to his growing collection of stunning cycling films.

…And I’m Back!

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I last wrote something for the website about a month ago, way back on the 23rd September in the run-up to the Cycle Touring Festival. Since then, I’ve been a little busy with cycling and non-cycling matters. Hopefully this post brings everything up-to-date as autumn gradually edges towards […]

The Cycle Touring Festival 2023: Next weekend!

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The 2023 ‘in-person’ (as opposed to online) Cycle Touring Festival is only a week away! Taking place in Clitheroe and now in its 9th year, it will gather together the cycle touring community (or a small part of it) at Waddow Hall for two days of talks, discussions and kit comparison. All washed down with good food and beer. I have nothing to say this year and am not speaking (although I am leading the discussion on ‘France’ which will hopefully have more input from the audience than from me).

Crossing Europe… By Train – Part 1

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I’m off on my summer travels… but without the bike and initially on the train. Or, rather, quite a few trains. My plan is to get as far as Chamonix by Saturday afternoon where I will meet up with a group of people for a guided hiking holiday – the Tour de Mont Blanc – and I am current awaiting the departure of my next train from one of Paris’ lesser-known stations, Bercy.

Happy Yorkshire (Cycling) Day

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The weather may be more reminiscent of winter but it is August 1st and that means it’s Yorkshire Day. What better an opportunity (especially bearing in mind that it’s chucking it down outside) to sit back and watch three Yorkshire-themed cycling videos from recent years. If you happy to live in Lancashire, you’ll also benefit from a few minutes of your county at the start of the Way of the Roses film. Happy Yorkshire Day!

A Look At The Top Cycle Routes In North Yorkshire

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If you’re thinking of booking a cycling holiday, there’s no better place than North Yorkshire.  Given it’s the UK’s largest county by area, it’s no surprise that there are some incredible cycle routes just waiting to be explored. Travelling with a bike is also very easy. If you have enough space in the boot of your car, you won’t have to find a suitable transportation rack. If you do need one, just make sure to follow the general driving laws. Alternatively, you can travel by train. Most operators allow bikes in designated areas, so ensure you reserve a space in advance. Whether you’re looking for a trip down quiet country roads, a tour through historical cities, or a visit to seaside resorts, we’ve got you covered. In no particular order, here are our favourite cycle routes in North Yorkshire.

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And Here’s A Round Up Of The Cycling Europe News…

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The holidays are here! Well, half term. Just a week but the sun is shining and my bicycle – the one I use when I’m pottering around and about the area where I live – will be back from its impromptu service tomorrow morning. On my commute to work earlier in the week I got a puncture. Not in itself a reason for giving the bike a service but since I purchased the Ribble hybrid bike about 18 months ago, I’ve been keen to replace the Schwalbe G-One tyres with Schwalbe Marathon Plus, and here was my opportunity. It made sense to give the bike a service at the same time and the mobile mechanic that I use will be delivering the bike back to me in the morning. I hope the weather continues to be nice for the rest of the week and, indeed for the rest of the summer (that’s perhaps hoping for too much) as I continue my daily commutes to and from work.

YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Episode 071 Of The Cycling Europe Podcast

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Mark Wedgwood had always been a lover of maps. In 2022, newly liberated from the constraints of a full-time job, he decided to cycle across every Ordnance Survey Landranger map of Britain. He spoke to The Cycling Europe Podcast about the challenge that took him from the northernmost point of Shetland (map 1) to Fowey in Cornwall (map 204)… the long way

Camping & Hiking In Wasdale And Eskdale

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I’ve just made a return trip to The Lake District and the National Trust campsite in Wasdale. I stayed there for a couple of nights back in 2018 when I climbed Scafell Pike (see the film at the foot of this post). Last week I was there with a friend to do some hiking in and around the valley. I wasn’t on the bike so this is one for HikingEurope.org rather than CyclingEurope.org although we did drive up the Hardknott Pass, one of Britain’s more challenging cycling climbs. It was hard work in a car never mind on a bike but perhaps one to add to the list of future two-wheeled challenges…

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 065 – Matthew Sturgeon – Cycling To Mainland Britain’s Lighthouses

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Matthew Sturgeon is an architect and cyclist from Ilkley in Yorkshire and he’s on  a mission to visit every one of mainland Britain’s 186 lighthouses. Inspired by his late late wife Angela, who raised £40,000 for cancer research, Matthew is raising money for his A Bit Of A Break charity. It funds visits for cancer patients and their families to holiday properties around the UK. He started collecting his lighthouses with a ride along the Northumbrian coast and has now visited 100. But why lighthouses? What’s his favourite lighthouse? What has been the most disappointing lighthouse? What has been the most difficult to cycle to? And what will be lighthouse number 186? Matthew tells his story to The Cycling Europe Podcast…

Gaslight Alert: “£200 Million To Improve Walking And Cycling Routes And Boost Local Economies”

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Here we go again… The announcement of another pot of cash which will fund a handful of schemes across the country and have minimal impact on the lives of the majority of people in the country. Good for those who receive it but for those that don’t, simply gaslights us into thinking that the government are committed to transforming our country into one where active travel is the norm. (Remember Boris Johnson’s “golden age of cycling”?) There is a scheme near where I live in West Yorkshire – a disused railway that runs along the Ryburn Valley from Sowerby Bridge to Ripponden and Rishworth (see below) – that would be a great candidate for a slice of this cash but it’s unlikely to happen. Expect the money to be allocated predominantly in Tory ‘red wall’ constituencies. And when the beauty contest decisions are made later in the year, expect the same announcement to be made again. Meanwhile in The Netherlands they are putting their money where their mouth is (as they have being doing for decades) and have just opened an underwater bike parking facility in Amsterdam…

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 060 – Cycling The Route of ‘The Wheels Of Chance’ By H.G. Wells

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Tristam Newey is a science-fiction writer from Southampton who loves all things sea, air, space.. and cycling. Inspired by H.G.Wells’ 1896 comic novel The Wheels of Chance, in July 2022 Tristam set off to retrace the journey of the book’s main protagonist, Mr. Hoopdriver – a frustrated draper’s assistant from Putney – from London to the south coast of England (and halfway back). As he travelled, he rediscovered the places that H.G. Wells wrote about and recreated the sketches that appeared in the original book. In the words of H.G. Wells himself, “Whoop for freedom and adventure!”,

Le Grand Tour: Day 0 – Halifax To Hull (17km)

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Welcome to Le Grand Tour! I can’t decide whether the cycle officially started in Halifax when I shut my front door behind me or whether it will start when I get to the Hook of Holland tomorrow. I’ve compromised and called this ‘first’ day, ‘Day 0’. Now I think about it, that’s not a compromise is it? Oh well…

‘Cycling Stuff’: Hostels In Scotland And Great British Gravel Rides

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Having a presence online, as I do, can create a rather skewed image of the person writing this. The books, podcasts, films, social media etc… don’t help in this regard. I dare say some of you think I lead a rather different life to the one that I actually experience myself. Yesterday, a colleague in the school where I toil asked if my work as a teacher subsidised the ‘cycling stuff’ or the other way around. I broke the news gently that, without my income from cajoling the 11 to 18-year-olds of my small town in West Yorkshire into engaging with the educational process, I would be living on the streets. Perhaps one day the ‘cycling stuff’ will be the bread winner and the teaching a nice add-on. For the time being however…

Cycling The Way Of The Roses: The Film (Premiere)

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If you are reading this before 7pm on Thursday 2nd June 2022 you are invited to a film premiere tonight at 7pm! That doesn’t happen every day, does it? It’s the film that I’ve made about my recent cycle along the Way of the Roses from Morecambe to York. If you are reading this after 7pm tonight well, your invite to the premiere is no longer valid, sorry. But you can, of course, still watch the film in all its 4K glory below. Don’t forget that you can get the full story of the three days of cycling across the Pennines by listening to episode 50 of The Cycling Europe Podcast. Full details below.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 050 – Cycling The Way Of The Roses

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To celebrate its 50th episode, Andrew P. Sykes takes The Cycling Europe Podcast out on the cycle path and travels from Morecambe on Lancashire’s west coast to the county’s historical capital at Lancaster, across the Pennines and through Yorkshire via Settle and Ripon, completing his trip in that county’s historical capital at York. The Way of the Roses is a route of contrasting landscapes and, at times, challenging terrain; join Andrew (and his bicycle Wanda) as they spend three days following one of northern England’s most popular cycle routes.

Coming Soon: The Film And The Podcast Of The Roses

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Now back home in West Yorkshire after my-day trip across the Pennines from Morecambe / Lancaster to York. It was a fun weekend with varied terrain; flat by the sea, beautiful gentle-sloping valleys, sharp climbs, even-sharper descents and then the flatlands of the Vale of York. Many of you will have been following the posts that were published here on the website in recent days – you can find them linked to below if you missed them – but there will also be a podcast and a longer film that uses the majority of the video that it wasn’t possible to use in the short films I managed to edit in the tent at the end of each day, including much more footage from the air, in glorious 4K.

The Way Of The Roses: Day 4

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It was flat and it was a tale of two cities; Ripon and York. A functional day of cycling but enjoyable nevertheless. The route was a turney-twisty​ one sending me in most directions; east, south, north… but never west. With a wind from the south-west, I invariably had to fight against it, rewarded at the next turn with the push of the gusts.

The Way Of The Roses: Day 3

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Anything that followed yesterday morning’s bucolic ride through the Lune Valley / Forest of Bowland was always going to come second in the rankings, especially when there are so far only two contenders for ‘morning of the trip’ ride. That said, it was still a good one. A short ride from the campsite in Horton-in-Ribblesdale (very highly recommended) to Settle (where the service and food at the Singing Kettle Café and the fact that it was open at 9am on a Sunday morning also deserve placing in Cycling Europe’s ‘highly recommended’ category).

The Way Of The Roses: Day 1, Part 2

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So here I am in Morecambe. I’ve pedalled just over 30km but made zero progress along the route of The Way of the Roses. However, this was never part of the plan for day 1 of this trip. Train to Morecambe, explore Morecambe, pitch tent at campsite near Morecambe. In a nutshell, that’s what happened.

The Way Of The Roses: Day 1, Part 1

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I think it’s fair to say that the Northern Trains service from Leeds to Morecambe isn’t one of the operators premium routes. I’m currently standing next to a bin in the area reserved for bicycles. Wanda, my bike is under careful observation as she is jolted from side to side in perfect synchronisation with the movement of the carriage. There is no warning of when a jolt might fling the poor bicycle from its resting place in the direction of the toilet just opposite. I am posed to pounce if needs be…

Coast To Coast: The Way Of The Roses – The Plan

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Before heading off to the continent in early July, I’d like to take the bike out for a shortish camping trip over three or four days. So, following on from the discussion I was having with myself a few weeks ago regarding completing one of the coast-to-coast cycling routes here in northern England, I’ve decided to take the train over to Morecambe in Lancashire and cycle east along the Way of the Roses from Lancaster to York. I may continue as far as Flamborough (the end of the route) but we’ll see how that goes at the time. As far as York will be planned, anything after York unplanned.

New Cycling / Cat Film: The Cat Cyclist

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Remember the ‘lockdown project’? It seemed that most people had one; tiling the bathroom, writing an anthology of poetry, organising a series of parties that you would later deny were actually parties to the UK parliament (and even if they were, you had nothing to do with them…). That kind of thing. My lockdown project was to make an audio documentary about the life and times of Maximilian J. St. George. (I’ll post the link below.) Well, Easter has just finished and I had an ‘Easter Project’ (you heard it here first)…

The Highway Code Hierarchy Of Responsibility: A Work In Progress…

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Social media can be a force for good but it is, all too frequently, an opportunity for the ill-informed to broadcast their thoughts to the world. Here is the transcript of a cycling-themed conversation that took place yesterday evening on Facebook. The original comment was posted to my personal Facebook page but the construction company was tagged in the post allowing people other than ‘friends’ to see it and comment upon it, as Paul T and Paul M did. I have tidied up the punctuation, but not the syntax of the comments made by Paul T. You may have to read his comments a few times before you actually understand the point he is attempting (and usually failing) to make. I have removed the name of the construction company to save their blushes… Brace yourself; we are going in!

Cycling Coast To Coast In Northern England?

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It would be good to head off somewhere on Wanda – perhaps for a few days to get me back into the swing of cycle touring. But to where? Well, people frequently mention the various ‘coast to coast’ routes that link the east and west coasts of England and perhaps it’s time to attempt one of them. After all, I live not far from most of them and it wouldn’t be much of a logistical issue to join one of them, either at one of their extremities or, indeed at a point in the middle. So what are the routes?

Next Slide Please: Sir Chris Whitty, Dutch Children And Italy

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It’s been a great week to be a commuting cyclist. I actually filled the car up with petrol on Wednesday evening, at about 5.45pm. As I drove down to the local Morrison’s I was listening to the radio and to how people were eagerly waiting to do what I was about to do until 6pm when the 5 pence reduction in the price of petrol came into effect. Spotters around the country were keeping their eyes trained upon the electronic boards outside service stations to observe the drop take place as if it were the ball falling in Times Square at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Strewth. I couldn’t be bothered to wait, parked up and filled up. £65 if I remember rightly. Perhaps I’m not that fussed. Not that I’m a rich man. Far from it. But having returned to the life of a commuting cyclist recently, it just seems a little less important than it might have done a few months ago…

Bicycle Commute At Sunrise

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Visit the dedicated Baltic Sea Cycle Route / EuroVelo 10 page of CyingEurope.org to discover more about the planned cycle around Europe’s other big sea. Since 2009, CyclingEurope.org has established itself as a valued, FREE cycle touring resource. There’s now even a podcast, The Cycling Europe Podcast. If […]

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 043 – Monologue Special / Gavin Wood  

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In 2021 I put out a call for anyone who was interested in recording a short monologue about their experiences of cycling to get in touch and, in the past year, quite a few people have come forward to record such a monologue. In this episode you have a second opportunity to hear Laura Massey-Pugh set out her plans to cycle around the world on a tandem, Laurence Warren tell the story of round-the-world cyclist Colin Martin as well as discuss his experiences of cycling in his adopted home of Austria, Robin Watkins talk about cycling in Czechia, the poet Caroline Burrows reflect lyrically upon her commute to work and Simon Garland recount his experiences of cycling the EuroVelo 15 or the Rhine Cycle Route. We also hear from Gavin Wood in an interview recorded at the time of the COP 26 climate conference. He works in West Yorkshire in the north of England as an active travel advisor and we chatted about the challenges of building infrastructure and changing minds in order that we can all live in a much more cycling-friendly place.

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Revolution! The Hierarchy Is Changing…

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And so is the Highway Code. It’s been interesting to see how the gammons, ‘kippers and Nigels (apologies if you are a Nigel who doesn’t adhere to the thoughts of the ridiculous Nigel Farage) of Britain have been reacting this week to the news that the updated Highway Code will (shock horror!) introduce a pyramid of hierarchy that sees those who are more likely (and able) to inflict death and destruction on the roads being assumed to have more responsibility that those who pose little danger to others.

Markus Stitz: All Points North

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Here’s a nice film from Markus Stitz / Bikepacking Scotland featuring the landscapes of the north of England. The film follows Rupert Robinson who completed the route of All Points North in just over 60 hours. If you are familiar with the area, you’ll definitely recognise many of the places that the route of the long-distance cycling event – that took place in September 2021 – passes through. Well worth 17 minutes of your weekend.

Spontaneous Cycle Touring (And Advice For Educational Welfare Officers)

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I was always planning to cycle to Skipton this weekend – I have lined up an exclusive* interview for The Cycling Europe Podcast with one of the unsung heroes of cycling touring and we are meeting at the local Morrison’s at 10am tomorrow (apparently it’s half price for Cycling UK members…) – but it was only a passing thought a few weeks ago when I arranged the chat that I might cycle up to Skipton from my home near Halifax and camp overnight. At the gym this morning I thought about it again. When I got home in the early afternoon I thought about it yet again. At 1:15pm I made the decision to do it, by 2pm I had packed the bike and left the house and just after 2:30pm I was on the train from Halifax to Bradford.

Skipton, Settle, Sun…

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Phew! What a scorcher! It was predictable that, with horizon-to-horizon sun forecast for the first time in weeks, the cyclists would be out in force. And they were, especially in the few kilometres north of Skipton. As were, alas, hoards of drivers so, when the opportunity arose, escaping the main road from Skipton to Grassington came as welcome relief.

Cycling Route 66: Under The Sun

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If you live in the north of England, you don’t have to travel far to get to Route 66. The other Route 66 that is; the cycling one. In my part of the north – West Yorkshire – it’s the Calder Valley Cycleway and follows the Rochdale Canal. With friend Craig, I spent much of today cycling in a loop from home to Ripponden, up the hill to Batings Reservoir and then down the other side of the Pennines to Littleborough where we hooked up with the Rochdale Canal.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 034 – Steve Silk – The Great North Road / Laurence Warren – Austria

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One hundred years ago, the Great North Road closed and the A1 opened, heralding a century of domination by the motor car. The Cycling Europe Podcast meets BBC journalist (and one-time San Franciscan cycle courier) Steve Silk who set off on his bicycle to cycle from London to Edinburgh to rediscover what remains of the old road, its stories, milestones and coaching inns. Steve’s book – The Great North Road – is published by Summersdale on July 8th. Plus: cycling in Austria with local resident Laurence Warren. Is there more to this Alpine country than just big hills?

The EuroVelo 12 In Yorkshire / The Humber Bridge

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The Humber Bridge is the longest bridge in the world that you can cross on a bicycle… or it was until recently when the authorities. for ‘security reasons’, decided to prevent access to the bridge by cyclists and pedestrians. A (very!) long detour was suddenly required to cross the Humber Estuary. Not great.

Another Map… But Keep Scrolling

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…And on the subject of maps. I’ve just stumbled upon something that’s not only rather good but, dare I say, useful! (It’s not the list mentioned in a few moments although that is of interest too – keep reading). I received an email this week about a list (there you go…) of the UK’s ‘best cycling staycations’. It’s sponsored by Raleigh and is worthy of visual meander. Their list includes some familiar and not-so-familiar locations.

Ultimate Adventure Map Of Britain

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Despite the headlines on today’s newspapers that are screaming that we will be able to travel out of the UK this summer, I suspect that for the majority of us, it’s more likely to be another year of staycationing. So the arrival of a new map of Britain on my doorstep yesterday was welcome. But it’s not just any old map… MarvellousMaps.com make a series of these detailed themed maps of the country…

The Calder Valley And The Drone

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Since purchasing the drone about a month ago, I’ve been continuing to take small steps towards making a film that involves some cycling. Although not quite there yet, this new film does tell the story of my 72 km ride yesterday along the Calder Valley and back with friend Craig. Hopefully the next film will involve some drone footage of a cyclist actually cycling. The cyclists featured here are all static; admiring the view, operating said drone or pumping up a tyre. It was a glorious day for a bike ride with barely any wind; it’s amazing to note how little wind is required to keep those turbines rotating. One day I’ll return up there with the drone and try to fly it through the turbines as they spin. Perhaps…

Velio Festival: 17th-20th September 2021

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Cycling festivals – and here I’m talking about ‘festivals’ in the sense of Glastonbury or Reading where people head off to spend a few days in a particular place at a particular time – are few and far between. I’ve been involved with the Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe for quite a few years now. It’s a relatively small scale event, very informal where just as much time is spent watching the world go by or chatting with fellow cycle tourists as it is in formal sit-down-and-listen events. That’s perhaps one end of the cycling festival spectrum. At the other end? Well, how about this?

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…

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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…

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.

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 […]

Cycling Day 26: Cardiff To Bath

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A long, flat day… it started here in Cardiff: It finished at 9pm at the Youth Hostel in Bath. There was a transporter bridge: And a catch up with Paul Gentle in Bristol who joined me for the cycle along the old railway path to Bath where we […]

The Great British Cycling Tour Returns – Definitely!

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I’ve done it! In our COVID world of 2020, having no accommodation booked in advance is not the best option for a touring cyclist so I have spent a few days sorting out my overnight stays. As you can see it will be a mixture of Warmshowes, campsites, youth hostels and one night with a friend in my old stomping ground of Reading. Some cheap – very cheap! – train tickets have been purchased and all I need to do now is start pedalling…

Radio 4’s War On Two Wheels / Cycling UK’s Priority Campaign

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“Lois Pryce argues that bicycles need to be reclaimed as simply a mundane means of transport – and cycling needs to be uncool again. As a passionate advocate of two-wheeled transport, whether it’s powered by an engine or her own legs, Lois is tired of disapproving looks. And she thinks that in the case of bicycles, it’s partly because cycling has turned into an identity. She wants to revert to the time it was just a way of getting around.”

gray concrete building bear body of water

The Great British Cycle Tour 2020 Returns (Hopefully…)

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Two capitals remain; Cardiff and London and I am beginning to piece together a plan for an 10-stage cycle which would see me return to Liverpool (the point at which I paused in early August) on the train, cycle across the north of Wales to Holyhead on Anglesey where I would pick up the Lon Las Cymru cycle route to Cardiff and then head west along the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames (national cycle route 4) to my final destination, London.

Cycling Britain: The 1,200 Mile Picnic

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If you have listened the the most recent episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast – episode 023 – you will have heard me chatting with the cycling writer Rob Ainsley. We met up a couple of weeks ago in North Yorkshire and after a day spent cycling from Bolton Abbey to Hawes (as part of my 2020 ‘Great British Cycle Tour’) sat in a pub in Hawes to chew over the interviews that I had conducted with the Guiness World Record breaker David Haywood’s cycle to the most countries in 7 days and James Brigg’s journey from ‘Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads’ because, well, he’s a fan of David Bowie and why not?!