In partnership with Adriatic Villas, the owners of Villa Sunrise, (http://www.adriatic-villas.com), Cycle Tours UK (CTUK), have developed a 4 day cycling break in Croatia. The costs are based upon a group of 6 and include flights, accommodation, breakfasts, an evening bar-b-que at the villa and most importantly the transfer of personal bikes and luggage to Croatia. Cycle Tours UK will support the cyclists during the day.

The itinerary would include;

Bicycles, cycling gear and luggage to be delivered to Winchester so that CTUK can transfer it to Croatia.

Flights with BA from Gatwick to Dubrovnik.

Day 1: arrive Dubrovnik airport, picked up by CTUK and transferred to villa. Short cycle ride to top of cable car for drink and stunning view over Dubrovnik.  Descend cable car and take dinner in Dubrovnik (CTUK to look after bikes and  pick up guests after dinner).

Day 2: Cycle to Molunat, a coastal village. Round trip of 50 miles or one way of 25 miles (return in van).  All road cycling through Alpine terrain.  Lunch in Molunat, with a swim if weather permits. Cycle back to Cavtat, a delightful fishing port with harbourside cafes. Either return by bike or in van for barbecue at Villa Sunrise.

Day 3: Cycling trip to the stunning island of Peljesac. Drive from villa to Ston, where cycling trip commences. Cycle across the island and if time permits, hop on the ferry to another island, Korcula.  Round trip 75 miles finishing with oyster dinner in Ston. Lift back to villa with CTUK.  

Day 4.  Walk the old city walls of Dubrovnik or relax by the villa pool.  Transfer to the airport for flight home.

The price is £990 per person.

The tours are planned for the off season to avoid the hottest days of summer. Proposed dates are May 19^th – 22^nd and May 24^th - 27^th or if you prefer a later break then September 15^th -18^th and September 20^th – 23^rd.

If you are interested please contact Cycle Tours UK or Adriatic Villas and we will be happy to discuss your particular tour needs.

So winter has finally hit us and woken us up from our contented state of smugness that climate change was bringing us warmer winters. The mild weather we were experiencing has been replaced by a Siberian cold front bringing snow and ice to all parts of Britain. It is always easier when the winter weather closes in to make excuses and stay put in front of the fire and always so very difficult to make that move into the great outdoors. So the other day rather than getting into the car and going off to the shops, I thought I will just get on the bike and cycle. I needed some air and the weather didn’t look too ominous so off I went.

To justify the trip I thought I would cycle out to the lovely market town of Stockbridge about 10 miles outside of Winchester and buy some fish. This isn’t as stupid as it sounds because there are no fish shops left in Winchester city centre and the only choice now are the supermarket fish stalls that always look so unappealing.

On the way out to Stockbridge my route took me past the Moorcroft Farm and so being on a bit of a shopping trip as well as a bike ride I stopped in to the ever amiable farm shop and purchased some very fresh meat. The ride out of Winchester involves some pretty steep climbs but once you recover from bumping up the heart rate, the ride over Farley Mount is always a pleasure. The views out over the Test Valley and all parts of N Hampshire are quite breathtaking. There was also that winter pall that gives the landscape a smoky, misty air.

Sliding down the hill into Kings Somborne, the cold air freshened up the cheeks and made the eyes water but I was wrapped up with layers of clothing so didn’t feel cold. It is only the extremes of the fingers and toes that do feel the effects of the cold.

Out of Kings Somborne there is a very steep climb which again warmed me up and got the heart racing but again the reward is a beautiful view down the Test Valley. The rest of the road into Stockbridge is a lovely quiet country lane which makes for great cycling.

The fish shop I was aiming for is situated in the thyme and tides bistro and the sight and smell of fresh coffee and cakes was hard to resist.

With fish safely purchased I closed the loop and cycled down the Test Valley to Houghton and back into Kings Somborne. I have to say the real reason for taking the alternate route was to avoid the hill outside Kings Somborne rather than any aesthetic reasons.  

Back at Moorcroft Farm I picked up the meat purchased earlier and then headed down the hill back into Winchester. A welcome hot shower got the circulation back into my toes and fingers and that evening I did sit in front of the fire safe in the knowledge that I deserved it.

I don’t know about you, but I was always very confused about the breakup of Yugoslavia, the countries that resulted and who was fighting who in the ensuing wars. I was therefore very pleased to accept an invitation from Villa Sunrise to visit Croatia and explore the countryside around Dubrovnik. The primary reason was to research the possibility of establishing a cycle touring destination, at the same time as hopefully getting a better understanding of the region.

Landing in the quiet Dubrovnik airport was possibly one of the easiest travel experiences I have had. It was the off-season but I gather this airport never gets too busy. Villa Sunrise is situated up in the hills overlooking the coast. It consists of 5 apartments each one fully appointed with a kitchen, living room and bedroom(s). The large balconies on the 1^st and 2^nd floors make ideal meal and relaxation venues, with outstanding views down the coast. The villa is situated behind Dubrovnik in a small village called Bragt Gornji, very close to the Bosnian border, how close I didn’t realise until our exploration the following day.

We headed into Dubrovnik for dinner and I have to say that the medieval city did live up to its reputation. Walking down the main street was quite breathtaking and it was so difficult to imagine the horrors of only 20 years ago. I gather it does get very busy in the summer months with cruise ship visitors, but we would be planning the cycle tours in the off season so that shouldn’t be a problem.

The following day started with breakfast in the warm sunshine on the balcony. Quite a change from the wet and windy weather in the UK. Tim and I drove off first to the south to explore the small coastal town of Molunat. The main coastal road to Cavtat is quite busy but after about 10kms we turned off onto a quieter back road which followed the coastline into Molunat. The first thing that strikes you is the excellent condition of the roads. Perfect for cycling. Molunat itself is a beautiful bay with crystal clear water and even though it was November, the water looked very inviting.

From Molunat we drove up into the mountains and discovered a trout farm/restaurant in the town of Gruda. We were looking for a crossing into Bosnia and after driving over some Alpine type climbs we ended up instead crossing into Montenegro. Not understanding the local language we ran into a bit of bother with the customs official who we finally figured out wanted our insurance green card.

Montenegro seemed a poorer relation to Croatia and after a few miles we turned off the coast road and back up into the mountains where we did find the border crossing into Bosnia. Another minor communications problem did occur when we gave the toll booth official our passports thinking we had reached passport control and hadn’t realised it was simply a road toll.

The crossing into Bosnia was very much up in the mountains with peaks of 3000’ to 6000’ surrounding us. Bosnia seemed to be relatively depopulated after the hustle and bustle of the coast, and the town of Trebinje made an interesting pit stop on our trails. It had a very austere feeling with concrete tenement blocks and a look of post war rehabilitation. The roads again were in excellent condition and the following day we explored more of the country roads around Trebinje and mapped out some interesting cycling routes around the Bosnian countryside. It would be cycling for experienced cyclists, but the range of coastal rides, islands and mountain climbs would make for an exciting (and challenging) break.

Villa Sunrise would make the perfect venue for groups of 6 to 8 people and offers the option of having meals cooked in-house or visiting the many restaurants in the area. In our short visit we only managed to explore a tiny part of the Dalmation coastline, however we saw enough to convince us that cycling in the region is certainly feasible and could be the experience of a lifetime. We mapped out some possible options for cycling loops around the region including the coast and islands and the more extreme loop into Bosnia.

If you are interested then give us a call or talk to Adriatic Villas directly and we will hopefully be able to help.

The hills are alive…..with the sound of moaning.   Okay, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, even though I’m Mrs. Cycle Tours UK,  I didn’t always enjoy cycling up hills.  In fact, I hated hills. So I understand when people I talk to about cycling immediately say,  ‘Oh,  I like cycling except for the hills – can’t do hills, hate hills, only like to cycle where it’s flat,  it’s too much hard work doing the hills.”

I can hear their pain, I can be sympathetic to a point . The fact is that unless you’re cycling in Holland, or in the English  counties of Essex and Norfolk on the east coast,  it’s difficult to find terrain that is absolutely flat, and offers what people think is ‘easy’ cycling.  Their legs pump around with out much effort,  their heart rate stays steady, and they don’t break a sweat.   Easy peasy and enjoyable.   What doesn’t factor into the big picture here, is often these flat landscapes are open and exposed to the invisible challenge of the wind.  Flat cycling is often into a strong headwind which means that in fact you do have to peddle with increased effort to push against the wind.  Bang goes the easy-peasy.

Most of the world is a rolling and undulating landscape, hills are everywhere, you can’t escape them, and if you want to cycle to get some reasonable exercise and enjoy what nature has to offer in the country side you have to accept there will be hills to climb. 

When I first started cycling in the Hampshire countryside surrounding Winchester, I hated the hills, I hated how peddling up the hills made my thigh muscles burn, how I was having to breathe hard with the effort, and how I had to stop at the top and have a breather.   It didn’t help to have Mr. Enthusiasm up ahead wittering on about how great the view was going to be at the top, and cycling up hills was like life – the uphill struggles would be rewarded by down hill good times – utter crap when I had to give up, get off the bike and push it to the top, breathing like a freight train and sweating like a race horse .  His relentless stream of cheerful acceptance of  hills made me want to throw my bike in the ditch and stomp off home on foot.  Except that we were 20 Kilometres away, and there was nothing for it but to get back on the bike and keep going on promises of stopping at the next  tea shop for a refreshing brew and a large piece of lemon drizzle cake.   Effort must be rewarded.

Much to my surprise, within a few months,  I began to notice that it seemed to be taking less effort to climb the hills,  that I was actually getting to the top of significant hills without having to get off and push.   My legs were a lot stronger, and  I was learning to anticipate how to use my gears to  best help me up the hill.  I’d also devised a lot of mental games that shifted my focus from the physical effort I was putting in, to something else entirely. Most importantly I gave up trying to compete with Mr. Cycle Tours UK  and set my own pace .   For me that was ‘slow and steady wins the day…or the hill, or whatever’.

Hill climbing strategies are quite useful actually.  I quite like singing favourite songs in my head – I don’t usually have enough breath to actually sing out loud,  and I’d feel a fool and scare the wild life if I did, so a few verses of  Fields of Gold will usually get me over the top and down the other side.  I’m not that good at remembering the words, so figuring out the missing words keeps my mind concentrating on something other than the effort I’m putting into the climb.   I’m a teacher, so often I work out entire lesson plans, and schemes of work as I’m chugging up a big one. How best to re-plant that tricky area of the garden that’s dry and shady, can create diverting mental images ,  or next year’s Christmas shopping   would a new lap rug be suitable for Great Aunt Mabel,  or maybe she’d like one of those duvet things you wear while sitting on the sofa.   It’s amazing how when the mind is occupied and the legs are pumping round seemingly on their own,  you just suddenly arrive at the top of the hill and think Wow!  I did it, and it didn’t seem all that difficult.  In  fact what you really feel is this huge sense of satisfaction,  a certain smugness even.   

The underlying reward for your effort is of course, increased fitness.   If you limit yourself to just cycling where it’s flat, apart from the fresh air you’re breathing, you’re really not getting much physical benefit from the cycling at all.  You’re like those people in the gym who rock up onto the exercise bikes with their gossip magazine, and fortified energy drink designed for extreme athletes doing Iron Person challenges.  They sit back on the bike set on the lowest setting, and peddle  leisurely  for 20 sweat free minutes , then hop off glugging back the turquoise energy drink, like they’d actually been doing serious exercise.   Sad but true, no pain, no gain.  I  hate having to admit that.

I’d be lying if I said I just love cycling up hills, and that’s all I want to do now, is cycle up big hills.  I’ve come to accept hills are just part of cycling and cycle touring in the countryside and I’ve worked out ways to manage the effort that has to go into them .  I do see the hills as a challenge and I enjoy meeting that challenge and feeling the satisfaction of  having climbed the hill, where , yes, the view is fantastic, and  wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!   It’s down hill from there and that’s sweet.    I have to be honest,  there are still a few hills that defeat me,  the ones that climb then level out , then start a steep climb again,  I do the best I can, but I feel no shame in getting off and pushing up the rest of the way.  I don’t see it as defeat so much as knowing you’re limitations, especially if you tried your best.

All you hill haters out there,  stop your moaning and start accepting the hills as a personal challenge that you can manage.  Give yourself time to grow stronger,  only compete with yourself and find ways to manage your focus away from the physical effort of climbing.   The reward of smugness and large pieces of cake will be very satisfying in the end.   Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!   

At Cycle Tours UK we want to help you learn to manage your cycle touring so that it is an enjoyable experience rather than an endurance test.  Come and join us on a relaxing cycle touring holiday, designed for your fitness level that will keep you active, healthy and happy.                   

"Because it is there" was the famous response Sir Edmund Hillary made when asked why on earth he would climb Mt Everest. For us mere mortals it was a strange and non-committed response, but when asked recently "why would you cycle the Exclusive Loop" I had to respond "because it is there". After spending so much time mapping out the routes, driving the test runs and finally supporting the event I felt it was necessary to close the loop and cycle the whole 5 legs.

Day 1 started at Lainston House Hotel in Winchester. I was joined for this leg by Paul Morgan, the regional manager from Macmillan Cancer Support and Antonio from Lainston House. A friend of his Louis also joined us for the day. The weather gods were with us and although the day was a little cloudy it wasn't raining and there was a lovely SW breeze on our backs the whole day. I was to find out that the weather gods having done their work for the first day, packed their bags, went on vacation and left me with the weather demons for days 2, 3 and 4.

Paul and Antonio were not regular cyclists and so it was a real reward for them to complete the 100 or so kms to South Lodge near Horsham in W Sussex. The route took us through the most beautiful parts of Hampshire and everybody was jolly until we hit our first major hill after Petworth. It was great though to see both Paul and Antonio keep pedalling and get to the top. In Wiseborough Green we were joined by Sarah, who had undertaken the PR work for the event and wanted to participate. Her afternoon didn't start well though with a flat tyre and a chain falling off.  Some friends of Sarah's also turned up to cheer us on with the help of a vuvuzela, whistles and other encumbrances. All good stuff and really helped us along the way.

We made it to South Lodge in great spirits after a lovely day's ride. The sunshine did of course help and Paul and Antonio were thrilled to have completed the whole day without too many ill effects. Paul has since collected a remarkable £1090. A great contribution.

Day 2 started with a rather optimistic weather report that suggested the worst of the rain storms had passed. I set off in good spirits, but a little tentative at the thought of cycling right through the heart of London. After a few miles a gentle drizzle turned into a torrential rain storm. I did shelter under a tree for a little while hoping that it would pass but with no break in sight, I decided to carry on. My route took me up past Gatwick airport and then when the rain was at it worst I saw Box Hill looming on the horizon. Box Hill is of course on the 2012 Olympic road race route, however they will be climbing it 7 times which made my efforts look rather feeble. As the skies darkened, the rain got heavier and the road got steeper. At the summit I was soaking wet and breathing rather heavily but pleased that the worst hill of the day was out of the way.

I ploughed on along some rather busy roads to the outskirts of London. I found a wonderful bakery in Carshalton and replenished some of the lost calories with coffee, sausage rolls and buns. Miraculously the rain actually stopped, the sun appeared and the temperature soared. I took off and managed to link up with the Barclays SuperHighway at Merton which would take me into Southwark, through Clapham. It wasn’t a dedicated bike path and I had to share with buses and parked vans and cars but it did make an easy route to follow into the heart of the City. Once I got to Southwark Bridge I stopped to marvel at the amazing vista of the Thames overlooked by St Pauls Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and the Tower Bridge. London really does have the most amazing collection of historic sights and on a sunny afternoon it lifts the spirits just to sit and look.

I headed up through the City of London into Hackney, the scene of some of the street riots only a few days before, but thankfully now very quiet. I was heading for the Lea Valley and the tow path up the canal. The path was a rather soggy gravel and not really suited to the hybrid bike, but it was a pleasure to get away from the traffic for a while. I followed the path all the way up through Tottenham to Waltham Abbey. After a short detour when my GPS battery ran out, I stopped to have a welcome cup of tea and scone. I then rejoined the roads and headed up to Ware and the very welcome sight of Fanhams Hall, the end of the second leg. A hot bath and delicious dinner were more than welcome.

Day 3 started again with an erroneous weather forecast, which suggested I could have a dry run. I had to clean off the bike which was caked in a muddy layer from the Lea Valley path. I cycled right into the most torrential rain again and was decidedly fed up with being perpetually soaked. I have to say though that the Cycle Tours rain jackets proved their worth and did keep my upper body dry and warm, if the rest of me was completely soaked.

The route followed the periphery of London, through Welwyn Garden City and the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead before heading south through Gerrards Cross and into Slough and Windsor. Fortunately the rain stopped again in the afternoon and I managed to dry out. The climbs through the Chilterns proved a test, however some of the countryside and villages were stunning and made for an enjoyable ride when the rain did finally stop. Sitting on the bridge across the Thames in the centre of Windsor, I have to admit to an element of elation at having most of this leg completed. The final push through Windsor Great Park was very busy but the sight of Pennyhill Hotel was very welcome.

Day 4 I was joined by my cycling buddy Matt Carolan, who picked up the pace and continued through the day to complain about how slow I was cycling. After getting out of Camberley and off the busy A30 this is a lovely ride past Stratfield Saye (the home of the Duke of Wellington) and the roman ruins at Silchester. We found a great little cafe on the outskirts of Newbury for some lunch and then headed off into the Kennet and Avon Canal valley through Hungerford. Legs started to get very tired by the time we stopped at Marlborough and I knew the toughest part of the day still lay ahead.

The climb over the Marlborough Downs is long and steep but is rewarded at the top with the most amazing view over the countryside of Wiltshire. There were also rain clouds looming on the horizon so we headed on as fast as our legs would go. This was the toughest part of the trip with a headwind all the way and some very steep hills to climb. We did however finally cruise down the steep hill into Castle Coombe and the welcome sight of the Manor House Hotel. I have never been so relieved to reach a destination in my life. The Exclusive Hotels staff were once again most welcoming and made our stay in this luxurious spot, very enjoyable indeed.

Day 5 and the final leg. This morning we had lovely sunny weather and that made a most welcome change. The steep hill out of Castle Coombe got the heart rate up and after cycling through Harry Potters village (Laycock) we hit Bowden Hill or rather Bowden Hill hit us. A tough climb made even worse when a young lycra lad cruised past us with seemingly no effort at all. This was quickly followed by the Wessex Ridgeway, another long climb that really tested my tired legs. The wind was behind us though and the sun was out so that made life a lot easier.

The ride took us through the Salisbury Plain and down the River Avon valley. The final leg into Hampshire and into the Test Valley had some short steep climbs and made for tough riding. Finally though we reached Kings Somborne and the lane into Lainston House Hotel meant we had made it. My wife, Paul Morgan and Antonio were there to welcome us and Lainstons laid on the most delicious afternoon tea I have ever tasted. There was no guilt in helping myself to everything on offer.

So there we are. The challenge completed and thankfully without serious incident. My thanks to Paul, Anotonio, Sarah (+ friends), Louis and Matt for their support along the route. My special thanks to the Exclusive Hotel management and staff for their wonderful hospitality. Also thanks to all of you who sponsored Paul and I and we now have an accumulated total of £1500 between the two of us (70% Paul!). The 30thirty30 event has now collected over £80,000 for Macmillan Support and Exclusive Hotels have donated £30,000 to the Springboard charity. It has been a pleasure to be involved with an event that has generated so much.

Here we go. Another challenge with about 600kms cycling around southern england over the next 5 days.

Weather looks a little damp and it will be a real test of endurance. I do have though Paul Morgan from Macmillans joining me for the first leg which will make the ride interesting.

If I can find a computer each evening then I will post a daily blog of my adventure.

Cheers for now

Chris Dawson

Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you plan. After a week of lovely warm and sunny weather the day ride we had booked for five members of our local Women’s Institute should have been experienced under ideal conditions.  However, you know how it goes, Sod’s Law the day dawned overcast and threatening, but these lively ladies climbed on the bikes and were raring to go anyway.  We kitted them out with our CTUK rain jackets, just in case there should be a shower and off we went, leaving Stockbridge and heading for a lovely pub lunch in Dunbridge.

Our group of five was made up of three women who were quite fit to moderately fit and cycled short distances often, and two women who hadn’t been cycling for years. They didn’t consider themselves very fit, and were keen to see if cycling might provide a pleasant physical activity they would enjoy.   We had chosen the flattest route we could find, but there are always a few hills in this part of Hampshire that can’t be avoided.  Everyone was very game, and if the hills proved too much, the ladies got off their bikes and good naturedly pushed them to the top with a lot of teasing and cheerful  banter bless them. 

The women who weren’t regular cyclists were amazed at how easy the cycling was with good gears on the bike, and how the ride was enhanced by the comfortable wide gel saddles.

Things were going beautifully, and everyone was having such a lovely time enjoying the Hampshire countryside when about 20 minutes before the lunch stop, the sky opened and a drenching rain poured down as we peddled furiously along.  Our rain jackets kept us all bone dry on the top, but none of us had rain trousers, and by the time we got to the pub, our legs and feet were soaked through. 

This is a cycle tour operator’s nightmare – to have guests who are wet and uncomfortable, but the human capacity for good cheer, never ceases to amaze me.  With a lot of laughing and shaking off like a pack of Labradors, our ladies arrived at the pub in good spirits and ready to tuck into the bountiful platter of baguettes and pots of hot tea that were waiting for us. We all thought the rain would push through by the time we finished lunch allowing us to comfortably complete our return loop to Stockbridge.  The weather gods were having a laugh that day, and it continued to pour.  Chris offered to ride back and get the van to pick them up but in true WI style, they chose to Keep Calm and Carry On!  True Blitz spirit prevailed and off they went, laughing and splashing through puddles like cheeky school girls. 

It was still raining when we arrived back at our starting point in Stockbridge and once they were settled in the van and waiting for Chris to load the bikes onto the trailer, they all wanted to know how far they had ridden.  We had been out about four and a half hours, including our lunch break.  They were astounded to learn they had ridden just about 25 miles.  They were chuffed to bits  and all said they couldn’t believe they had ridden that far.  The two women who weren’t regular cyclists were amazed they had achieved that many miles.  They both said if someone had told them when they started they were going to cycle 25 miles, they wouldn’t have gone – they would have said they couldn’t possibly cycle that far.  They were grinning ear to ear and couldn’t wait to get home to tell their families.

So even though the cycling conditions were soggily less than perfect, the end result of the day was as uplifting as a massive ray of sunshine.  Our guests had been terrific sports, and had a personally rewarding positive experience despite the damp conditions.  They even said they wanted to do another cycle day out later in the year.  Our two women who weren’t as fit as they could be had realised that cycling was something enjoyable they could do that would improve their fitness.   

Our ethos at Cycle Tours UK is to raise awareness that you don’t have to cycle far, or fast to enjoy cycling. Its all about the experience of being active and outdoors and enjoying the world at your own pace.   As you build stamina and strength, you will want to explore further on your bike but that is a goal you can build on.  Thank you WI Ladies for your cheerful company and remember:

“Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance you must keep moving.”   - Albert Einstein

I have been very fortunate over the years to have been able to cycle in various cities throughout the world including Paris, Singapore, Vancouver and yes even the Mecca’s of cycling Amsterdam and Copenhagen. However in all the years of commuting to work in London I never once contemplated taking my bike into London. The very thought of dealing with the heavy traffic, aggressive driving and lack of cycling facilities just put me off.

It was therefore with some trepidation that I decided this week to cycle through the very heart of London and let me tell you folks it was an amazingly heartening experience. Not only has there been a revolution in attitudes toward cycling in London, but the new infrastructure put in place to support Boris’s Bikes is fantastic. Of course it isn’t perfect but my goodness how satisfying to see actual bike paths in place with dedicated traffic lights and special lanes for bridge crossings. I am sure all the planning for this was put in place long before Boris became Mayor but hats off to him and his team for seeing it through. I am sure there was lots of resistance.

The odyssey starts when you first log onto the Transport for London website www.tfl.gov.uk On this page there is a getting around London section for cycling. Click on this and there is at your disposal a wealth of information on cycling. My first stop was to order a couple of the cycling maps for Central London and the East End of London which is where I needed to go. Remarkably these turned up at my doorstep the following day free of charge. Very clear, great maps showing various routes, but really useful even if you aren’t cycling.

The next stop was the “journey planner”. I needed to go from Waterloo Station to the Excel Building out in the East End. By simply putting in the start and finish point, low and behold a map of the best cycling route pops up. You can then simply print off the route and the day is yours.

However this wasn’t the only revelation. I noticed a little button on the top right which said “upload to GPS”. Following the directions I saved the route into the Memory Map software (www.memory-map.co.uk) on my PC and then successfully saved it onto my Adventurer 2800 GPS (www.memory-map.co.uk/adventurerGPS/index.php/adventurer2800.html ) A small glitch was the GPS route didn’t exactly match the mapped route, but who was I to complain, this was amazing.

So armed with some maps and my GPS I took my bike onto the train in Winchester and offloaded at Waterloo, still a little tentative as to what was in store for me.

When you first come out of the station you immediately see the many bikes in storage and the racks for the Boris bikes. It was reasonably early in the morning and so the rush hour had emptied most of the Boris Bikes. I switched on the GPS and started following the route. Getting out of the station is always a bit busy, however once off the main roads the route took me through what were relatively calm streets. Up ahead was the new Shard building that looms out of the tower blocks like some science fiction marvel. I was so surprised and pleased to see a cycle way has been built into the Southwark Bridge because crossing the river was one of my main concerns.

I followed the route up through Soho and into the City, all the time amazed and pleased at how relatively quiet the back streets were. After the Tower Bridge I joined what is termed the “cycling Superhighway”. This is a marked out blue cycle lane either separate from the road or marked onto the road. This really was a revelation and I whizzed up through Central London with only the occasional car or truck to worry me. At one point I came across a swing bridge in action, which was a pleasant little stop. The GPS route did take me onto the busy A road rather than continue up the superhighway, so all I can think is that it hasn’t been updated.

Up ahead loomed Canary Wharf and with all the Olympic construction in the area, getting across to the Excel Building proved a little testing. It wasn’t until I was riding back that I found the bike lane that takes you over the locks into the Excel site.

The total distance was about 12kms and without trying it took me about 1 hour (including the occasional turn around where I took the wrong turning).

What a great way to see the city of London and so many historical points of interest. What could be more pleasant than a cycle ride with the Thames as a backdrop. For the trip back I was now a little more confident and so putting the GPS onto the return route went back down the Superhighway, through the City and into the very heart of Oxford Street and Marlybone. Here again there was another cross town cycle path that I joined and merrily cycled past all of the traffic jams and disgruntled drivers.

Heading back to Waterloo I passed through Piccadilly, the Horse Guards Parade and Downing St. What a selection of amazing sights, unparalled in any other city in the world. When visiting London and using the tube, you get no sensation at all of where anything is in London and when travelling by bike you get a much better sense of location and the proximity of so many attractions.

All in all, I was completely bowled over with the experience and the transformation in the city. I would even suggest taking guests up to London now with bikes, knowing that there are safe alternatives to cycle. I will most definitely be taking my bike up for the Olympics next year, which will make touring between the various venues a doddle.

Hats off the London councillors and private investors who have made all this possible. I have no idea who they are (except perhaps Barclays), but well done. It is time to stop moaning, get on your bike and use these great facilities.

When you run a cycle holiday business and you have clients booked for the day, the last thing you want to wake up to is the menacing roll of thunder and the sound of a monsoon rain drumming down on the roof.  Cycling is not something you can take indoors, so Chris and I packed up the bikes and the rain gear and trundled off to Stockbridge to meet our clients, Christine and Graham who had booked a Cycle/Fishing Break hoping the weather gods would take pity on us.  It was still raining lightly when we met our guests for breakfast at the Greyhound Inn.  Two cups of coffee and a full English later, we stepped outside into a brisk  breeze shredding the  clouds into wisps and revealing a bright blue sky . The weather gods had smiled upon us, and soon we were on our merry way to Netherwallop where Christine and Graham would have a day’s fly-fishing tuition at the Fishing Breaks headquarters.

We rode through quiet country lanes, smelling of damp earth and fresh , clean air, fields beside us gently steaming in the warming sun.  I love that smell, the world washed sweetly clean,with a bass note of damp salty asphalt as your tires hiss over  the damp road surface.  The route from Stockbridge to Nether wallop is fairly flat, a few undulating hills on the way, but nothing too challenging and in just over an hour we were at Fishing Breaks gate.

Christine and Graham were eager to start fishing and were impressed with the Fishing Breaks offices and headquarters just outside the tiny village of Netherwallop, Hampshire. Set in beautifully landscaped grounds Fishing Breaks features a ‘training pond’ stocked with rainbow trout and char , and a ‘casting platform’  for learning the art of ‘casting’, a necessary skill for successful fly fishing.  Christine and Graham were greeted with a big smile and a friendly handshake by Allan Middleton, their guide and tutor for the day. 

Allan took Christine and Graham to the casting platform armed with a rods and line and torrent of enthusiastic talk about ‘wrist’ and ‘line’ and ‘flick’.  Chris and I found a bench in the sun, opened the thermos, poured ourselves a cup of coffee and settled in to observe the intricacies of casting for fish. 

Fly fishing is a sport that is all about patience.  You must be patient with yourself in the first place to get the hang of casting – throwing the fishing line off the rod and skipping it on the surface of the water.  This takes time and practice, practice, practice until your body and your mind memorise exactly how it feels when the cast is perfect.  Christine and Graham cast and flicked, cast and flicked , observed and encouraged and patiently instructed by Allan’s cheerful and humorous advice .   I could see them both getting better and more fluid as the lesson went by, and by lunch time, they felt like they were making real progress. I broke out the Cycle Tours UK picnic and we sat in the sun and Allan kept us entertained with hilarious fishing stories – who knew fishing could be so funny?  

As I watched Christine and Graham on the banks of the training pond after lunch, I could see how important it was to maintain a patient focused approach to the task. You couldn’t be thinking about the office, or a business deal, or the state of foreign policy in Afghanistan.  Casting takes a quiet, precise concentration, each cast aiming to be better and more accurately focused on the flick of the fly and the fascination of the fish.

Graham and Christine were having a whale of a time in their quest for the perfect cast and the excitement of catching a fish.  A ‘trout’ of a time doesn’t seem large enough to describe how excited Graham became when he got his first ‘bite’.  Allan dashed to the bank with his net, and Graham played the fish, reeling him in until it came glistening out of the water and Allan scooped it into the net.  Photos were taken of grinning fisherman and prize two and half pound rainbow trout. Christine declared she was not going home until she too had caught a fish, and upped her game, casting more fluidly and flicking with a more precise wrist.  Within twenty minutes we were taking Christine’s photo with her trophy trout.  Patience and persistence paid off to reel in the prize. 

Lessons can be learned here. Companies looking for a unique team-building day for their employees will find a Cycle Tours UK corporate away day of cycling and fishing an excellent way for employees to strengthen and expand their skills in patience, persistence and concentration on a task . The day is spent out of doors, in the fresh air, combining the activity of a gentle cycle with the tranquil but focused lessons in fly fishing provided by Fishing Breaks professional guides. 

Call Cycle Tours UK and let us help you organise a corporate away day that’s fun, active and provides employees with a valuable experience that will leave them refreshed, renewed and raring to reel in the deals! 

What is going on in the world of cycling? There is a plethora of articles, surveys, blogs, tweets and information on cycling published every week. The profile of cycling is very high with the Olympics success, Boris’ bikes, Sky Rides and any number of cycling events happening every week. It would seem the whole of Britain is now riding a bicycle somewhere. However when I am out cycling in the countryside, seeing another cyclist is more a rarity rather than a regular occurrence so something is not quite right.

One thing for certain is that retail is booming with the market for sales, repairs and accessories estimated to be over £1.5 billion in 2010. Halfords estimate that Britons bought about 2.3million machines in 2010.

So lots of people in Britain own bikes, but just how many? A Department of Transport National Travel Survey published on September 30^th 2010, estimated that 34% of the adult population aged 16+ owned bikes. That is about 14 million adults. If all of those bike owners cycled on the 20,000kms of the National Cycle Network on any one day that would equate to 700 cyclists per kilometre. Obviously bike ownership does not relate directly to bike use.

The same survey showed a sorry 1% actually used their bikes. That is about 400,000 adults which means something like 13.5 million bikes are never used. If all users were out on their bikes at one time over the National Cycle Network that would result in about 20 cyclists per kilometre. It is rare to see one cyclist on a trip let alone 20.

In contradiction, Sports England estimate that more than 1.8 million adults cycle for at least 30 minutes a week with the number of people cycling at least once a week rising by about 12%. I am not sure, however, if you can consider cycling 30 minutes in a week as a “regular” cyclist.

The attraction of traffic free cycling was demonstrated in a recent Sky Ride in Bath which had upwards of 5000 participants. The results of a survey of users of the National Cycle Network showed that 80% used the traffic free trails such as the Tarka Trail in Devon.

The “Team Green Britain Bike Week” (www.bikeweek.org.uk/index.php ) is promoting cycling events throughout the country during the week of June 18^th to 26^th. Last year they estimate that about half a million people participated in various events. So if you consider a large percentage of cyclists would actually participate, half a million cyclists seems throughout the UK would seem to be a reasonable number.

The CTC membership is made up of people who are very keen and enthusiastic cyclists and it’s membership is of the order of about 60,000. I would estimate from the British Cycling website that there are upwards of about 1200 cycling clubs in Britain. If each club has a membership of say 300 then that is another 360,000 keen cyclists. So total cyclists always pans out at around half a million.

There is also a clear distinction between cycling as a leisure activity and cycling as a means of transport. The recent study on how Britons travel to work concludes that about 3% cycled to work. Out of a working population of about 30million that equates to about 900,000 commuters cycling to work. This statistic will undoubtedly be very seasonal and weather dependent and it would be very interesting to see how that number varies during the year if there is any accuracy in the number at all.

A recent article in the Sunday Times suggested that in 2010 the number of cycle commutes for the year was 73 million. If you assume people commute to work every day of the year that is an average of 200,000 cyclists every day. If however you assume a 5 day working week then the average per day increases to 280,000 cyclists on the road. This number tends toward the number of regular cyclists being of the order of around half a million. We do not however get close to the high number of 900,000.

Critically, a recently published article by the Guardian suggests that years of Government efforts to promote cycling have had almost no impact on a population who view bikes as either children’s toys or the preserve of the lycra clad hobbyists. There are those who cycle and those who don’t and those who don’t is a very large number.

From a purely unscientific point of view if we consider leisure cycling, it is rare when I am out cycling to see other cyclists enjoying the countryside. On one trip of 1000kms through Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon we encountered maybe 5 other cyclists over the 10 days. Admittedly there are more cyclists visible on Sundays and on popular cycling trails such as the C2C or the Tarka Trail, but on an average day I see maybe 5 to 10 other cyclists on a 100km ride.

So what do I draw out of all this information? There is a cycling fraternity in the UK numbering in the hundreds of thousands who do cycle and love cycling. There is also, without doubt, a large pool of people (potentially in the millions) who like the idea of cycling but are put off by the perception that cycling is dangerous and hard work. Then there is the rest of the adult population who just do not cycle and never will cycle.

The UK does offer a fantastic cycling resource of quiet country lanes, picturesque villages, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants and quality accommodation. The trick is to somehow inform and educate the general public that such a resource does exist and is available. If you are interested, make a start and call us at Cycle Tours UK. We will start you on your journey of exploration.