Bike Adventures

If Prague is on your bucket list then why not combine a visit with some cycling? And if you haven’t yet seen Berlin this trip really ticks the boxes!

From Prague we head northwest, overnighting in Teplice before crossing into Germany and skirting west of Dresden to Riesa. From here we arc via Wittenburg to Berlin.

At just 250 miles and 4 days riding this is a very manageable short break but it has also been timetabled to allow those completing our Paris to Prague ride to continue on for a real grand tour of Western Europe.

A 25 day mountain biking adventure: the world’s highest mountain bike journey.

This is an epic ride – one of most adventurous a biker can do. 80-90% of this ride is over 4000m above sea level. In 1100km you cross 5 passes over 5000m, a handful of ‘small’ passes over 4000m and you will ride the longest downhill in the world, dropping from 5050m in Tibet to 540m in Nepal over a little more than 150km! It is a real classic and to make your trip even more adventurous, even longer and even more challenging, we have decided to incorporate a four day round trip away from the main Lhasa to Kathmandu road, to visit Rongbuk Monastery and the North Base Camp of Mt Everest.

Throughout the ride, your state of the art bicycles will be a source of great interest. As they will not have seen anything more sophisticated than their basic Chinese-made boneshakers, there are great opportunities to share laughs with local people!

We follow the main Lhasa to Kathmandu route as it runs westwards, parallel to the great Himalaya chain, which forms the border with the territories of Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Throughout, the road traverses a high and dry plateau-land, which is punctuated by the spectacular monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar, as well as several smaller settlements and nomadic Drogpa encampments.

On the detour away from the main route towards the Rongbuk Monastery, the road climbs through almost fifty hairpin bends to reach the Pang La, which affords splendid views of the Himalaya, and of Mt. Everest itself. Everest Base Camp is a ‘not to be missed’ inclusion to this ride. Standing before the exposed and shear North Face of Chomolungma [Mt. Everest] at Everest Base Camp (5500m/18044ft) is a memorable experience that few will ever forget. We will spend a night at Everest Base Camp before riding 70 km back out to the main Kathmandu route.

Back on the main road we reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau as we cross the 5200 metre high Thang La, and begin a mind-blowing descent of 4500 metres, via the border town of Zhangmu, to the valley of the Sun Kosi River in Nepal. A final, easy day’s cycling brings us back to civilisation in the form of Kathmandu.

The route takes you from the Mizen Peninsula, around Bantry Bay into County Kerry. After passing through the mountains of the Kilarney National Park you cross over the River Shannon and continue past the Cliffs of Moher and across The Burren. After the lakes of the Upper Shannon Valley the final part of the route takes you across Lough Swilly onto the Inishowen Peninsula to Malin Head.

Roads & Terrain: The route follows minor paved roads for most of the way, although there are a few sections on main roads. Major conurbations are avoided but the route does pass through some medium sized towns. Traffic is generally light but some sections along the southwest coast can be busy, and the final part of the route onto the Inishowen Peninsula does have some unavoidable traffic. The first part of the route is hilly, as you pass through County Kerry, but the remainder is mostly gently undulating, although there are a few steeper climbs along the way.

We have wanted to put together a ride in Spain for some time but where to go? Spain is a big country and much of the interior is inhospitable for cycling!

The Mediterranean Sea spreads its calm waters over 1000 miles of Spanish coast, from Tarifa, the southernmost European point in the province of Cádiz, to the rocky cliffs of Cabo de Creus, on the border between France and Spain in northern Catalunya. This vast distance allows for a wide variety of landscapes, towns and cultures that are a far cry from the general perception of the Mediterranean as a Costa del Sol-style tourist trap.

Our ride takes in virtually the whole length, starting in magnificent Barcelona (a MUST SEE city!) and ending back on ‘British’ soil on the Rock of Gibraltar.

We will spend our first night at a hotel close to Barcelona airport before heading to the sea where we will spend much of the coming two weeks. Naturally we will pass through many holiday resorts but also areas of wild natural beauty. This is not an ultra-quiet ‘back roads’ tour, but in resort towns there is often a beach-front esplanade or cycle path to ease the miles!

For our last two days we turn inland and there is some hilly riding as we skirt Malaga, Marbella and the other southern ‘Costas’ before arriving on the iconic Rock of Gibraltar where we spend our last night before flying home.

Average daily mileages are 60-65 and this trip is suitable for all regular cyclists.

Highlights

• A sensational ride down the Spanish Mediterranean coast
• Some mountains thrown in for good measure
• Iconic finish on the ‘Rock’

A wealth of Spanish culture and history to explore.

Join our all new Spanish route: travelling north to south, our route tracks centuries of culture and history, crossing 4 regions and 7 provinces of the western axis of Spain. We pedal along the original Roman trade and communication route – today a magnificent and varied route of cultural and historical significance with ever changing terrain and dramatic vistas.

Our route starts with a climb out of Gijon gradually heading south to Seville, a world heritage site, and finishing in Cadiz one of the oldest recorded cities in western Europe. Throughout this adventure you will climb mountains, descend into gorges and cross wide open plains, this is a must for lovers of all things Spanish.

While there is no definitive route for cycling Land’s End to John O’Groats most people follow a westerly path, keeping close to the 900 mile shortest practical cycling route. However, for those with time and a spirit of adventure, there are exciting longer alternatives and, with increased demand for UK-based trips during the pandemic, we have given our route-developers a free hand to come up with something new and different. The result is our ‘Ultimate’ LEJOG, a 1230 mile route tracking the south and east coasts and passing through some of the UK’s great historic cities. However, do not be concerned that cities means traffic; the guys have dug-deep to find incredible options utilising cycle paths, rail trails, river paths and pedestrian ferries and the result will amaze you!

After a fairly conventional first 2 days we follow the south coast all the way to Brighton where we turn north for the nation’s capital. We sneak into central London on the Wandle Trail and out again on canal and riverside paths with just a couple of miles or urban city riding. Once clear of London we continue north through Cambridge, Lincoln and York before meeting the coast in Sunderland. We then join the Sustrans ‘Coast and Castles’ route for a sensational journey as far as Edinburgh before picking up the cycle paths and trails that track the A9 all the way to Inverness. For our final couple of days we join our famous ‘scenic’ LEJOG route through the Highlands to Tongue on the north coast, before turning east to reach John O’Groats. Our journey involves 18 days of riding at an average of 68 miles per day, with a midpoint rest day in York.

This is a fabulous ride and our cycling holiday groups are always great fun. We look after you all the way and provide a certificate – just to prove you did it!!!

This journey is an unrivalled way to explore the heart of the Himalayan Kingdom on trails rarely travelled by tourists. You will have to test your mountain biking skills on wild and challenging trails through some of the most stunning scenic and cultural landscapes in the world.

From the stunning backdrop of the Himalayan ranges, deep valleys and ancient forests, to the charming terraced fields and bright smiles of locals in the timeless villages, you will remember this journey for its unique beauty as well as its challenging mountain biking terrain!

Any cycle ride of more than 200km ending in Santiago de Compostela constitutes a ‘camino’ but there are many official signed routes and we have chosen to take the ‘Northern Way’. This route follows the stunning Spanish north coast, a real hidden gem with spectacular views, pretty coastal villages and, yes, some hills. This is a rugged route but the daily mileages are small and the rewards are great!

Our journey follows the closest possible paved roads to the official signed route and you will meet many fellow pilgrims, travelling by bike and on foot, along the way. We start in Bilbao, with convenient air connections, and follow the beautiful coast for some 300 miles to Foz before turning inland for a further 120 miles. We finish in the heart of Santiago from where there are direct flights to the UK.

Regardless of your faith or religious convictions be sure to carry your Credencial and get it stamped at each stopping point along the way in order to receive your compostela (certificate of completion) in Santiago!

Average daily mileage is 55 with the shortest being 45 and the longest 60. The first few days are hilly, though typically rising and falling by less than 500 feet. For those looking for a longer trip, this holiday connects with our ‘End-to-end’ of Portugal for a stupendous 1000 mile ride!

Not only does this route alliterate nicely but it takes us through some fantastic cycling country and is bookended by two of Europe’s most romantic capitals. Our route is based on the ‘Paneuropa Radweg’ , though a fully signposted implementation of this great idea still seems a distant dream so you will be glad that we have prepared our usual meticulous route instructions.

From a hotel close to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport our first day is a short one to allow time to clear the city. Our route initially takes us due east, to Verdun, before dropping down via Nancy to meet the Rhine a little north of Strasbourg. From here we enter Germany, passing north of Stuttgart to Nuremberg and on to Wieden, close to the Czech border. Our last two days are spent in the Czech republic, finishing in the glorious City of a Hundred Spires. Why not extend your stay by a day or two?

This route averages 60 miles per day with a range of 46-63 and is suitable for all moderately fits cyclists. For those looking for a longer ride this trip connects with Prague to Berlin.

Why only cycle in the summer? For those looking for some sun and a chance to ride through the worst of the British winter we offer our favourite regular trip ‘down under’. New Zealand is a long way to go so this is a 4 week trip, enough time to really see something of this incredible country. We will cover plenty of ground on both islands but a number of rest days have been built in to spend time at some of the key locations.

Our trip starts in Auckland. We head south via the coast to the famous volcanic springs of Rotorua and then on to Lake Taupo for a day of rest and sightseeing. We continue south through the rugged lower half of North Island, arriving in Wellington for a leisurely day taking the ferry across the infamous Cook Strait to Picton and South Island.

From Picton we take the picturesque coastal route round to the spectacular west coast, passing through Nelson, Westport and Greymouth before arriving in Fox Glacier where we have a day to explore.

The last leg takes us inland via Haast Pass through the southern alps and then down to Te Annau, jumping off point for Fjordland. For our last day we abandon the bikes to enjoy an excursion by coach and boat to Milford Sound, finishing in Queenstown (adventure capital of the world) where we will catch connecting flights back to Auckland.

In all we will cover 1200 miles, averaging 58 per riding day. New Zealand offers challenging riding with little flat ground but our timetable has been adjusted to make the trip manageable for all regular cyclists.

Whether you have always wanted to see NZ, or already have and are hankering to return, what better way to chase away the winter blues?