Pedal Nation Cycling Holidays

Our aim is to make your two days as enjoyable and instructive as possible. We hope you’ll leave not only having improved your group riding skills, navigation and hill climbing techniques but also with good memories of a fun weekend.

The event creates an example of how a day on one of our holidays along would be like. You have the added advantage of tips from our guide. The course aims to give you the opportunity for some back to back days cycling experience. We will also discuss some issues surrounding group riding. We’ll also cover the essentials of bike maintenance and roadside repairs. We will be supplying gpx files of the routes beforehand so you can practice using any navigation device you are planning to use for your holiday.

We have a full day cycling into the Peak District planned on Saturday and a half day on Sunday. Therefore an opportunity to practice hill climbing and also meet like-minded people. You never know, they could be your next cycling holiday buddy!

Highlight

• Lessons on how to ride in a group
• Essentials of bike maintenance
• Repairing punctures
• How to use GPX

Hills and flatter surfaces. Tarmac (conditions can vary).

You’ll definitely be challenged with an overall distance of 729km and almost 10,000m of climbing needed to reach our end goal at the resort of Faro. We designed the tour to be achievable for most regular cyclists, however hill training and consecutive days in the saddle beforehand is essential. Throughout the tour our cycling guide will be on hand to offer guidance and encouragement when needed. Also our support van be available at convenient points along each route to provide assistance

Highlights

• Cycle North to South of Portugal
• Ride across 4 mountain ranges, 11 rivers and 29 municipalities
• Free bike transfers from the UK
• Celebrate final night in Faro
• Small group size we limit the numbers to 12

This part of northern India. Ladakh, often called ‘Little Tibet’ or the ‘Land of Many Passes’, is renowned for its stunning mountain landscape and Buddhist culture. Locals make their living from pastoral farming by irrigating small plots of land to grow buckwheat and barley. Traversing the region by bicycle means that we can observe at close quarters some truly spectacular scenery and get the chance to interact with the villagers who reside in this tough, arid landscape.

We believe you will find it an exhilarating, challenging and life-affirming adventure. If you’ve tested yourself on our Lands End to John O’Groats tour or Road to Vienna, maybe this could be your next adventure?
You will cycle against the backdrop of the magnificent Ladakh Range, which is a segment of the Karakoram mountain range. It spans the borders of Afghanistan, China, India, Pakistan and Tajikistan. We have designed the High Passes of Ladakh cycling holiday so you can enjoy the best that the region has to offer.

Highlights:

• Cycling in the Himalayas
• Crossing highest motor-able road Khardungla 5602m
• Beautiful scenery
• Buddhist culture
• Opportunity to see some interesting animals such as the Asiatic ibex, Himalayan marmot, the dzo (which is a cross between the yak and domestic cattle), the Himalayan blue sheep (also called a bharal – which is the staple diet of the snow leopard) as well as the kiang, a native of the Tibetan plateau and only found in Jammu and Kashmir.

At times, the deserved popularity of Rajasthan's key sights leaves little room for a spirit of adventure. Traveling by cycle and taking of the big draw cards like Jodhpur, Ranakpur, and Udaipur is the perfect answer.

Our back-road discovery tour takes us to remote villages through the barren desert and lush oasis where the traditional life of Rajasthan continues, as it has done for centuries untouched by the outside world. We start our journey cycling up through the Aravali Hills, then the route passes through back-country flatlands to the holy town of Pushkar. Next up is Jaipur, a town overlooked by the splendid hilltop Amber Palace. We take rest stops along the way at the principal attractions as well as at a few more remote places where there is a chance to experience rural Rajasthan first-hand. We also visit Bharatpur National Park and the magnificent Taj Mahal, surely one of the 'must see' sights of the world.

Highlights

• Easy cycling on the back roads of Rajasthan: using local knowledge to keep off busy dangerous thoroughfares.
• Historical sights of Jaipur and the Taj Mahal: two highlights of any trip to India, and even more mind-blowing in real life than in photos.
• Visit Ranthambhore National Park and its Tiger reserve: it’s ok, we won’t be cycling in the reserve!!
• Elephants! Who doesn’t love an elephant?!
• A treat for all the senses: colourful, loud, fragrant – Rajasthan is a feast for all the senses.

The Himalayan scenery is stunning and the fresh crisp mountain air, combined with the very light traffic conditions make Bhutan a very appealing destination for cyclists of all denominations.

We find the best bicycle for this tour is a hard-tail mountain bike, equipped with slick tyres. As you would expect in the Himalayas there are some strenuous climbs but these are ameliorated for by the beauty of this landlocked diminutive kingdom which measures just twice the size of Wales.

You will remember for many years to come the rice terraces that cling limpet-like to the hillside and valleys carpeted with patchwork of various shades of green cultivated by generations of Bhutanese subsistence farmers. Beyond the cycling there are some amazing cultural sights that we will be visiting including the world famous Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Lair). Although visitors are actively encouraged to this Buddhist kingdom, the numbers of tourists are strictly limited by the government which takes the time to measure the Gross National Happiness of its people.

Over the course of the tour we will be ascending some of the most famous mountain passes in Bhutan including Dochula, Pelela, Yotongla and Thrumshingla and for every climb you will be enjoying kilometre after kilometre of exuberant descent. At the end of this cycle tour you will have a lifetime to ponder on the nature of Bhutan, is it a modern day 'Shangri La' ? Come on this tour and you may come closer to the answer.

This trip is part of the EuroVelo route 2, or the Capitals route, which starts in Dublin and takes you all the way to Moscow. It takes in seven European countries passing through Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk and combining various cycle paths.

Our trip starts in Amsterdam – one of the most cycle friendly cities in Europe – and heads east to Berlin. Cycling some of the best traffic-free paths with gorgeous scenery, history and modern cosmopolitan cities to see on the journey. We finish at the iconic Brandenburg Gate.

For most of the route we will follow the official NC500 route, including two of the more challenging optional diversions (over the Bealach na Ba to Applecross and north of Lochinver), simply because these are two of the most spectacular sections of the route. This is not a holiday for the faint hearted, with steep and long climbs, narrow roads and well – unpredictable weather. But every push of the pedal is worth it, and the good thing about the weather is that it rarely stays the same for long, and the light is out of this world! Beyond Melvich we leave the official route for safety reasons as it takes us on the very busy A9 dual carriageway. Instead, we ride a very quiet and safe route back to Inverness via Dornoch.

Highlights

• History: Rolling out from Inverness Castle on the first morning of the tour, and ongoing castle spotting en route.
• Climbs: you will be needing your climbing legs on this trip, not only for the famous climb up, over and down the Bealach na Ba but for riding up and down the headlands of subsequent peninsulas. Meanwhile the mountain sceery is jaw-dropping.
• Wildlife spot: you would be unlucky not to see seals, golden eagles, hen harriers and deer, and otters, dolphins and sea eagles are possible too!
• The Scottish Caribbean: Turquoise seas and white beaches – honestly!
• Seafood: fresh off the boats in Gairloch and Ullapool.
• Party: your achievement away at the end in Inverness’s best pubs.

The holiday starts and finishes in Cochin, nicknamed Queen of the Arabian Sea which was once an important spice trading centre. The tour will have a daily mileage of around 60km – some longish ascents (and descents!) in the Ghat mountains, impressive tea terraces, and plenty of stops for refreshments and photographs. This moderately challenging trip is suitable for all regular cyclists. We stay in some lovely hotels and, on the backwaters, a houseboat. As we make the return journey towards Cochin we will be cycling along the Old Beach Road, an exotic experience definitely not to be missed. The weather will be pleasantly warm, around 23 to 25 degrees, providing a perfect antidote to the British winter.

India High Places began in India in 1987 when our very first trip set off to trek in the Garhwal Himalayas in north India. If you are looking for an authentic and active holiday in India, we are certainly the specialists.

Highlights

• Cycle through Western Ghat Mountains, known for their biodiversity and World Heritage site status.
• Tea gardens: if you like a cuppa then you will be spoilt! There is something mesmeric as well about how the tea plantations curve around the hillsides like contour lines.
• Cycle along backwater lagoons, and an overnight in Houseboat.
• Experience a very different culture and many languages: English is spoken less in Kerala, and not even Hindi is commonly spoken.

Mostly flat with a couple of hilly days at the start. Tarmac, off road (conditions can vary).

This week-long trip cycling trip, based in Bourg d’Oisans, explores some of France’s most amazing scenery. You will experience some of the Tour de France’s most famous climbs and even though you will only cover approximately 250 miles over 6 days, this trip isn’t about mileage. It’s about climbing those mountains, including the classic climbs of the Cols de Sarenne, d’Ornon, Croix de Fer, Lautaret, Galibier and Alpe d’Huez. …then speeding back down! Bourg d’Oisans, is located in a natural setting among the mountains and is often considered the capital of French cycling. There are plenty of bars and restaurants set along the main streets and an abundance of patisseries, grocery and gift shops. This tour is aimed at cyclists who like a challenge but, as the mileages aren’t too long, the climbs are achievable for most regular cyclists. However hill training and multi-day cycling experience beforehand is essential.

Highlights

• Bourg d’Oisans itself: our base, and capital of French cycling and many other outdoor pursuits (there is also great shopping, shhhhhh!)
• Get out that polka dot jersey: Follow the Tour de France’s most iconic routes and climbs and imagine yourself as a true king or queen of the mountains.
• Mountains every which way you look: if you love the mountains (and you had probably better do) then the landscapes will blow your mind.
• Cycling culture: there is nothing like being cheered along by fellow cyclists and also drivers, as a stream of ‘allez allez’ encourage you up the climbs! Enjoy roads on which bikes are in the ascendency.
• Range of restaurants: enjoy satisfying your appetite in a wide range of restaurants, cafes and patisseries.

Long alpine climbs and with some technical descents. Tarmac (conditions can vary).

You’ll follow country lanes and national cycle network paths wherever possible, avoiding main roads. We ride at a pace that is well within the reach of a fit and competent cyclist. You’re perfect for our Lands End to John o’Groats tour if you’re a newcomer to cycling or returning after a break, although is still open to everyone.

You’ll start each day of the ‘LEJOG’ at around 8.45am with a morning briefing. The tour leader will explain the day’s route and the traffic and weather conditions that you are likely to encounter. You will also be briefed on the place where we will be having our lunch stop – we usually provide a healthy picnic/sandwiches or if the weather is bad we will make use of one of the many cafes and pubs that lie along the route.

The support van will be available on each day and, towards the end of each day, will transport your luggage to your accommodation. Wherever possible during the course of each day we stop the van in a safe place and offer hot drinks and snacks. On the final day of the tour we have a shortish 51mile ride from Bettyhill to John O’Groats and then a coach journey down to Inverness for our final meal in the Capital of the Highlands. Everyone leaves on the Sunday morning. We can arrange to get your bike shipped home at the end of the tour for a small extra fee.

Highlights

• Beautiful English countryside
• Cycling through Wells, Shrewsbury, Lake District, Scottish Highlands
• Finishing it!!