Journey

Our final reflections of an amazing tandem tour around Costa Rica

The penultimate day riding. Dogs, green forest and beaches sums up the ride today.

Rolling hills helped the miles fly by today. A lovely encounter with some fellow cycle tourers.

Today we saw a large amount of birds, a Howler Monkey up close and a large iguana nearly landed on our heads

Part 20 sees us doing more river crossings and enjoying more food. Tonight we sleep in a shipping container.

Part 19 we have a test day to spend on the beach body boarding.

On our tandem tour of Costa Rica we get to the beautiful beaches of Purto Carrillo and Samara.

More river crossings and beautiful forests and beaches on our Costa Rican tandem tour.

Part 15: The beautiful birds of the Guanacaste area of Costa

Today’s we saw Howler Monkeys and crocodiles

We had a sleep in this morning, as it was a rest day we did not move until 0930. We had a coffee in bed (luxury) made in the traditional Costa Rican sock. Not the official name but that is how it works. Works great too! We then went for breakfast at the lovely cafe.…

Part 13 of our cycle tour around Costa Rica Guanacaste region, we are now in a beautiful villa in Hermosa.

We got up and the parrots were stationary so we had the chance to take some photos and videos of them. They are amazing to see just sat in the trees. For breakfast we went to the place where we had our evening meal and the food did not disappoint. There was some beautiful views…

Part 11 and we have seen Coatis and Parrots!

Part 10 of our Costa Rican tandem tour around the Guanacaste region. Made it to the coast, storms come in. Is this the end of the veranillo?

Part 9: Our Tandem Cycle tour of the Guanacaste region. Tomorrow we start to make our way up the Pacific Coast.

Part 8 of our tandem bikepacking trip around Costa Rica in the Guanacaste region.

Our tandem cycle tour of the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica

Those three words basically sum up our day. Or maybe Heat, Monkeys, Heat, Kindness, Heat. We went back to the soda from last night for breakfast. Guess what we had? Yes, rice and beans, plantain and cheese. It does taste really nice and it sets you up with some calories for the day ahead We…

Getting into the groove of our tandem cycle tour in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. At the moment lots of hills, mountains, forest and blazing heat!

We got up early. As we were getting ready, a knock on the door. It was a local worker of the accommodation with my lost GoPro in his hand. He was around when I dropped it in the waterfall. He spent the afternoon driving down to try and retrieve it. It is not working at…

Day three in the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica on our tandem cycle tour. In this post we swim in waterfalls and see monkeys in the wild.

We got up and had breakfast at the hotel. We had the local and traditional rice and beans with cheese which was lovely. On the flight from Manchester I had noticed my throat getting itchy and I was anxious that I might have some sort of bug. It had got worse and I had started…

The route we have planned can be seen here. To get to the route the first leg was a flight from Manchester to Atlanta. Getting the bike boxes checked in was not a problem it was very straightforward and stress free. So far it has not cost a single penny to take two bike boxes,…

This has been the craziest most amazing day. So many good omens and meetings to bring this trip towards an end and bring it full circle. You will see what I mean as you read on. We were heading to Saturna Island today because of some top class advice we got off two bikepacking teachers…

Today we awoke with a plan to head to the beach and chill. We did not even leave the tent until about 1000. It was just the right temperature as the tall trees were letting just the right amount of sun through to keep the lazy morning comfortable. We had to make a move at…

We woke up in Dixie’s camper after a comfortable nights sleep. We started to pack our things and make breakfast. As we were packing up Dixie came out and offered us some homemade muffins. She then invited us into her home for some coffee and she gave us some more water. We knew we had…

We were justified in stopping in Princeton last night as the forecast was correct and it started thundering and lightning at tea time and it rained all night long. We went out to a nice place for tea so it was not a problem for us. In the morning we went for a nice coffee…

We started our ride today from our campsite in Summerland and for breakfast we rode about a mile to Granny’s Farm Shop, Bakery and Cafe. You could buy buckets of honey. The food was amazing and the coffee was just what I needed. From there we had about 20 mins on the road to get…

We packed up and moved around to say bye to James and the family and thank John for his good advice. He gave us his business card. He used to be a technology teacher and now he makes art out of old skateboard laminate. So if you want to check out his work his business…

Over the last couple of days we have been riding with James, Alaina and Sam the baby. Yesterday they met up their dad John and he gave us some good trail advice. So this morning we got up and as we were at elevation it was a tad nippy until the sun came out. We…

We left our site early and went to the grocery store in town for coffee breakfast and supplies. As we are stopping at basic recreation sites for the next couple of days and will not be passing re supply points I also had a Slush Puppy for breakfast. On our site we had a family…

I am in my tent reminiscing over what has to be the most amazing day I have ever had. We left a brilliant site and the lady Jamie did not want anything as she is all about passing kindness forward. The site was directly on the trail so it was back to it. We entered…

We got up at the brilliant campsite Christina Pines and made our way to the trail. Where we actually joined the trail was our middle mileage for the whole trip can’t believe we still have over two weeks more in Canada. Where we joined the trail was also not far from the USA border. The…

So last night we found the coolest campsite owners. Byron and Lisa and their staff so friendly and generous. We got up this morning and they were doing a breakfast on the grill due to it being a BC holiday weekend. They gave me an extra sandwich. I saw that they did slushies. But they…

We woke up after a lovely sleep in our Warmshowers hosts house. The bed was super comfy. Roger and Laura made some nice coffee and breakfast. We ate together talking all things cycling, touring and politics. Our values are definitely aligned. Roger has two very nice tandems a Cannondale and a CoMotion. Today’s route was…

Today we left Salmo early as we wanted to avoid the high temperatures that this area of Canada is famous for. We went into an amazing coffee shop in town we got there at opening time which was 0700. We then set on up the mountain pass it was long but the gradient was not…

The reason for the title of the blog. Temperatures today have been 39 degrees in the shade! We stopped in a hostel last night, but it was maybe more like a nice hotel we had our own room and there was a place to store the bike downstairs that is normally reserved for ski’s in…

Today we got up and packed away all our gear without having breakfast because we knew we were passing an amazing bakery. Before we left though we said bye to some bike travellers we had been socialising with at the site. Their names were David and Che. They were going to do Grey Creek Pass…

We got up at 0600 as we knew we had a big day. I did not know how big until we were halfway up Grey Creek Pass. It is the highest dirt road, which means the highest road in Canada, or so one of the locals said. It is twenty miles of up. On our…

Today we got up in The Days Inn and had breakfast. Whilst we were down there a family headed straight over to me and gave me a part used gas canister and a new bear spray. They could not take it on their flight, but we must look (or smell) like travellers for them to…

As we woke and were packing our stuff away Rachael noticed a nice picture of the grass on the other side of the tent. Today we said goodbye to Ben, Jen and the gang. It was great that The BC Trail passed their trailer so we could see them a final time. It was a…

This morning we woke up in the garden of our Warmshowers host Randall and Lisa. Randall made us a lovely mug of coffee and we finished off the apple pie for breakfast. Their hospitality was wonderful. The previous night we did a washing load and dry and they made along with Katherine a wonderful feast.…

This morning was cold, the sun was out, it was blue skies but a bit yeh, a bit nippy. I got up to make our coffee and got chatting to a guy from France that was doing a trip on his bike from New Mexico to somewhere in Northern Canada, his plan was very open.…

Last night was a strange one. It was very windy and we could here the trees rustling like mad, but the tent was calm and still. It was because the trees were giving us shelter, but that did not ease my concerns because before we went to bed we were watching them sway from side…

We got up and had our coffee in front of an amazing view. The reflection in the lake of the mountains behind was just stunning. About four miles after setting off we came across a lodge that sold us some magic Coke. With a couple of cans of that in our food bag I felt…

Jen dropped us off in Banff at about 0900. We put the tandem together and put the bags on. We had to buy some camping gear eg gas, straps and food hanging gear. The shop did not open till 1000 so we went for a coffee and a morning sandwich whilst we waited. The amount…

This morning we were up early. I was desperate to open the box and see what, if anything had happened to our previous cargo. I had to: After I had got the bike built it required a test down into Bragg Creek. I wanted to buy some shorts a t shirt, oil and some cycling…

Read about the bike packing journey on a tandem from Banff to Vancouver. Taking in two famous trails the GDMBR and the BC trail. Camping and Warmshowers along the way.

We cycled from Carlisle to Calderdale through The Lakes and The Dales to get back home. We used the tandem and set it up to test out our preferences for our trip to Canada in the summer.

We drove up to Edinburgh and left our car in the airport parking. This is a very cheap way of leaving your car near the city if you are away for multiple days. Then rode into Edinburgh to get the train up to Thurso. I want to make it clear at this point that Scotrail…

I completely forgot to pack any sort of camera and to tell you the truth for that reason I forgot that I could use my phone. So at the end had near zero footage. So I have scraped together what I could to make this short film that is probably just going to appeal to…

https://youtu.be/kjxvuUsWVGM Click the link above to watch the video of the North Wales Tour. We started in Chester and spent 14 nights cycling around the top of Wales we moved onto Anglesey went around there and then around the Lynn Peninsula. We headed back to Chester by cutting a path through Snowdonia. We camped /…

Even though we have had a lot of snow the days out riding have been quite different. For a couple of days during the first dumping of snow the skies were blue, there was no wind and it was really a pleasure to get up at 0600 in the morning to take advantage of the…

The ease of maintenance and the gear range are just amazing features that any cyclist that just wants to ride their bike with minimum fuss would really appreciate.

Rohloff belt drive conversion on Tout Terrain Silkroad.

We looked at the weather for the Friday when we finished work and the weekend looked good too. We decided midweek that we would pack our commuting bikes up and set off from work do a little ride and wild camp. Our commuting/touring bikes are the amazing Tout Terrain Silkroads. These bikes are super strong…

The Sustrans routes include all those blue signs you see up and down the country with a red route number. The routes could be on roads, bridleways and cycle paths. What this book does is highlight parts of the routes that have a significant length that are traffic free and in beautiful locations. Close to…

The route continues on and you arrive at York Racecourse. The route passes lots of areas where you could have a proper full on picnic on blankets if you prefer that to sat on benches. Then it progresses to more open space at the side of the river, again another lovely spot for a picnic.…

We were due to ride from Roscoff in France to Amsterdam and then get the train back from Hull. Covid meant that this trip could not happen this year, so we decided to do a little local tour following the Pennine Bridleway and Sustrans routes 62 and 68. The Pennine Bridleway starts in Middleton in…

Do you need an ebike? What about an ebike kit to convert your existing bike? How do they perform? What will I need? Hopefully this blog will guide the way

As you may or may not know every year I plan a coast to coast ride for the students of North Halifax Grammar School. We take between forty to forty five students each year. Between six to eight magnificent and professional members of North Halifax Grammar School ride along and lead by example. The purpose…

We arrive on the island of Mossala via several bridges and a number of ferries. When we got off the last ferry it was about a 1.5 mile ride to the opposite end of the island to where we had booked a basic cabin. The cabin has electricity and running cold water. We used a…

We woke at 0700 this morning to get the bus to one of the bigger islands, from there we would cycle to Mossala. A little island that is less than two miles long. The bus also takes parcels and supplies on and off the islands. I have cycled in some amazing places on my bike…

We moved from Lake Saimaa where we did the kayaking and canoeing back to Mikkeli. We stopped in a hotel which had a swimming pool and sauna so we took advantage of that. Today we got two buses to move 300 miles to Turku. We are in another hotel tonight, but tomorrow we move to…

Last night after our wild sauna we went to bed. It was only about 2030 but Rachael was not feeling well so we thought we best get some rest. The sauna did make her feel a bit better so there might be something in the Fins passion for them.We had a good sleep and got…

This morning Wasi our kayak rental arrived at 0900 at his wild hut as promised. He sorted us out with route advice and equipment. None of us have done any kayaking of note before so this was all new and we listened intently. He told us a route to an island that has wild toilets…

Today we headed off on our bikes proper. We had a 16 mile day in 30 degree heat on some of the most gorgeous gravel roads I have been on. These were genuinely the best roads I have toured on, rolling hills, beautiful trees, it was ace.We deviated from the road to find a spot…

We had a lazy morning and the plan was to have a day on the site so Eva could take advantage of the “waterpark”. This is a different image of Finland you will not see from the tourist board or in magazines. The waterpark side of the site had the souvenir shop. The fast food…

This morning we got up at 0600 and we were off site by 0645. So we could get out of the city before it got hot. The Metro was easy to jump on with the super versatile Bromptons. They are super strong bikes, I can hardly lift the bag on the back and the one…

We set off at 1100 to get the plane from Heathrow that was departing at 1935. As usual there was a massive queue at the check in desks, made a whole lot worse because of the auto self check in machines were malfunctioning. But the bikes came to the rescue once more. Every time I…

Day five of our cycle ride along the Hadrians Wall

Hadrians Wall cycling route day four of our little trip.

Day 3 of our little cycle trip on the Hadrians Wall route

Day two of our little Easter trip along the Hadrians Wall cycle route

A little get away on the new finished touring bikes to see some nice places and meet nice people.

Cycle tours over the next couple of months. Each one a little different so looking forward to this period very much.

Forty five students ride coast to coast for the fourth time to raise money for their school. Each time they have done the ride they have raised over 10k. This time they are also walking The Three Peaks in Yorkshire!

“We are the Natural World. Damage the air we breathe and the food we eat and we damage ourselves” David Attenborough 2019. I have a little saying, or thought that I bring up every now and then. “Going backwards is the only way to move forwards.” After you have watched the interview, read on below to…

North American Plate / Eurasian Plate (symbolic bridge) Gunnuhver (geothermic area) Hveragerði (geothermal park) Þórsmerkurvegur – Seljalandsfoss Gönguleið um Fimmvörðuháls – Skógafoss Columnes Reynisfjara Kirkjufjara beach Sólheimajökulll (Glacia) Klausturholar – Kerid Crater Gullfossi – Gullfoss Bláskógabyggð – Geysir Thingvellir – Logberg (plate divide rock formations)

The final day of the tour which did 1300km form Triberg to Budapest.

Day 15 of the Danube Tour. Cycling from Triberg to Budapest. Only one more day to go.

Three countries today on our tour of the Danube. 120km done on fully loaded bikes.

River Danube tour through Vienna on our way to Bratislava

Tour of the Danube on Bromptons day 12. Nearly at Vienna.

Day 11 of our cycle tour of the Danube.

Cycling the Danube Triberg to Budapest we have got to Austria

Leaving Germany for Austria tomorrow on our cycle tour of the Danube on Bromptons.

Tour of the Danube on Bromptons. Cycle tour and adventure

We got up out of our tower after a really nice sleep.  We woke up at about 0600 and went to pay a visit thinking we would be the first up, but these Germans are early risers and the shower block had quite a few people pottering about.  After fixing Rachaels tyre (it had a…

River Danube Tour Day 6. Thunder, heat and a biking tower.

Lotte had already been to the bakery and got gorgeous bread. for breakfast when we woke up.  She also told us where you could camping gas from (yey!) – a new Decathelon store had just oopened up in Ulm.  I cannot beleive it has been so hard to find gas – so I bought two.…

River Danube Tour Day 4: The beautiful route continues through open field roads with sunflowers and corn. This stage finishes with a lovely WarmShowers host called Lotte.

Cycling the River Danube. This is Day 3 through the big gorges in a really hot 33 degree heat.

Day 2 of cycling the Danube of Bromptons. We spent the day finding both the official source and the actual highest head of water for the Danube.

Getting to beautiful locations is half the battle. Cycling the River Danube on Bromptons.

Cycling the River Danube on Bromptons. Camping and WarmShowers.

Every year NHGS staff turn a field into an outdoor centre during Activity Week. ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY Year 9 students will come through camp and take part in: Rock Climbing Kayaking Caving Hiking MTB Camp craft Archery Axe throwing Orienteering Some of the activites are run by NHGS staff and some by external instructors,…

Forty Five students cycle 170 miles to raise money for their school. They have 8.5k so far, their target is 10k. They are cycling The Way of the Roses C2C route.

Ryburn Valley High School Two Day Mini Tour This month a school in Calderdale, Ryburn Valley High School required my assistance in leading a two day mountain bike tour.  The students were from Year 7 and Year 8 and are part of the Ryburn Adventure Tour Cycle Club that Mr Duffy has set up at…

Diary of my commuting week and the NHGS fund raising ride.

Diary of a Lifestyle Cyclist and Tourer I have several bikes in my shed, bedroom, cellar and conservatory.  All very different.  A carbon race bike that does not get much use.  A fatbike gets more use than the carbon bike.  A steel utility tourer with Rohloff hub and a cross bike in bits. This morning…

The next few cycling escapades in order of completion include: April 3rd – April 5th:  I will be undertaking my Advanced Mountain Bike Leader Award.  I already hold the Multi Day Tour Leader Award which is suitable for long tours on the road.  Being able to confidently take groups off the tarmac and into some…

Description:  Cycling is an activity that can improve you physical and mental health, save the planet and improve our towns and cities.  Plus it is just so much fun. More and more people are taking up cycling for many different reasons and now you want to become part of that community. Who is the course…

On Day 6 we crossed the border into France it was a very hot day we had a massive climb to get to San Sabastian and we were feeling really good on the bikes. The road was really quiet and shady so we got to the top in no time at all. From San Sabastian…