Guardian

Quoted message said:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,,1504513,00.html

I hate links with no explanatory text as much as others hate the entire
article being posted.

Blood, sweat and gears: our favourite two-wheeled trips

As Bike Week gets under way, we ask eight well-known cyclists to reveal
their favourite rides, from gentle afternoon jaunts to gruelling long-
distance trails

Sunday June 12, 2005
The Observer

On Tuesday morning a most improbable biker gang will snake its way
through London. Derek Twigg, the Transport Minister will lead 60 MPs and
peers in the parliamentry bike ride to Westminster, one of 2,000 events
throughout the country to mark Bike Week, from kids rides to serious
races. We asked eight keen cyclists to suggest a favourite route to
inspire you to get on your bike.

Scottish highlands

Chosen by Jon Snow

Route: From Fort William to Tobermory

Distance: 37 miles

Channel 4 news anchor Snow is a well known cyclist. He uses his bike to
get to work and to rush between interviews in central London. He suggests
a slightly quieter route.

'This is a gorgeous run, and lots of good pushing up hills. I put my bike
on the sleeper from Euston to Fort William. From there you head south out
of town and after five or six miles you come to the Coran ferry which
runs every half hour. From the other side it's 23 miles up over the
Morven hills. It's a tough, but very rewarding climb - the view begins to
expand out below you and you have a great run down, beside a wide stream
to the village of Lochaline, where you catch the short ferry across to
Mull. Turn right off the ferry and there's a wonderful final stretch to
Tobermory. Although it's only seven or eight miles it's serious
endurance, up and down, right along the coast with wonderful views of the
mainland. There are lots of blues, purples and browns, and a good
drenching from time to time. Tobermory is a feast of red, blue and yellow
houses and shops - and great fish and chips. Most of the route is single-
track - so you could get killed at any moment - and you have to watch out
for dozy sheep wandering into your way.'

Baja California

Chosen by Josie Dew

Route: From Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas

Distance:About 1,000 miles (shorter routes possible)

Author Dew, 39, has ridden a bike every day since she was 10, clocking up
300,000 miles. Her six books on cycling have seen her ride everywhere
from Iceland to India. The latest, 'The Sun in My Eyes', is published on
14 July.

'Baja California is perfect for cycling, especially if you like cacti and
desert. I started in Vancouver, but you could fly to San Diego, then
cross the border to Tijuana. From there you go south and you can't go
wrong - there's only one road. It's a mad road and there are some crazy
drivers to look out for. You need to carry lots of water with you as
villages are quite a distance apart. You can also take little side trips
to the coast - the Gulf of California on one side and the Pacific on the
other - the whale watching is great.'

How to do it: Saddle Skedaddle (0191 265 1110, www.skedaddle.co.uk) has a
two-week cycling trip to Baja California, including sea-kayaking and
snorkelling for £1,175, excluding flights.

Wirral Peninsula

Chosen by Chris Boardman

Route: From Meols to Chester

Distance: Up to 40 miles

Boardman is one of Britain's most successful cyclists. He won gold for
pursuit cycling at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, before turning
professional and riding in several Tours de France. In 1996 he cycled
56.375km in one hour, setting a world record that still stands.

'I'd choose one we do along the coast with the kids [he has six]. Get off
the train at Meols [25 minutes from Liverpool Central] head to the beach
and follow the road south round the coast to the village of West Kirby.
There you link up with the Wirral Way, a former railway line. That can
take you all the way up the Wirral Peninsula 20 miles or so to Chester.
There are various possibilities: stop off at pubs on the way, complete a
40-mile round trip or just travel a few miles along the Wirral Way. It's
a route for mountain bikes not racers though.'

How to do it: Sustrans (www.sustrans.org.uk; 0845 113 0065) - a charity
that encourages people to cycle, walk or use public transport - gives
details of this route, and hundreds of similar traffic-free routes around
Britain, on its website. They also have a new book of popular routes,
'Cycling in the UK'.

Pyrenees, France

Chosen by Sir Rocco Forte

Route: Pau to Bayonne

Distance: 115 miles

Hotelier Forte is such a keen cyclist that he has ridden in three étapes,
tough events which allow amateur cyclists to take on a stage of the Tour
de France, just before the race.

'The étape route from Pau to Bayonne, which I did the year before last,
is very interesting. It entails two very big climbs, and good descents
through fantastic countryside, but for me, I have to admit the nicest
thing was getting to the end.'

How to do it: Anyone can enter l'étape (see www.letapedutour.com) but it
is heavily oversubscribed. Exodus (0870 240 5550; www.exodus.co.uk) has
an eight-day Classic cols of the Tour de France trip, which takes on many
of the classic climbs in the Pyrenees for£673, including flights.

Lucca, Italy

Chosen by Sir Paul Smith

Route: The path on top of the city walls

Distance: About two miles

Designer Smith describes cycling as his 'abiding passion'. He rides
regularly in Britain and abroad and can't remember much about life before
he was given his first racing bike.

The Tuscan town of Lucca is surrounded by medieval city walls. It's said
that to visit Lucca and fail to cycle round them is like going to Paris
and ignoring the Eiffel Tower. The path actually runs on the top of the
fortified walls giving great views of the city and the fields beyond it.
Lucca also makes an excellent base for touring in Tuscany.

How to do it: Saddle Skedaddle (details as before) runs an eight day
self-guided trip to the area. You start with a couple of days in and
around Lucca, then off past Pisa to Vinci, where you stay for three
nights before returning to Lucca. You can bring your own bike, or have
one provided, and the company carries your luggage between hotels. It
costs £695. Allow £125 more for flights to Pisa.

Avon Cycleway

Chosen by Adam Hart-Davis

Route: A loop around Bristol

Distance: 90 miles

Hart-Davis is a TV presenter, photographer and writer. He has no car, but
seven bikes -'one for every occasion'.

'This route follows either cycle paths or very quiet roads and it's
absolutely wonderful. There's a bit where you go almost under the M5 -
you can hear the traffic, you can see this swathe of concrete, and down
below you are among horses and badgers. Another highlight is Clevedon, a
lovely Victorian town with a pier. You get fabulous views of both Severn
bridges and masses and masses of green countryside and wonderful bits of
heaththat you wouldn't otherwise know were there. It goes through some
quite remote parts. Once I thought: "I'll stop at the next pub" but it
turned out to be another 10 miles away.'

How to do it: There are various starting points for the loop, though from
Temple Meads, Bristol's main station, it's an easy 10-minute ride to the
Cycleway. For maps contact the Bristol-based charity Life Cycle UK (0117
929 0440; www.lifecycleuk.org.uk).

Alpujarras, Spain

Chosen by Alexei

Sayle

Route: Granada to Capileira

Distance: 50 miles

Comedian Sayle is an avid fan of cycle racing and a keen rider himself.
He has a house near Granada in southern Spain, and suggests cycling in
the hills around it.

The Alpujarras, the hills and valleys just south of the Sierra Nevada in
Andalucia, are fantastic for both on-road and mountian biking. The small,
winding mountain roads between the spa town of Lanjaron and the moutain
villages of Bubion, Pampaneira and Capileira offer lots of options,
although most have some strenuous climbing. For the serious cyclist,
there is a classic mountain bike route which links Granada on the north
side of the Sierra Nevada with the Alpujarras to the south. A 20-mile
slog from Granada brings you to the ski resort of Pradollano at 2,100m.
From there the road is closed to motorised traffic, and you climb up to
Pico Veleta (3,395m). The road becomes a rocky moutain path, and you
continue past the flanks of Mulhacén (3,479m) before the great descent to
the beautiful village of Capileira.

How to do it: Biking Andalucia (00 34 958 784 372;
www.bikingandalucia.com) based in Orgiva in the Alpujarras, organises
both guided and self-led holidays in the area.

Lake Garda, Italy

Chosen by Nicole Cooke

Route: A circle round the lake

Distance: About 100 miles

Cooke, 22, is one of the world's leading female cyclists. Born in Wales,
she now rides for Safi Pasta-Zara team in Italy. Last year she became the
first Briton to win the Giro Donne, a 10-day tour of Italy that is seen
as the female equivalent of the Tour de France. She will compete in the
British championships in York on 25 June.

'Italy's a great place to cycle - the sport is so popular that you are
always well received, and hotels will always find a garage for you to
store your bike. There is spectacular scenery around the lake. A complete
circuit of the lake would probably take a couple of days, but there are
lots of lovely places to stay. I'd probably choose Garda or Bardolino.'

How to do it: Exodus (as above) has a 12-day cycling holiday round Lake
Garda, then on to Venice, from £999, plus flights.

·See www.bikeweek.org.ukfor details of events in Bike Week.

Interesting, but Bike Week was three months ago...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

"Mark Thompson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,,1504513,00.html

I hate links with no explanatory text as much as others hate the entire
article being posted.

Apologies, too much enthusiasm for a new bottle of Jameson's!

Mark Thompson said:

Chosen by Chris Boardman

Route: From Meols to Chester

Distance: Up to 40 miles

uh oh... hope Chris doesn't blow up with that distance.

Quoted message said:

In 1996 he cycled
56.375km in one hour, setting a world record that still stands.

I thought his hour record had been broken recently by a Czeck time
triallist?

davidof said:

I thought his hour record had been broken recently by a Czeck time
triallist?

It was. But the article was written in June 2005 and the record was
broken more recently than that!

Jon