JANUARY 2023

SANTINI’S NEW
2023 EDITION OF
BIKE Magazine for cycling and travel BIKE-MAG.COM
GRANDE BOUCLE
ADVENTURE Is THE NETHERLANDS
THROUGH the best country for
AFRICA cycle touring?

PORTUGAL • THE NETHERLANDS • SLOVENIA • AFRICA

LAND’S END TO
JANUARY 2023 £6.99/€7.99/$9.49
JOHN O’GROATS
ISSN 2631-634X

THEN BACK AGAIN TO LAND’S END

 BIKE Marketplace is a site for free classifieds
ads in the UK. Buy and sell bicycles, accessories,
components, clothing, and much more in your area.

marketplace.bike-mag.com
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 3
JANUARY 2023

CONTENTS

6 ASK THE COACH 12 GIANCARLO BROCCI, INTERVIEW

36 AFRICA 44 PORTUGAL 56 CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE

66 THE NETHERLANDS 74 THE RIDE OF MY LIFE

 Hotel

San Martin
Šmartno 11, 5211 Kojsko, Slovenia • info@sanmartin.si
+386 5 330 56 60 • sanmartin.si/en/

Hotel San Martin is an environmentally friendly hotel in the idyllic Brda village
of Šmartno. The hotel has 20 thoughtfully furnished rooms and a panoramic
restaurant, which offers fresh and homemade dishes. Located in the gorgeous
Soča valley, the surrounding are ideal for those wishing to spend an active
break. Whether you prefer hiking or biking, the undulating terrain of the
picturesque Brda landscape, nested halfway between the Alps and the Adriatic,
offers some marvelous footpaths and cycling routes.

The Hotel guests can also relax in our wellness center featuring a private sauna,
a hot tub and a terrace with the countryside view.

BEST OF :

• A varied terrain that is ideal for anyone; from beginners and families to
experienced cyclists eager for adrenaline
• A place where the cycling season never ends
• More than a hotel ... Your second home in the heart of the Goriška Brda Hills
• Sport combined with enogastronomy
• Our offers take care of you, your bicycles and bicycle equipment

Specialists for:
MY BR DA TO -D O LI
ST
Tour trail, easy/ family trail, road bike, trekking TAS TE THE BRD
A SPE CIAL ITIE
(OLIVE OIL, JAM S
, HON EY AND
SPIR ITS TAST
ING)
MEE T A WIN
EMA KER
(WIN E TAST
ING AND A
TOU R OF THE
CELL AR)
SOM ETH ING
(API THER APY FOR YOU R BOD Y
, WIN E SAFA AND SOU L
PAIN TBAL L) RI, BUN GEE
JUMP ING, SOČ A FUN PAR
K,
MAK E YOU R
(NAT URA OW N SOU VEN
L HOM EMA DE IR
COS METI CS,
WOV EN BASK
ET, CERA MICS
)
REN T AN E-BI
KE OR RIDE
THE HOP ON
BRD A BUS

CLIM B THE OBS

ERV ATIO N TOW ER IN
GON JAČ E

EXP LOR E THE

MED IEVA L VILL
AGE OF ŠMA
RTN O
DISC OVE R THE
SAB OTIN HILL
WW I MUS EUM , THE PEA CE
PAR K AND THE

CHE CK OUT
THE DOB ROV
O CAS TLE AND
ITS MUS EUM
VISI T THE REN
AISS ANC
E VILL A VILA
VIPO LŽE
COO L OFF IN
THE KRČ NIK
OR THE SOČ GOR GE, THE
A RIVE R KOT LINE POO
LS

BIKE-MAG.COM
Happy New Year my dear
reader,
We are starting 2023 with
answers to your questions sent
to our columnist Ian Jenner
who writer the monthly Ask
The Coach.
On page 12 you will find an
interview with Giancarlo Brocci,
creator of L’Eroica, before the
start of the New Year. Giancarlo
says “It will be great to tell the
European Parliament about our
ideas to recover and develop
the most beautiful suburbs of
Europe”.
Then Santini has paid tribute
to the iconic finish-line of the
Tour de France with a special
kit dedicated to the 2023
edition of the Grande Boucle
on page 20.
BIKE Transalp celebrates 25
years and is preparing its
“mother of MTB stage races”
from July 9 to 15, 2023. All
about and a map on page 26.
Turn to p30 for design
challenges, and the difficulties
facing the biking industry
in the COVID-19 era in an
interview with Matt Mears, the
founder of Temple Cycles.
WELCOME
Nick Branxton
Editor
editor@bike-mag.com
For Tomás it was now or never.
He was itching for adventure
and the time couldn’t have
been better: he was in between
studies and had nothing
holding him back. On page 36
Q&A with Tomás Mac on his
Adventure through Africa.
On p44 Jeremy Edwards is
discovering an untapped
beauty and a re-found cycling
heritage in Portugal.
Find everything about
Monchique - located in the far
south of Portugal, the Algarve
region offers exceptional
conditions for cycling and is
increasingly sought after by
enthusiasts of the sport, from
beginners to regular or highly
experienced cyclists.
Edinburgh has a lot more to
offer than cobbled streets,
bagpipes, and festivals. Colin
Baird discovers the hidden
gem of Edinburgh - Craigmillar
Castle on page 56.
Is The Netherlands the best
country for cycle touring?
Discover on page 66.
Marcia Roberts, Endurance
cyclist & LEJOGLE world Record
holder 2020, does the ride of
her life.
Happy cycling!
BIKE MAGAZINE
5
JANUARY 2023
Magazine Team
Editorial: Nick Branxton
T. +44 (0)207 097 5177
E. editor@bike-mag.com
Production: Jack Adams
T. +44 (0)207 097 5177
E. jack.adams@bike-mag.com
Account Manager: Kate Chesterman
T. +44 (0)207 097 5177
E. accounts@bike-mag.com
Sales Executive: Carlos Adams
E. carlos.adams@bike-mag.com
Sales Executive: Alexander Jameson
E. alexander.jameson@bike-mag.com
Sales Executive: Ana Santos
E. ana.santos@bike-mag.com
Publisher
Webify Media Ltd, London
Follow us
facebook.com/thebikemag
instagram.com/bikemaguk
twitter.com/TheBikeMag
tiktok.com/@bikemagazine
pinterest.co.uk/bikemagazineuk
JANUARY 2023
SANTINI’S NEW
2023 EDITION OF
GRANDE BOUCLE
BIKE Magazine for cycling and travel BIKE-MAG.COM
ADVENTURE Is THE NETHERLANDS
THROUGH the best country for
AFRICA cycle touring?
PORTUGAL • THE NETHERLANDS • SLOVENIA • AFRICA
LAND’S END TO
JANUARY 2023 £6.99/€7.99/$9.49
JOHN O’GROATS
ISSN 2631-634X
THEN BACK AGAIN TO LAND’S END
 BIKE MAGAZINE
6
JANUARY 2023

ASK THE COACH


BIKE-MAG.COM
Ian Jenner
Ian lives, works and trains at lake Garda in Italy. He has 40+ years of
cycling experience, having undertaken many TT’s, road races, club events,
MTB events and some of Italy’s toughest sportives and gran fondos.
rule5cyclingcoaching.com
Send questions to editor@bike-mag.com
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
EATING ON LONGER RIDES.
MY NORMAL RIDES ARE 1
TO 2 HRS ON ZWIFT OR 2 – 3
OUTSIDE. ON ZWIFT RIDES I
MIGHT CONSUME 1 BOTTLE &
OUTSIDE 2 BUT I DON’T FEEL
THE NEED TO EAT ANYTHING.
TODAY I DID A 7 HR RIDE. I HAD
3 x 100 CALORIE ENERGY GELS
& A BAR. I HAD THE GEL AFTER
2.5hrs & THE GEL AFTER 4.5hrs.
THE THOUGHT OF EATING
MORE MADE ME NAUSEOUS,
WHICH GOT WORSE AS THE
RIDE WORE ON. ON FINISHING
THE RIDE, I HAD A 250
CALORIE PROTEIN SHAKE AND
COCONUT WATER BUT DIDN’T
WANT TO EAT ANYTHING AT
ALL. 5 HRS AFTER MY RIDE I AM
STILL NOT HUNGRY. I DRANK
PLENTY OF WATER AND AFTER
BUT I KNOW THAT I NEED MUCH
MORE THAN 200 CALORIES ON
SUCH A LONG RIDE. DO YOU
ANY ADVICE OR TIPS ON HOW
I CAN IMPROVE MY EATING ON
THE BIKE.
Rides inside on Zwift for an hour,
a bottle to drink and no food is
fine as long as you have had a
decent meal/drink a couple of
hours before the session. 1.5 to
2hrs outside then you will need
to eat something as glycogen,
with a maximal lactate steady
state, will last approx. 80 mins.
As a rule of thumb for every hour
look at one 500ml bottle and
BIKE MAGAZINE
7
JANUARY 2023
40 to 80 grams of carbs (160 to
320 carb calories) taken from
drinks, bars etc. Its far better
to eat LITTLE and often rather
than a whole bar for example.
So, break these into smaller bite
sizes blocks and consume one
every 15 mins or so. It can also
be VERY difficult for your body to
consume complex carbs (which
gels/bars are) so ALWAYS
consume them with liquids to
help digestion. Start with easier
things like the humble banana,
rice cakes which will sit in your
stomach better before you go
with gels. It’s a shame that given
our lifestyles now we always look
for a quick fix with everything.
Gels being the go-to for cyclists
when there are loads of other
things you can take and eat on a
ride. Personally, I love a madaline
or rice cake that is easy to eat,
easy to swallow with a mouthful
of drink. The protein drink after
is ok, but shower, change put
you bike away then start to
think of something to eat again
if it’s little and often its ok but
your body needs food to help
repair itself from the ride AND
fill up that glycogen store to ride
again. You might have a slow
metabolism so its ok AND I can
see your ride data as whether
you were fading so it’s a little bit
of guesswork here but the above
should help.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
8 ASK THE COACH
JANUARY 2023

THROUGH THIS FESTIVE PERIOD WHERE

I WILL PROBABLY RIDE LESS AND
OF COURSE EAT MORE, HOW CAN I
PREVENT WEIGHT INCREASE?
Tough over the festive period as rides get
“interrupted” by family visits/the pub/
lunch the list goes on. I always say family
first bike second but how do you keep
the weight off with less riding and more
eating/drinking. First up try to stay off the
processed foods and sweets, keep these
to a minimum. Next drink LOTS of water….
Eat as much veg as you want also as few
calories and fills you up. Reduce portion
size too, that extra pig in blanket, slice
of meat all adds up. For every beer/glass
wine then drink one water. Stay on the low
calories stuff too as all helps. Finally, if you
can’t ride then get your backside off the
sofa and get the family out walking. At the
end of the day, you have already seen the
Christmas film or can record it for later and
haven’t you seen all those episodes of the
Vicar Of Dibley anyway???
I’M DOING VEGANUARY, WHAT MEAT
FREE FOOD SHOULD I BE HAVING TO
STOP ME GOING HUNGRY
Well done for picking a month to try out
going Vegan. Hopefully, given the results
you will stick with it!! The main reason
people go hungry when they “switch
diets” is they simply don’t eat enough
energy, aka calories. When you switch
to this type of diet and you are making
a drastic change there is an increased
risk of nutrient deficiency. You are either
consuming less of one food group or
perhaps not at all. If you add in age,
gender and how active you are then of
course it can make matters even worse.
So, to stop feeling hungry then factor in
two things, eat a variety of plant-based
foods to ensure that you are getting your
amino acids throughout the day and
second choose foods that are high in
protein. A good place to start would be soy
products like soybeans, tofu or tempeh
and of course the good old chickpea
plus beans and pulses. The Plant Based
Cyclist by Nigel Mitchell Head of Nutrition
EF Education First Pro Cycling and Ex
Team Sky is a great book to give you
menu ideas if you are active. Likewise, Isa
Chandra Moskowitz is one of the top plant
based chefs who is very active on social
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 9
JANUARY 2023

media and her cook book “Vegan with

a Vengance” has great tasty and cheap
recipe ideas too!!
HOW DO I ADJUST MY PLAN WHEN
TAKING TIME OFF THE BIKE…
It really depends on how much time you
have taken off the bike. If its one or two
days, then you can just pick up where
you left off, skip the sessions you have
missed and just carry on. If its longer say
a week or two then you will need to make
some adjustments as you may well be
falling into a recovery week where in fact
you need to start building again and the
recovery weeks are out of sync. You could
also be coming into build week 4 when
you could benefit from entering into week
1 or 2…. In general in this instance start
back with less rather than more as the
recovery and “easier” sessions will benefit
you more with a slower increase in volume
rather than full gas efforts where you are
generally still recovering.
ON MY WEEKLY CLUB RIDES I AM
ALWAYS GETTING DROPPED AND LEFT
BEHIND. I AM TRAINING IN THE WEEK
SO ITS NOT RIDING JUST ON A SUNDAY…
WHAT AM I DOING WRONG ?
First question, are you riding in the right
group? Most clubs will have a few rides
going out…a beginner group, then a leisure
one, a faster group and then those that
are racing. You want to be in a group that
is JUST above your ability so one that will
test you a bit but wont drive you into the
ground. Before a climb starts, move to
the front so as you go up the climb and
if people come past you will finish at the
back and still with the group and not left
behind. On the flat don’t let a gap go with
you and the person in front as you will
spend a lot of energy constantly catching
back up again. Ensure that your base miles
are good so that “getting the miles in”
and riding on your own at a low intensity
to build a good base. Lastly look at your
fuelling on the bike…. Drink electrolytes on
the ride and ensure that you are eating as
you ride also and not just waiting for the
cake stop. Perhaps the last one ensure
that you build recovery weeks into your
training weeks too. Recovery is where the
fitness benefits come from training not
just from the building phases.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
10
JANUARY 2023
YUBI
THE NEW, AFFORDABLE PROTEIN BAR
Bored of dull, dry protein bars?
Looking for a new, great tasting,
super gooey, high protein bar, which
is low calorie, low in sugar, gluten
free, dairy free, and won’t cost the
earth?
Say hello to YuBi Bar! A new range
of tasty bars that pack 10g protein,
between 0.3 - 1.1g sugar, are gluten
and dairy free, plant-based, approved
by The Vegan Society, and are guilt
free at 99 calories. Could you ask for
more? Whether you’re a gym junkie
or snack feen - YuBi really is a bar for
EVERYONE to enjoy!
YuBi Bars come in four delicious
flavours - Caramel, Peanut, Speculoos
and Cookies & Cream - are available
to buy now for just £15 for a box of 12
(RRP £16.99).
YuBi Caramel (99 kcal, 0.3g sugar): A
true classic, this triple layered, ooey
gooey caramel bar is sure to get your
mouth watering. Packed with 10g of
protein, containing only 0.3g sugar,
being gluten and dairy free, at only 99
calories, you’ll soon be crazy about
caramel after you’ve tasted this YuBi
Bar!
YuBi Peanut (99 kcal, 0.3g sugar):
Who’s nuts about nuts? Our peanutty
flavoured protein bar is packed with
10g protein, includes only 0.3g sugar,
is high in fibre, gluten and dairy free
and 99 calories per bar.
YuBi Speculoos (99 kcal, 0.3g
sugar): Based on the iconic biscuit
flavour that we all know and love,
the Speculoos protein bar is not
only a treat for the tastebuds, but for
the body too. It is packed with 10g
of protein, is dairy and gluten free,
contains only 0.3g of sugar and 99
calories per bar.
YuBi Cookies & Cream (99 kcal, 1.1g
sugar): Cookie-flavoured protein
base, gooey caramel mid layer, and
enrobed in a sweet, creamy white
chocolate. All deliciously combined,
to create a great tasting bar that is
packed with 10g protein, includes
only 1.1g sugar, high in fibre, gluten
and dairy free and 99 calories.
To celebrate the launch of YuBi you
can now order yours at www.yubibar.
com in a box of twelve for only £15
(RRP £16.99). Or if you fancy mixing
your flavours ups, try them all in a
twelve bar Variety Box which includes
our four flavours also only £15 for the
launch (RRP £16.99). And, if you order
two or more boxes, you’ll get free
delivery too!
CHOOSE
TERRA
[TERRA Speed] [TERRA Trail]

@conti_road
conti-tyres.co.uk
 BIKE MAGAZINE
12
JANUARY 2023

GIANCARLO
BROCCI, INTERVIEW
 BIKE MAGAZINE
13
JANUARY 2023

Giancarlo Brocci and the Eroica world off to Brussels: “It will be great to
tell the European Parliament about our ideas to recover and develop the
most beautiful suburbs of Europe”.

Interview with Giancarlo Brocci,

creator of L’Eroica, before the start
of the New Year

L’Eroica XXV with its 9,000
participants, the two new events,
NOVA Eroica Prosecco Hills
and NOVA Eroica Gran Sasso,
followed by the opening of Eroica
Caffè Milano; Eroica achieved
many goals in 2022. But 2023
promises to be even more full
of little, big conquests on two
wheels. In April, the two-day
Eroica will make its debut, as
the Italian stage of the Class
Nation’s Cup for junior riders.
But already in March L’Eroica
will organise an exhibition at the
European Parliament. And so, the
Eroica world continues spreading
its wings around the world.
We had a chat with Giancarlo
Brocci, creator of L’Eroica, a few
hours before the start of the New
Year.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
14
JANUARY 2023
Giancarlo Brocci, the highlight
of the Eroica 2022 season
was, without a doubt, the 25th
anniversary of L’Eroica, from
which everything originates.
What are your thoughts three
months after the event?
“The reverse of Murphy’s Law:
Everything that could have gone
well went even better. Maybe
everyone needed to escape the
sadness of a difficult time but
L’Eroica celebrated its quarter
century in the best way possible,
with a record edition and the
confirmation of how highly our
creation is considered globally.”
But the season started in the
Prosecco hills, with a completely
new event: NOVA Eroica
Prosecco Hills, in fact:
“It’s hard to think of a better
debut, with the Italian premiere
of the Nova formula outside
Tuscany, in a spectacular and
difficult terrain, with great
cycling traditions. Twelve
hundred participants, the right
mix between the gravel world
and traditional cycling, with an
accompanying party that united
cycling with food and smiles.”
Just before the twenty-fifth
edition, there was a further
reason to celebrate, the birth of
another event with an important
future: NOVA Eroica Gran Sasso:
“Unremarkable for the number
of participants, contained at
about 300, the advent of NOVA
Eroica on the Gran Sasso plateau
marked a further qualitative leap
in our idea to bring cycling to
beautiful and special parts of the
world, in a natural context where
we can develop projects and
restore new roads to traffic-free
cycling.”
L’EROICA
Then there was the opening of
Eroica Caffè Milano, another very
important strategic milestone
that brought the values of Eroica
to the big city:
“Opening such a big and
impressive venue in the centre of
Milan is a way to try to reconvert
the great and most European
Italian city to the use of the
bicycle. Our Bike Café is quickly
becoming a reference point; it
is easily reachable by bicycle
lanes and is a meeting place
and venue for initiatives that will
make Milan the cradle of our
kind of cycling.”
However, heroic cycling has
mourned the loss of some great
champions:
“History and life catches up with
us and the huge community we
have created. The last farewells,
starting with World Champions,
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 15
JANUARY 2023

Vittorio Adorni and Ercole Baldini, were

added to the loss of figures such as
Idrio Bui and Carla Bonacci Rossi, who
accompanied L’Eroica from its beginnings.
In addition to the laws of nature, road
tragedies such as what happened to
Rebellin remind us of the long and difficult
battle to make roads safer for cycling.”

Giancarlo, a question many enthusiasts

ask themselves: is heroic cycling still
possible?
“Of course it is. I believe that the success
of the Strade Bianche, which was born
as Eroica Pro in 2007, demonstrates the
margin we have to offer innovations that
are inspired by the past and by tradition.
Having taken classic cycling away from
asphalt roads and from certain schemes
demonstrates the great need there was to
rediscover the authentic roots of a great
sport that is, as our motto says, the beauty
of fatigue and the thrill of conquest.”

Who are the heroes of modern cycling

today?
“It seems to everyone that the current
great exponents of top-level cycling
are once again breaking the mould
and having fun with their sport. It is no
coincidence that the most recent winners
of our Eroica Pro, which has become
the “sixth monument” of the cycling
classics, are called Pogacar, Van der Poel,
Alaphilippe and Van Aert, i.e. the absolute
protagonists of a certain type of cycling
that is closer to people’s hearts.”

Let’s look at the year that is about to begin.

In 2023, the Eroica world will celebrate
another new entry: the Class Nation’s Cup
– a two-day Eroica for junior riders:
“Putting this new event on the road is a
way of responding to a precise vocation,
that of bringing our vision and passion
to young people, with a high-level event,
thanks to Eroica Italia and the great work
of its president, Franco Rossi. Bringing
a prestigious national youth event back
to Italy is a source of great pride for our
entire movement.”
 BIKE MAGAZINE
16 L’EROICA
JANUARY 2023

In any case, L’Eroica will be at

the centre of the 2023 season.
What prospects does the Gaiole
in Chianti event have in the near
future?
“Many things guarantee our future,
starting with the considerable
interest that young people show
in what Eroica offers. Cycling,
above all others, is the sport that
looks to the future, the bike is an
instrument of well-being, cycling
is a trend even at the highest
management levels. In addition,
we must succeed in putting the
kids who choose a sport of fatigue,
sacrifice and discipline on the
pedestal they deserve.”
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 17
JANUARY 2023

However, 2023 will begin with

an exhibition that L’Eroica will
organise in Brussels, at the
headquarters of the European
Parliament:
“We are honoured to have received
an invitation to present L’Eroica to
the European Parliament. At the
end of March we will be in Brussels
to talk about everything we have
proposed and achieved in the last
25 years, the preservation of the
white gravel roads, a world of old
bikes and so much history that
would have disappeared. In such a
context, it will be nice to show how
a certain idea of sport is managing
to restore cycling to the passion
of the people even at the highest
levels, proposing a model along
which the most beautiful suburbs
of Europe can be recovered and
developed.”
Cycling
Holidays
Explore Europe by bike and cycle past the olive groves and dry
stone buildings of Alberobello, Italy; the shimmering waters of
the Adriatic Sea on the Dalmatian Coast; or the whitewashed
villages and Moorish architecture of Southern Spain.

BOOK TODAY

bike-mag.com/bike-directory
 BIKE MAGAZINE
20
JANUARY 2023

SANTINI’S NEW
2023 EDITION OF
GRANDE BOUCLE
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 21
JANUARY 2023

SANTINI KIT DEDICATED TO THE

PARIS STAGE OF THE GRANDE
BOUCLE CELEBRATES ALL THE
TRIUMPH OF CYCLING
 BIKE MAGAZINE
22 SANTINI
JANUARY 2023

Santini has paid tribute to the

iconic finish-line of the Tour de
France with a special kit dedicated
to the 2023 edition of the Grande
Boucle. Providing the motif for
the kit is the starburst-shape
of the Place Charles-de-Gaulle,
mostly known as Place de l’Étoile,
where the cyclists lap the Arc de
Triomphe en route to the finish-line
on the Champs-Élysées.
There could only be one name for
the new Santini kit celebrating the
magic of the final stage of the Tour
de France, the Champs-Élysées
and the Place Charles-de-Gaulle:
Trionfo!
Known also as the Place de l’Étoile
and famous for having the Arc de
Triomphe at its heart, it is lapped
by the competitors before they
cross the finish-line and owes its
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 23
JANUARY 2023

starburst shape to the 12 avenues

branching off it. That same shape
provided the inspiration for the
design of the Trionfo kit which also
sports the colours of the French
flag as well as yellow details in a
nod to the Grande Boucle.
The kit comprises a jersey,
baselayer, bibshorts, gloves, cap
and socks
The classic-fit jersey is made
from a combination of micromesh
fabrics that make it both light
and breathable and has raw-
cut sleeves. The sleeveless
coordinating baselayer is extra-
long, while the bibshorts are
made from Thunderbike Power
compression fabric and have leg-
end grippers to hold them securely
in position. They also include the
GITevo pad with a gel core that
gradually and efficiently absorbs
impacts to guarantee exceptional
comfort on long cycles.
 DISCOVER THE BEAUTIFUL DOVEDALE VALLEY...
AND THEN RELAX AT THE IZAAK WALTON HOTEL
The Izaak Walton Hotel is a historic country house hotel which offers
comfort and views of outstanding beauty across the Derbyshire &
Staffordshire Peaks. Offering easy access to many on road and off road
cycling routes, we provide the ideal base to relax and recover for cyclists
wishing to discover the peak district, with additional facilities including:
• drinks (including local ale), food & snacks
served daily in our Dovedale Bar with
stunning gardens
• 38 well appointed bedrooms
• ample & secure storage for bikes
• complimentary WiFi

To find out about our latest fantastic

offers or for more information, please call
our reception today on 01335 220 071 or
email reception@izaakwaltonhotel.com

The Izaak Walton Hotel, Dovedale, Ilam, nr Ashbourne, DE6 2AY

tel. 01335 220 071 email. reception@izaakwaltonhotel.com
www.izaakwaltonhotel.com % $
%$

Great National
Abbey Court Hotel
Lodges & Trinity Leisure Spa

• Conferencing for • Onsite Hairdressers

2-450 Delegates & Beauticians
• Complimentary Wi-Fi • Rug Rats Kids Club, Games
Room & Crèche
• Events & Banqueting
• Magnificent Landscaped
• 83 Spacious Guestrooms Gardens
• 24 Modern Self Catering • 4 Acre Public Family Park
Lodges Next-door
• Ultimate Wedding Venue • Ample Parking
in Tipperary • Just off the M7 Exit 24
• Abbots Steakhouse & Bar • Family Owned
• Trinity Leisure Spa • Located on a Five Acre Site

Abbey Court Hotel, Lodges & Trinity Leisure Spa, Dublin Road, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
t. +353 (0) 67 41111 | e. info@abbeycourt.ie | w. abbeycourt.ie
Cyclists, welcome to Port Sunlight!

Stay in a holiday cottage

Enjoy the scenic landscape on two wheels

Port Sunlight MUSEUM Perfect terrane to explore this stunning village

Discover over a Century of Port Sunlight history in our award-winning Museum before sampling the
delights of our Tea Room – Gift Shop – Special Interest Walks, Tours and Trails – Holiday Cottages
– Conference & Venue Hire and Group Visit offers.

T: 0151 644 6466 E: info@portsunlightvillage.com W: portsunlightvillage.com

 BIKE MAGAZINE
26
JANUARY 2023

BEST OF 25 YEARS
BIKE TRANSALP
 BIKE MAGAZINE
27
JANUARY 2023

It is considered the “mother of

MTB stage races”: from July 9 to 15,
2023, the MAXXIS BIKE Transalp
will enter its 25th round. For the
anniversary edition, race director Marc
Schneider has designed a special
route cocktail with the best trails,
spots and panoramas from the last
25 years. In seven stages the race
leads from Nauders to Riva del Garda.
Registrations for teams and individual
starters are now open. New: Teams can
officially collect UCI points

In 2023, the route covers 496.97
kilometres and 17,527 metres
of altitude. Seven stages, “fast
and dirty, epic and enchanting,
unexpected and exciting - this
route proves: it is still possible
to seek and find adventure
in the Alps,” Marc Schneider
makes curious about the race.
A huge adventure also awaited
the 250 teams who set out on
the very first Transalp Challenge
from Mittenwald to Riva in 1998.
To this day, the Transalp has
retained this adventure factor, as
evidenced by the new route.
The new route includes the most
remarkable settings from 25
years of BIKE Transalp history:
the tank barriers on the Plamort
with a view of the Ortler, the
Alta Via Camuna, a dream trail
somewhere between earth and
sky, the Passo Bregn da l’Ors,
where you can grasp the mighty
walls of the Brenta with your
hands, and the Passo Tremalzo,
a world star among mountain
bike spots. But even after 25
years, there is still much to
discover: 3-country enduro trails
that didn’t even exist back then,
 BIKE MAGAZINE
28
JANUARY 2023
hidden trails in the Valle del
Chiese that are only now being
discovered by bikers, incredible
panoramic trails high above
Bormio, close to old Transalp
routes, yet never ridden.
Even the first stage from
Nauders to Graun on Lake
Reschen (for the first time part of
the BIKE Transalp) offers a spicy
mix of rough cart paths, casual
flow trail combinations and
premium panoramas. Prominent
and mystical, the second stage
starts in front of the film set of
the Netflix series “Curon”, the
church tower jutting out of Lake
Reschen. A large portion of brand
new Transalp terrain awaits
the participants on the way to
Livigno. From there the route to
Bormio includes a challenging
2200 metres of altitude and
65 kilometres. “Beauty and the
Beast”, “Heaven and Hell”, is
how Marc Schneider describes
TRANSALP
this third stage with its ups and original. The participants will
downs riddled with trails and be rewarded with a view of the
great scenery. glowing turquoise of Lago di
Ledro, the penultimate stage
The fourth stage to Malé is
destination in Valle di Ledro
more than worthy of a royal
(also new), before a short and
stage; great things happen:
crisp ride to the spectacular
great scenery, tremendous
finish in Riva del Garda on the
trails, venerable history. There
last day. Why linger too long
is the 2621- meter Passo Gavia,
on the last day, when on Lake
a legend of cycling, and a high
Garda the champagne corks
alpine dream trail that is one of
must pop twice - for all finishers
the most enchanting in Transalp
of the 25th edition and the many
history, adding dignity not only
thousands of finishers of the 24
to the queen stage but also to
previous editions.
the anniversary edition. On stage
five to the Valle del Chiese, there For more information on the
is another challenge to conquer stage race, registration and
towards Lake Garda: the Brenta. detailed route info, elevation
Its highest peak, the Cima Tosa, profiles and press photos, visit
rises 3173 metres into the sky. Route 2023 | BIKE Transalp
(bike-transalp.de). There you can
Day six leads over wild, unknown
also find a video, covering the
paths, away from the Tremalzo
2023 route presentation.
hype, because hardly anyone
knows the Bocca Giumella or the
Passo Giovo – maybe because
they are so wild, hidden and
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 29
JANUARY 2023
 BIKE MAGAZINE
30
JANUARY 2023

INSIDE
THE WORLD OF
TEMPLE CYCLES

Beth Turner
Staff Writer
In this interview with Temple Cycles
founder, Matt Mears, we discuss
inspiration, design challenges, and
the difficulties facing the biking
industry in the COVID-19 era.
T
emple Cycles recently
unveiled their new e-bike
arm, Temple Electric, and
their first two e-bike models;
the Classic Electric and the Step
Through Electric.
These bikes combine the best of
modern e-bike technology with
the beauty of vintage bicycle
aesthetics, creating wholly
unique products that stand out in
the contemporary e-bike market.
The bikes have been made with
premium materials and high
specification, and yet are of good
value, due to Temples direct
contact and communication with
their customers.
Lightweight, with fantastic ride
characteristics and worldwide
customer service, these bikes
are certainly worth the interest,
and are definitely up there with
some of the best big-name brand
e-bikes on the market.
Temple have made it their
mission across their ranges to
incorporate design and visuals
from the past into their bikes,
creating a look that is classic, yet
entirely their own.
But, how did this come to be?
And how were Temple Cycles
able to so easily adapt these
vintage aesthetics to these
modern electric bikes? I had the
chance to speak with founder,
Matt Mears, to find out this, and
so much more.
BIKE MAGAZINE
31
JANUARY 2023
Q: Can you tell us a bit about
yourself?
A: “I’m the founder of Temple
Cycles. I’ve been a lifelong bike
enthusiast ever since I was a kid,
and I’ve always been obsessed
with bikes. The progression of
that led me to starting Temple
Cycles, which I started in 2014.
That actually came off the back
of another business, restoring
vintage road bikes from the
60s and 70s, basically out of
my bedroom when I was living
in Bristol at Uni. Then that
developed into Temple Cycles.”
Q: What sets Temple Cycles bikes
apart?
A: “We do things differently,
we have a strong brand and a
strong identity. People really
want Temples because, first of
all they’re really good bikes,
they’re built to last; but also
they’re minimal in design, and
have a very classic aesthetic. In
the e-bike world, there’s a lot of
e-bikes out there, but they all
kind of look the same, they’re
often black and kind of chunky.
“So, when you see them lined
up against each other, you’re
buying just on price point and on
what suits your needs; there’s no
brand loyalty. But we wanted to
come into the market and start
to put our foot down as a really
beautiful, sought-after premium
e-bike.”
 BIKE MAGAZINE
32
JANUARY 2023
Q: How did you take that vintage
aesthetic and adapt it for a
modern e-bike?
A: “It can be hard, because
when you’re designing an e-bike
there’s a lot more restraints, i.e.
you have to make sure it can
house the battery, the motor, as
well as the extra safety features
that have to be on there. But
normally with vintage bikes you
think they’re quite sweet in their
nature, minimal looking with
simple proportions.
“So, we wanted to take that
across as much as we could
to an e-bike. For example, we
wanted to make the battery
as discreet as possible, so
we put it in the downtube. It
was a matter of working out
what the constraints were and
designing around that the best
that we could to make it look as
classic as possible – keep the
proportions classic, we don’t
INSIDE THE WORLD OF TEMPLE CYCLES
go for any sort of crazy frame
shape, we go for a simple double
diamond frame.
“Stylistically, the best thing is to
go for muted colour tones, lots
of polished silver components,
brown trims, grips, and so on.
Silver wheels rather than black
wheels. Another thing that gives
it that classic look is gumwall
tyres, we use the Panaracer
Pasela PT tyres, that really ties it
all together.”
Q: What inspired you to go into
making e-bikes?
A: “The thing that inspired us to
go into e-bikes is our customers.
We would always get questions
from our customers asking when
we’d come out with an e-bike,
and we said we were working on
one, we’re just trying to work out
the best way to do it.
“E-bike technology has been
improving and developing over
the last ten years, and on top of
that there’s amore than one way
to make an e-bike!
“You can have mid-drive motors
or hub motors, and you can go
super stripped back and simple,
or have a more intuitive setup
with torque sensing. We were
just biding our time, to figure out
what a Temple e-bike should be,
and what our price point is.
“And also it’s fun. We like
designing new products, and it’s
great because it opens us up to
new customers. So for those two
reasons, I think that is why we
did it.”
Q: What are some of the hurdles
you came across, were they any
hurdles you didn’t expect to run
into?
A: “The first was that we wanted
to have really good battery
BIKE MAGAZINE
33
JANUARY 2023
 BIKE MAGAZINE
34 INSIDE THE WORLD OF TEMPLE CYCLES
JANUARY 2023

capacity, at least 500Wh, so the

question was how are we going
to discreetly house that? We also
thought it was important to have
a removable battery, otherwise
it can be very inconvenient to
charge.
“But, I guess the biggest hurdle
was to have an integrated battery
that could easily be removed,
and we achieved that for sure.
“Another hurdle we found was
that e-bikes, I find, are inherently
ugly. You’re taking an already
practically perfect piece of
engineering and adding more to
it in the form of a battery, motor,
wiring and maybe integrated
lighting. So, from a design point
of view, trying to make the e-bike
look aesthetically pleasing
was a hurdle, but we definitely
achieved it.
“Another hurdle is, at the
moment, everything in the bike
industry from a supply-chain
point of view, is tricky. One of the
key aspects of product design have stuff on order for the next have a lot of plans. We’ve got our
is designing for a manufacturer, two years, which is pretty crazy.” regular bikes, our electric bikes,
which is even more important and we’re actually planning on
now, so when we were designing bringing out a range of children’s
this e-bike, we had to factor Q: I think so many people know
bikes in the future.
in things like availability and about bikes, but not that much
supply. about the industry side of things, “Our plan is to get into
especially now with COVID. conversation with dealers to get
“We’re using components and
A: “Yes. And it will be interesting our e-bike out there, to get it to
materials that we foresee us
to see in the future, in 2022 more people, to get them into
being able to get hold of easily
in the future. So, for example, we and 2023 how the whole biking shops across the country.
use a Bafang motor, we’ve tested industry has been affected. For
“We also want to work on a
it extensively and we really love example, there’s a big problem
cargo bike, and on top of that
the motor and the support we get with road bike group sets, there’s
going to be a big problem with we want to bring out a more
from Bafang. Meanwhile, Bosch
companies; you’re likely to see stripped-back, simple e-bike. We
is really hard to get hold of at the
moment, especially for smaller less choice, maybe bikes not also want to work on a battery
bike brands. A lot of Bosch’s having the latest specs, because recycling scheme for our bikes,
supply is taken up by the big of manufacturing delays or so that they can last even longer
brands, whereas we have to other reasons. There’s a lot of while also doing our part for the
choose carefully to get the best uncertainty if bike companies environment.”
quality and best supply. will be able to get hold of the
stuff they need to make bikes.
“That goes across all bikes, not
It’s a big, big problem for sure. To give one of Temple Electric’s
just e-bikes. If you talk to any
bike brand right now they will be new e-bikes a try, visit them or
stressed out by supply. It takes a book a test ride at one of their
Q: What does the future of
lot more time now than it would branches in London or Bristol.
Temple look like to you?
have done before Coronavirus, To find out more, check out their
where we could have gotten hold A: “We’ve really had to plan that,
online shop at
of everything we wanted in three with what is happening in the
months to make bikes. Now we world. For 2022 and 2023, we temple-electric.com
 BIKE MAGAZINE
36
JANUARY 2023

ADVENTURE
THROUGH AFRICA

Q&A with Tomás Mac an t-Saoir
For Tomás it was now or never.
He was itching for adventure
and the time couldn’t have
been better: he was in between
studies and had nothing holding
him back. So off he set on the
expedition of a lifetime, to cycle
BIKE MAGAZINE
37
JANUARY 2023
the length of Africa. We spoke to
Tomás about his story Adventure
through Africa, to hear more
about the 11,000km trip, the
highs, the lows and what made
him attempt it in the first place.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
38 AFRICA
JANUARY 2023

To cycle a whole continent, you’ve

got to be a big fan of the sport.
When did you start cycling and
what about it did you enjoy so
much?
I started cycling properly when I
was around 17, before then I didn’t
cycle in any real capacity. I think
I enjoyed the freedom the most.
Being able to take off cycling when
it pleased me or best suited me,
being able to cycle as fast or as
slow as I wanted, and the freedom
to go wherever I felt like going to.
You’d already completed an
incredible trip across part of the
USA before you attempted Africa.
Can you tell us a bit more about
that?
Yeah, I cycled from California
to Florida, back when I was 22.
It took 7 weeks and was 3,000
miles through 7 states: California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida, so got to see a fair
section of the country! I chose
America because I’d never been
there – a couple of friends had
gone back when we were younger,
and they all seemed to enjoy
themselves, so I thought I’d give
it a shot! I thought it would be
a good place to test out cycle
touring and thankfully it was a
success!
Do you think your trip across the
US was good preparation for your
cycle across Africa?
Absolutely, it was a good
experience. It’s important to start
somewhere, and for me, America
was ideal. One way it helped was
preparing for the African heat.
In America, temperatures rose
to 35/40 degrees on a couple of
occasions. These are temperatures
I would just never experience in
Ireland. It was also great to get
used to the touring life, making
sure I ate enough, rested enough
and drank enough too.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 39
JANUARY 2023

How extensive was the planning

for your trip across Africa?
I decided on Africa months before
I departed, so I chipped away at
the planning, but I didn’t let it take
over my life. The most important
aspect of my planning was to
speak to people who had already
cycled in or lived in Africa. Then
I began making my contacts in
the continent, whether they be
locals, expats, Irish and so on.
There was some gear leftover from
my America cycle, and I topped
up with some extra things like
a tent, a powerbank to charge
my electronics, and a water filter
just to name a few things. What I
didn’t want to do was over prepare.
Worrying about it too much would
take the enjoyment away, so I did a
couple of bits every now and again.
Most of the gear I took to Africa I
only purchased a couple of weeks
prior to departure, and a couple of
items didn’t actually arrive on time!
Cycling such a vast distance in – at
times – very remote environments
obviously requires a serious level
of physical fitness. Can you talk us
through any training you did prior
to your expedition?
Training wise I didn’t do anything
special. I’ve never followed a
training regime, I don’t have a
special diet or anything, I’m just
a simple guy who likes to ride a
bicycle. Cycling is my hobby, so I
would have been out on the bike
most days, so my fitness was fairly
high anyway. A trip like this though
is incredibly mentally challenging
and that is much more difficult to
prepare for. I knew I was going to
struggle, but that was part of the
challenge. I was leaving behind
my family & friends. It was always
going to be tough, especially as
I knew there would be some very
isolated stretches. But I made sure
I enjoyed my time at home prior
to departure as again, there is
no point letting these things get
to you. I did my best not to think
about it all.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
40 AFRICA
JANUARY 2023

You mentioned that you really

struggled with loneliness on your
trip. Were you expecting to struggle
that much with the loneliness?
Yes, I did. I come from a pub in
a small rural village. I’m around
people all the time, so in parts
of Africa where I would hardly
meet people during the day it
indeed was a struggle. Nothing
beats human interaction. Very
few people like spending all their
time by themselves. Like most, I
do enjoy some alone time, but to a
certain extent. But like any of the
mental problems I faced in Africa, I
just had to ride through them.
What was going through your mind
during those lows? Did you think
you would be able to make it to the
end? What got you through?
The low periods were tough. I
questioned myself intensively –
was I just a mentally weak person?
Making a mountain out of a
molehill? Over reacting/thinking?
But then I realised I was human,
and I had feelings, and sometimes
those feelings can hurt you and
bring you down. I know us men
like to think we’re super tough,
but sometimes you just need to
let your emotions take over and
accept that we have feelings that
can sometimes make us feel crap.
As much as it sucked feeling low
like that while I was by myself
in countries I had never been to
before, I’m glad of the experience.
Those low experiences made me
stronger and more determined
than ever to reach Cape Town.
On the other hand, there must
have been amazing highs during
your trip. What do you think is the
one thing from your trip that you’ll
remember forever?
The best part about the trip was
the people I encountered from
start to finish. In this day and age
and the way Western society is
nowadays, the African people
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 41
JANUARY 2023

renewed my love for the world What bike were you riding on
again and restored my faith your trip and how did it hold up
in humanity. For example, in for 7 months?
Sudan, the locals always invited
Vitus very kindly supplied me
me to eat with them. Eating
a Vitus Substance V2 Apex for
together in a group is the norm,
my trip. It was brilliant to get
and when they saw me alone,
such great support from an Irish
they always invited me to sit
company, Vitus are based in
with them, eat together and
Belfast. My bike held up great
drink tea together. Anytime I
– she was serviced in a few
would cycle into a rural village
countries as components suffer
in any of the countries I passed
wear and tear from such regular
through, the locals would
use. But all in all, she did a
approach me and ask was
terrific job! She deserves a long
everything OK, did I require
rest now!! Regarding my gear
help etc. The locals I met are
I had no trouble, I just about
the kindest, warm hearting &
had room for everything in my
nicest people I have ever had
panniers. I sent some things
the pleasure of encountering in
that weren’t needed home from
my life.
Kenya. A few things broke
How much did you cycle each or ripped along the way, but
day on average? How difficult nothing a bungee cord or some
was the cycling physically? tape couldn’t fix!
On average I probably cycled What were your expectations
about 100km a day, which before setting off on your
isn’t bad going considering the trip through Africa? How did
intense heat I found myself in the reality compare to your
on an almost daily basis. There expectations?
was no real need to do crazy
To be honest, I knew it was
miles, the longest I cycled in
going to be a bit of a crazy
one day was about 190 km.
trip, a trip that would certainly
Other than that, I stuck to doing
take me well outside of my
about 100 km or a bit more and
comfort zone. Arriving into Cairo
that was more than enough. It
cemented to me how crazy it
wasn’t a race, I could take my
was going to be. Cairo is just a
time and enjoy every moment.
mad city, it has a population of
Terrain wise though, I pretty
around 20 million people. Even
much cycled through everything.
just walking around the city
Each terrain is challenging in
made me uncomfortable as I’m
its own way, for example the
very much a countryside person.
desert was tough because it
But this was going to be part of
was so isolated, the Ethiopian
parcel of the trip so I adapted as
Highlands were challenging as I
quick as I could and embraced
was climbing up to and beyond
my new surroundings.
3,000 meters, but I probably
found the rolling hills of How did you feel when you
Tanzania the most challenging reached the end of your trip
purely because of the heat – it having been cycling for so long?
hit up to 40 degrees and about
I was elated. It was a super
60/70% humidity. Extremely
tough trip, and as soon as I
tough conditions to cycle in,
saw Table Mountain which
especially on a fully loaded bike.
dominates the Cape Town
 BIKE MAGAZINE
42 AFRICA
JANUARY 2023

landscape, I broke down crying. Knowing

what I had gone through to get to this
gigantic landmark, my emotions got the
better of me. It was an incredible moment
and one I’ll savour for the rest of my life.
Having done two long distance cycling
challenges through Africa and USA, what
advice would you give to someone who
wants to take on a cycling challenge on
the scale that you’ve done?
Just go for it. Don’t over worry about
it, and don’t let people talk you out of
it. If you really want to do it then you’ll
absolutely make it work. Have fun, smile
as much as you can, and be willing to
make a tonne more friends. Travelling
by bicycle is incredible, you really can
just about go anywhere you want, while
staying super fit & getting tonnes of
fresh air. Plan a little, but there is no need
to over plan. Be willing to adapt & be
flexible, things won’t always go right and
that’s when you have to stay calm and
think on the spot to figure out a plan b, c,
d etc. But bicycle touring really is the best
way to travel in my opinion.
To read more about Tomás
expedition across Africa see https://
discoverinteresting.com/endurance-
series/adventure-through-africa/
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 43
JANUARY 2023
 BIKE MAGAZINE
44
JANUARY 2023

PORTUGAL
REFINDING ITS
CYCLING PEDIGREE

Jeremy Edwards
Discovering an untapped beauty and a re-found cycling heritage
I am hunched over my top tube
and sweat is mixing with sun
cream, stinging my eyes. As my
breathing recovers I take a swig
from a solar heated bidon and sit
up to survey the climb that has
just encouraged me to stop at its
summit. I smile. Sprawled out in
front and below is the Arrábida
BIKE MAGAZINE
45
JANUARY 2023
Natural Park. With its deep
green Mediterranean vegetation
and cloudless skies, it is a
welcome sight for sore eyes. I
am here to discover a bit of what
a cycling holiday in Portugal
might offer as an alternative to
the tried and tested col hunting
in France.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
46 PORTUGAL
JANUARY 2023

Portugal has a rich cycling

heritage, the Volta a Portugal
em bicicleta was first ridden in
1927 and whilst not as important
as the three grand tours it
always has been and remains
a significant competition. My
arrival in Lisbon coincides with
the 9th and penultimate stage
of the 78th edition of the race,
which runs between Alcácer do
Sal and Setúbal, covering 187.5km.
At this point a Portuguese rider,
Rui Vinhas representing the
Portuguese team W52-FC Porto-
Porto Canal, is still in contention
for the GC. It is clear from crowds
gathering early in Setúbal that
expectations are high. These
expectations are driven by
memories of Jaoquim Agostinho,
Portugal’s most famous cycling
son, who was champion of
Portugal in six successive years
and twice finished third in the Tour
de France, winning on Alpe d’Huez
in 1979. More recently Rui Costa,
who won the 2013 UCI Road World
Championships, has inspired
a new generation of cyclists.
Professional cycling in Portugal is
growing again, powerful Football
clubs such as FC Porto have
returned to sponsor a team after a
31-year hiatus.
Fernando Pedrosa of Phoinix
Cycling, a small tour operator
based in Setúbal has arranged
for me to ride part of today’s
stage, which also follows the
route of the local Granfondo held
annually in October. Two short
rides have been planned, which
will complement the timing of the
stage and enable plenty of time
to enjoy the company of my hosts
whilst pit stopping at a couple of
their favourite cafes. This is, after
all, a special day, being the first
time the Tour has passed through
Setubal in 40 years. The first ride,
in the morning will head into the
Arrábida Natural Park, and will
include both the category three
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 47
JANUARY 2023

climb at Alto das Necessidades

and the coastal category two at
Alto das Arrabida. The second
ride, in the afternoon will head
back via an alternative route to
Alto das Necessidades, where
we will wait for the Tour to arrive,
hoping to witness an attack on the
20% gradient that appears near
the end of the climb. Somehow
we then have to make it back to
Setúbal before the leaders arrive
for what should be a sprint finish.
The tour riders have a much
greater distance to cover and this
includes a lot of climbing; despite
this I have my doubts regarding
our ability to return in time.
As we leave for the morning ride
I am too busy enjoying the heat
(36C) and the sea breeze to worry
about missing the sprint finish.
The ride out of town is a steady
climb and quickly takes us away
from the noise and traffic of the
busy port. As a first time visitor to
Portugal I am immediately struck
by how green the hillsides are
in August; the contrast between
the perfect azure of the sky and
the olive tones of the hillside is
stunning. I am cycling with a
mixed group and as such the pace
is steady, given the temperature I
am happy to be eased into the ride.
We break onto a narrow road that
takes us deeper into the Natural
Park and leads towards the day’s
first climb, the category three at
Alto das Necessidades. The climb
is steady at first and there is time
to enjoy the mixture of farm land,
which is mostly comprised of
small vineyards, olive trees and
grazing sheep. As we progress the
climb undulates and I find myself
looking forward to the tree-lined
sections providing shade as the
heat takes its toll. In the last
300m the gradient begins to really
ramp up and I find myself out of
the saddle and relieved to take
the crest in order to take on some
much needed water. Thankfully
the journey to Aldeia Rica, a small
town on the edge of the park is flat
and the pace leisurely.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
48 PORTUGAL
JANUARY 2023

We break for a drink at a café and

I enjoy sampling the locally-baked
pastries, my pastel de nata, a type
of egg custard tart, is superb. A
mountain bike parked in front
of the café sparks conversation
about bikes owned past and
present and it is quickly apparent
that the team from Phoinix have
an encyclopaedic knowledge of
bicycles and are keen to share
stories. Fernando, who fell in
love with mountain biking whilst
training for fitness to further his
motocross career, tells me how he
started with a converted Rossin
Mistral cyclo-cross bike which he
then fitted with a flat bar. Many
of the tiny roads which form a
maze across the Arrabida Park
are unsealed gravel tracks, the
local riders frequently opt to take
cyclocross bikes or simply fit
heavier tyres to road bikes in order
to benefit from these rural lanes
which complement the tarmac
roads. One of our party, João
Serralheiro, who runs a local cycle
distribution business is actively
involved in the development of
the local cycling scene. He plans
to make good use of these gravel
roads as they will comprise part of
the route for the spring classic that
he has created and has just been
added to the UCI calendar for 2019.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 49
JANUARY 2023

Returning to the saddle we head

back into the park and begin the
ascent towards the coast. The sun
is dominant the sky, and as I push
harder the bushes and trees which
line the roads are filled with cicada
and their rhythmic song adds to
the contrast from cycling at home.
I am cycling with a grin, in fact as
we begin to traverse the coast and
the gentle breeze provides some
relief, that feeling of flight or even
Jean Bobet’s la volupté, (‘pleasure
from a combination of speed and
ease, force and grace’) begins to
hit me. The ocean sparkles to
my right and a smooth curving
asphalt strip beckons to the fore. I
have already decided that I will be
returning to discover and explore
more of what this area has to offer,
it is so different in culture and
landscape to Northern Europe. It
is worth exploring these contrasts
from a saddle. The drop from
the category two climb at Alto
das Arrabida down to Setúbal is
a heady combination of smooth
dry roads and open bends which
encourage you to let go and lean
in. I am rapidly passed by the local
riders who know these routes so
well and are possibly spending
less time admiring the views of the
Tróia Peninsula.
Following lunch in Setúbal we head
back to Alto das Necessidades
to wait for the Tour to arrive. We
cycle via an alternative route,
this time heading back along
the coastal road before heading
inland up a steadily rising lane.
Either side of us the combination
of red rock and eucalyptus trees
reminds me somewhat of Western
Australia. As we climb out of the
valley the views change and we
are moving through a cork tree
plantation, a firm reminder that we
are definitely in a wine producing
area. Soon we arrive back at
Alto das Necessidades, where
the crowds that have already
developed are mostly made up of
 BIKE MAGAZINE
50 PORTUGAL
JANUARY 2023

local club riders. The atmosphere

is one of bonhomie and the crowd
is cheering the last of the vehicles
to pass the up the climb before
the road is closed. Many of the
lesser powered cars and mopeds
are stalling on the 20% gradient
and the audience delights in
celebrating each failure before
helping them on.
As the tour arrives a small break
of about ten riders is leading the
peloton by a couple of minutes.
No decisive moves or attacks
are made, but the atmosphere
is fantastic and it is great to see
that the behaviour of the crowd
is respectful to the riders. The
last support vehicle passes and
there is a scramble as the crowd
turn to their own bikes and begin
to hurtle back down to ensure
arrival in Setubal in time for the
finish. Cycling with the group
from Phoinix we get ourselves
organised and after negotiating
the lanes of the natural park we
manage to average over 50kmh on
the final 5km of sweeping downhill
into town. What a way to finish
a perfect day, that was capped
by the sight of home favourite
Rui Vinhas coming in safely to
maintain his lead of over two
minutes in the GC.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 51
JANUARY 2023

Time is precious and for most of

us, especially those with families.
If we get away once a year for
a cycling holiday we consider
ourselves lucky, which means
we must choose wisely. Whilst
the Arrabida Natural Park and
surrounding areas obviously
does not provide the chance to
take on any of those cols on your
bucket list it does provide other
opportunities. It is a pleasure and
a change to cycle in a southern
Mediterranean landscape. The
terrain offers some seriously
punchy climbs and very rapid
descents, all set against the
stunning backdrop of olive groves,
glistening ocean and unspoilt
beaches. Furthermore, the
welcome is as good as or better
than anywhere else is Europe and
the local restaurants do not seem
to know how to serve a bad meal.
Anyone who loves seafood will be
in heaven. Whether it’s for a cycle
only holiday intended for use as a
training camp or for a combination
of cycling and family downtime I
would highly recommend this area
as an alternative to the tried and
tested destinations.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
52 PORTUGAL
JANUARY 2023

CYCLING AT THE TOP

OF THE ALGARVE,
MONCHIQUE,
PORTUGAL
For the video go to http://bit.ly/3Vmp04D

Serra de Monchique has one of the most fascinating climbs in the

Algarve, Fóia, the highest peak in the region, as well as several
mountain biking and downhill trails, some of which are more difficult,
due to their steep slopes, but all of which are uniquely beautiful.

Located in the far south of
Portugal, the Algarve region
offers exceptional conditions
for cycling and is increasingly
sought after by enthusiasts of
the sport, from beginners to
regular or highly experienced
cyclists. From the seashore to
old maquis* routes, a transition
zone between the mountains and
the sea, roads cutting through
valleys, mountains and forests,
the Algarve region unfolds into
landscapes of dazzling beauty
that make for unforgettable
rides.
Serra de Monchique, known
as the “garden” of the western
Algarve, is a true retreat for
cyclists, who can enjoy many
activities in nature within a
peaceful environment without
the typical hustle and bustle of
the seaside. Its proximity to the
mountains and the Atlantic coast
make it a place with a unique
microclimate and a luxuriant
landscape populated by rare
plant species and protected
animals, such as the Bonelli’s
eagle.
The Portuguese Tourist Authority
(Turismo de Portugal) recently
launched an international
campaign to attract visitors to
the region. The campaign is
available on www.trymonchique.
pt and encompasses a wide
target audience, interested in
cycling, hiking, trekking, walking,
gastronomy, nature, travel or
simply tourism.
It is no coincidence that
Monchique is the venue for one
of the stages of the Volta ao
Algarve in February, a cycling

BIKE-MAG.COM
race that has been held annually
for over 60 years and has
become almost mandatory in
the pre-season, with renowned
cyclists such as Alberto
Contador, Michal Kwjatkowski,
Tony Martin and Gerraint
Thomas, amongst its winners.
Cycling in Serra de Monchique
offers an experience of close
contact with nature, ranging from
more challenging routes, due to
the rugged terrain of the area, to
trails that can accommodate less
experienced cyclists and which
also display stunning natural
beauty. Cycling is really the ideal
way to explore this territory and
discover not only its nature,
but also its culture, history and
wealth of its local cuisine.
The refreshing Serra de
Monchique presents an Algarve
that is, in many ways, still
pristine, far from the hectic
atmosphere of the seaside
towns and where, around every
corner, you will discover unique
biodiversity, as well as exuberant
mountain and sea landscapes.
However, despite its mild
climate, July and August can be
too hot for biking, so the cycling
experience in Monchique can
be more enjoyable during other
months of the year.
Sought after by the Romans
for its therapeutic waters,
Monchique has, in addition
to a well-known spa, several
waterfalls, streams and paths
that can be discovered on
numerous off-road trails.
However, there are several
small routes that can be found
at https://viaalgarviana.org/
menu/67/pequenas-rotas.
Mountain bikers will certainly
be fascinated by the Serra
de Monchique trails, which
are perfect for cross-country,
freeriding or even downhill riding.
The Foia trail, for instance,
crosses an area of pontic
rhododendrons, a rare plant
species endemic to Monchique,
which blooms between May and
July, and terraced slopes. The
BIKE MAGAZINE
53
JANUARY 2023
trail between Caldas – famous The route starts in Marmelete,
for its medicinal waters – and with a challenging 20-kilometre
Picota, invites you to discover the climb, with a gentle downhill ride
lush landscape of the mountains, to Monchique. Then, you can
ending at the second highest cycle to Alferce and ride along an
peak of the Algarve, at 774-metre off-road to Ribeira de Odelouca,
high, from where you can see towards Silves. Whichever
the vast expanse of the Algarve way you choose to explore
coastline and the sea. Moreover, Monchique, there are a number
there are many other routes to of roads with little traffic, as well
discover in Serra de Monchique, as several paths, all of which
which show other remains of offer great descents and climbs.
this little explored region of the
Algarve: its monumental trees, Getting to Monchique is
some of them centuries old. The extremely easy; the International
old windmills are also a must. Airport in Faro, 85km away from
Monchique, is a short flight from
For those who enjoy road most major European cities,
cycling, the climb from the and if you choose to land in
town of Monchique to Foia, at the capital, Lisbon, then you
902 metres above sea level, can either take the train or the
extending for about eight motorway to the Algarve, just
kilometres, which can be over 250km away.
challenging, has an average
gradient of 7.3%. The advantage
of this route is that you can stop
at the viewpoints along the way,
which offer panoramic views
of Portimão, the Alvor estuary
and much of the Algarve. On
arrival at Foia, on a clear day,
the horizon opens up in all
directions and the view extends
from the southwesternmost
point of Europe, Cape St. Vincent
in Sagres, to Serra da Arrábida,
more than 200 kilometres away,
and to the Algarve’s capital, Faro.
For cyclists who want to venture
out on longer routes, discovering
other areas close to Monchique,
they can try cycling about 30
kilometres from Aljezur to
Monchique, via Marmelete.
At the same distance from
Monchique, but to the west, is
the town of Silves, the former
capital of the Algarve, you can
visit the castle and other remains
dating back to the Moorish rule
in Portugal. To reach Silves, you
can drive down the coast to
Portimão and Lagos, along the
seashore, or cycle to the dams of
Odelouca and Funcho.
With a longer distance of approx.
56 kilometres, it is also possible
to take the route from Aljezur
to Silves, a recommended route
for regular to advanced cyclists.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
54 SLOVENIA
JANUARY 2023

SIMPLY
CYCLING
SLOVENIA
I had been a builder for a number of years in the UK, my home being York-
shire. In a twist of fate I fell off a roof one day and broke my right wrist. The
doctors said ‘well that’s your building days over’.

I was sitting at home with my broken wrist,
and my new computer, when all of a sudden
an advert popped up for property for sale in
Slovenia. I had never been there before, nor even
really heard of it but decided there and then I
was going to live there.
After my wrist had healed I sold my house, and
over a family dinner for my father’s birthday,
broke the news to my parents, sister and her
family. At first my father thought I was just going
for a holiday and asked when was I going, and
for how long - then I had to break the news that I
was going for good.
The next day I packed up my possessions and
my dog and set off on this big adventure, across
Europe and down to Slovenia!
The beginning of my journey took me to the
West of Slovenia, but property was expensive,
even then. An old man that I met while staying
on his farm suggested I try the North East, as it
was less popular and much cheaper.
But I was now living my dream, the adventure
had really begun!
One day while I was clearing rubbish from my old
barn, I discovered an old bike, but I managed to
somehow pump the tyres up, and rode it slowly
the 3 km to my local bar, Trnek. I did the same
the next day and so on till I went a little further
each day. Being a smoker at the time, cycling
was not easy. But eventually, thanks to the
almost traffic free roads, and the wonderful warm
weather, I got fitter and ditched the cigarettes.
And that was how I began my company,
simplycyclingslovenia.com. I wanted so much to
share this beautiful country with others who love
to cycle and be out in the fresh air.
Of course, life is never that easy, and I spent
many hours cleaning houses, cutting grass,
anything that would earn me money to put into
my new venture.

Off I set again, and eventually found an old

“In between my
farmhouse which had not been lived in for many
years’, So long in fact there was a tree growing
though the roof! But to me it was perfect and I
working hours I
paid £16000! Only one room, the kitchen, and
the bathroom was inhabitable, so I lived in there
with an old stove for heating and cooking, while
would cycle every
renovating the rest of the house. Turned out the
doctors were wrong in their predictions of my
wrist…!
road, path, and trail”

BIKE-MAG.COM
Slowly I put together a website,
bought 10 good quality hybrid
bikes, and managed to obtain a
government grant for a cycle trailer.
In between my working hours I
would cycle every road, path, and
trail. I looked for tourist farms, guest
houses and small hotels, for my
guests to stay in on their trip. Over 13
years I learned the complex Slovene
language, mostly by joining the local
fishing club and asking the long
suffering fishermen hundreds of
questions.
13 years on and I have come a long
way since my little farmhouse with
the tree growing through the roof.
Thanks to my new home, which I
have slowly, over 7 years, restored
back to life.
BIKE MAGAZINE
55
JANUARY 2023
Slomskov
Mill
Apartment & Camping
simplycyclingslovenia.com
I have thoroughly enjoyed guiding
many wonderful cycling tours
across Slovenia, Croatia, Austria and
Hungary, meeting many interesting
and lovely people along the way.
Now I am introducing
simplyhikingslovenia which will
begin to feature on my website very
soon. Simply Cycling Slovenia
When I say “I love what I do”, I really WEBSITE
do. This is reflected in my tours and www.simplycyclingslovenia.com
the individuality of each one. With EMAIL
my tours I give the true essence and info@simplycyclingslovenia.com
experience of the country I love so PHONE NUMBER
much, the country that Is now my 00 386 51 497 735
home. ADDRESS
Paul Terence Wadkin s.p.
Just pick the link on the right to Slomškov mlin
follow this story. Razkrižje 30
9246 Razkrižje
Slovenia
 BIKE MAGAZINE
56
JANUARY 2023

CRAIGMILLAR
CASTLE
THE HIDDEN GEM
OF EDINBURGH
 BIKE MAGAZINE
57
JANUARY 2023

Colin Baird

Edinburgh-born Colin is a cycling blogger. He became hooked on cycling in

Scotland after his first ever biking holiday, to the Orkney Islands. He’s been all
over the country discovering routes and seeking out the best places to visit by
bike. He blogs about his adventures on http://www.cyclingscot.co.uk/blog

Edinburgh has a lot more to offer

than cobbled streets, bagpipes, and
festivals. There are a large number
of lesser-known attractions that can
be reached by bicycle - thanks to the
excellent network of traffic-free cycle
paths and quiet routes.

Here are some of my favourites! crowds. Craigmillar Castle is only

3 miles from the city centre and
its rooftop is the place to head
for some of the best skyline
Edinburgh’s other Castle and a
views.
Lochside garden
This ride starts in the Meadows,
The world-famous Edinburgh
the city’s main green space. Look
Castle is not the only castle in
for the blue directional signage
town. There is another one, less
that points to Musselburgh
well-known and without the
 BIKE MAGAZINE
58 CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
JANUARY 2023

and follow this. Soon you will

find yourself proceeding down a
320-metre tunnel. This was part of
the Innocent Railway, Edinburgh’s
first railway, so-called because
it was a horse-drawn system in
an era when steam engines were
considered dangerous. The tunnel
is another of Edinburgh’s secrets
and takes a bit of effort to find;
the entrance disguised within a
residential complex of flats.

Soon the path reaches the remains

of a railway cast iron bridge and
at this point you should turn
right onto Duddingston Road
West and continue straight on
for 1 mile to reach the castle. It is
surrounded by extensive parkland
that creates the impression of
being in a rural location, certainly
not within a city. The castle, once
visited by Mary Queen of Scots,
is great fun to explore with a
network of staircases and nooks
and crannies. The city has many
fabulous locations from which to
view the skyline, but Craigmillar’s
rooftop is probably one of the
most underrated. And the ticket is
cheaper than Edinburgh Castle!

Cycle back the way you came and

keep going along Duddingston
Road West, for about 10 minutes,
until you reach the incredibly
pretty Duddingston village. Here
you will find the Sheep Head Inn,
famous for its skittle alley and
for being the oldest surviving pub
in Scotland. The real reason you
are here is to seek out Dr Neil’s
Garden. If ever there was a place
deserving of the description ‘secret
garden’ it is this place. To find it
carefully check the directions on
the garden’s website. It offers lots
of little paths, beautifully laid out
plants and flowers and a secluded
Lochside location.

If you want more cycling, then

return to the cycle path and
continue 5 miles to reach
Musselburgh. It has a beach, and
you could treat yourself to an
Iron Brew sorbet, flavoured with
Scotland’s famous fizzy drink, from
S.Luca on the High Street.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 59
JANUARY 2023

Island Escape

The Edinburgh North cycle path

uses extensive disused railway
lines that are ripe for exploring.
It can take you on an island
adventure in less than 5 miles.
Join the path at Haymarket
station and follow the signs for
Silverknowes/Queensferry. You
will see abandoned platforms, pass
beneath railway bridges and the
verges are rich in flora, particularly
in spring. The final mile is on a
quiet road, through the suburb of
Silverknowes, that descends to the
beach. There is a wide promenade
that runs along the shore and
cycling along this for one mile will
take you to the causeway that
crosses over to Cramond Island.
You need to check the tide times
in advance of your visit- people
often end up stranded overnight!
Park your bike and walk across
to explore the beaches and old
military buildings on the island.

A few more pedal strokes will take

you to the charming village of
Cramond and the Cramond Falls
cafe in its idyllic setting next to the
River Almond. The village has the
remains of a Roman Fort, a harbour
with bobbing sailing boats and
white-washed historic properties.

If you want more cycling you

can continue on National Cycle
Network Route One for another
5 miles or so, to reach South
Queensferry from where you
can view the world-famous Forth
Railway Bridge. You can also cycle
across the road bridge to the other
side at North Queensferry.

Colinton Tunnel

The Colinton Tunnel is one of

the most beautiful features of
Edinburgh’s cycle network. Every
surface of the structure is covered
in a fascinating and colourful
mural. You can visit it on a traffic-
free route that uses the Union
Canal and a disused railway line.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
60 CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
JANUARY 2023

Make your way to the

Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh,
about 1.5 miles from Waverley
train station. Hidden behind glass
office buildings you will find the
Union Canal and something akin
to Amsterdam with the colourful
houseboats. One of the vessels is
a takeaway coffee shop, so grab
a cup and enjoy the surroundings
before heading off.

The canal path is popular with

locals and has a countryside feel
with plenty of trees, ducks, and
swans. In 2 miles you will cross an
aqueduct and just after this there
is a turn-off with blue directional
signage pointing to Balerno and
Colinton. Taking this will put you
on a disused railway path that
passes through Colinton Dell, a
tranquil place of river and forest
walks.

After a gentle ascent you will

arrive at the tunnel. Trains haven’t
been seen here since 1967 and
it used to be a gloomy place to
cycle through until the remarkable
transformation with the mural that
features local history and heritage.
You will see an otter swimming, a
train pulling into a station packed
with interesting characters, a horse
and carriage racing by and much,
much more.

The tunnel brings you out at

Spylaw Park which is a good picnic
spot, or head through the park to
reach The Spylaw, a country pub
with a stylish interior and a beer
garden.

If you want to do some more

cycling the path continues
alongside the Water of Leith
to Balerno, a village near the
Pentland Hills. On the way you will
pass Currie Conservation village
with its kirk and cute cottages.
And in Balerno there is a National
Trust walled garden, Malleny, that
has 400-year-old yew trees and
Victorian greenhouses.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 61
JANUARY 2023

Cycle to the Kelpies

If you want to clock up more miles

and fancy a day trip from the city
then take the Union Canal for 30
miles to Falkirk where you can visit
the largest horse sculptures in the
world, the Kelpies. This adventure
starts in Fountainbridge, described
in the Colinton Tunnel route. After
8 miles you reach Ratho where
the Bridge Inn is a great spot for
a canal side refreshment. You
could also visit the International
Climbing Arena, the largest indoor
climbing centre in Europe.

Three miles later and you cross

the Almond Aqueduct which has
incredible views down the River
Almond valley. The next 10 miles
will take you to Linlithgow where
you can take a boat trip from the
Canal Centre and visit Linlithgow
Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen
of Scots.

It’s 11 more miles to Falkirk

where you cross the impressive
250-metre-long Avon Aqueduct.
Bridge 49 Cafe Bar and Bistro is
just 2 minutes from here and has
an outdoor terrace overlooking
the canal. Coming into town you
will travel through the spooky
Falkirk Tunnel, where the canal is
burrowed through a hillside.

From here you can follow the

HArTT (Helix Around Town Tour).
It takes you through Callendar
Park with its forestry trails and its
grand house, which looks like a
French Chateau. It has a working
Georgian kitchen that was featured
in Outlander. The tearoom is
magnificent with bay windows, oak
carving, and fireplaces.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
62 CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
JANUARY 2023

However, if you are a football fan

then you might prefer the cafe
at Falkirk Stadium- it overlooks
the pitch. The route passes the
stadium just before you reach
Helix Park and The Kelpies.
You cannot underestimate how
inspiring it is to stand next to
these sculptures and if you want
to get inside one of them there are
guided tours. They are also lit up
at night, so it is worth considering
an overnight stay in Falkirk,
particularly as there is a lot to see
and do on this route.

The HArTT route continues to the

Falkirk Wheel, one of Scotland’s
modern engineering marvels. It is
the world’s only rotating boat lift.
You can experience it on a boat
trip or watch it from the visitor
centre.

The Edinburgh to Glasgow railway

line runs along much of this
route, so there is the option of
putting your bike on the train for
sections if you are short on time
(or energy!).

Hints and Tips

The great value Edinburgh Cycle

hire scheme means you can avoid
cycling the busy city centre by
collecting bikes at the convenient
hire stations.

The Spokes Edinburgh map is

invaluable for planning your
journeys on the city’s cycle path
network.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 63
JANUARY 2023
BB-APR20-JUNGLE PRODCUTS :Layout 1 26/03/2020 13:28 Page 1
THE NETHERLANDS

TRAILBLAZER
As trail riding and bikes evolve, so should the performance of your helmet.
The Trailblazer is the latest evolution of our pioneering multi-piece variable
elasticity shell technology, leading the way in protection performance.
Now you can blaze trails thought to be unrideable.

UK Distribution by:
Jungle Products Ltd.
Mail: info@jungleproducts.co.uk
Web: jungleproducts.co.uk
Golf and Travel Magazine

Read online

golfandtravelmag.com
 BIKE MAGAZINE
66
JANUARY 2023

THE
NETHERLANDS
 BIKE MAGAZINE
67
JANUARY 2023

Anneliese Lenzen

Anneliese Lenzen is an amateur cycle tourist, avid bicycle commuter and

blogger writing about all things bike. Having completed a two month cycle
tour recently and accompanying YouTube channel, she aims to spread the
love of bicycles in everyday life. With an aim to reduce our need for carbon
based transport and wanting to promote the benefits of cycling for both
physical and mental health, she aims to show that anyone can fall in love with
cycling regardless of their bicycle history. Founding the Cycle Zen YouTube
channel and accompanying website: www.cycle-zen.com, Anneliese is now
working full time towards promoting cycling in the community and especially
amongst young people and those looking for a healthier lifestyle.

Is it the best country

for cycle touring?

It’s a well known fact the Dutch
have it good when it comes
to cycling; immaculate cycle
routes, stunning scenery and
countryside flatter than my
native Norfolk. All making for
a country where the cyclist is
king, but does that necessarily
translate into an exciting cycle
tour? It was a question I began
to ponder whilst starting to
prepare for a two month cycle
tour around the Netherlands
and neighbouring Germany. A
lifelong cyclist and hardened
bicycle commuter; this would
be the first cycle tour I had
completed which would last
more than the usual few days.
After planning the journey for
six months and deciding on the
all important set-up, the first
stage involved catching the ferry
from the Port of Harwich over
to Hoek van Holland. It was the
end of June and I had managed
to catch a break in restrictions
allowing safe passage over to
Holland and hopefully a summer
of wonderful cycling.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
68 THE NETHERLANDS
JANUARY 2023

One of the most common

discussion points I have had along
the way and something all cycle
tourists love to talk about is the
kit. After completing research I
decided to go for a single wheel
trailer and bike bags. Intending
to camp everywhere, therefore
needing to carry a tent and all of
the associated kit, I could see the
benefit of having one large space
to store it all. Don’t get me wrong,
I’ve used panniers and think they
are great for adding storage to the
bike but the engineer in me just
loved the streamlined profile and
durability of the trailer.

Little did I know at the time that

the 100km cycle from my home
city of Norwich down to Harwich
would prove some of the most
challenging aspects of the tour.
It is only now having experienced
the Netherlands and Germany
that I can fully compare the three
countries. It makes complete
sense when you think about it; a
country that invests so much into
its cycling infrastructure is going
to have a completely different
perception of the cyclist. This
mentality is evident in Germany
and especially the Netherlands;
the bicycle isn’t just a form of
transport but a part of you, an
extension of your physical being
that gives you ultimate freedom. I
have always felt this which is why
I adore cycling but this doesn’t
seem to be the majority mindset in
the UK yet. Having great hopes for
the future, my wish is that this will
change one day. But what it means
now, in reality, is that many roads
are, shall we say; challenging.

Having arrived at the port, the

trailer and bike set up had
already been put through its
paces. Encountering a few hills
and multiple busy A-roads; I’d
developed a real respect for the
trailer design. Yes, the hills proved
more tricky but the rideability
and handling ment forgetting
it was even attached (at times),
something I never felt whilst using
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 69
JANUARY 2023

panniers. Even embarkation at the

port, alongside the trucks, lorries
and wrath of vehicles, it felt solid
and allowed me to dominate my
space in the queue. Arriving in the
Netherlands was a remarkable
experience; clearly labelled cycle
routes which were separate to
the main traffic, smooth tarmac
and breathtaking views. Upon
reaching a junction or roundabout
it was astonishing to witness
the cars giving way to cyclists.
Understanding the road, I knew to
expect this but believe me; it still
took a few attempts before I could
mentally take them at full speed.
But, without a doubt, the most
delightful sight seen that day was
a school trip; thirty or so children,
around the ages of ten/eleven
being led by their teacher - all on
bicycles! Something I would love to
see in the UK one day.

Having decided long before that

the northernmost coast of the
Netherlands was a must see,
with its spectacular beauty and
marvellous man-made landscape,
I started heading north. It also
seemed like a logical route to
take into Germany; one that
would take me through striking
forests with multiple places to
wild camp, something I got pretty
good at along the way. The route
didn’t disappoint; the agricultural
north of Holland is phenomenal;
thousands of kilometers of well
signed and maintained, smooth
cycle routes only broken up by
architecturally impressive historic
villages and towns. All of this
infrastructure combined with a
culture and passion for the cyclist
and especially the cycle tourist
meant I was always approached
and asked about my travels. As I
cycled east towards the German
border the challenges of the A120
to Harwich became a distant
memory.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
70 THE NETHERLANDS
JANUARY 2023

Reaching the German border my

target was in sight; the river Elbe
cycle route. I wanted to pick it up
from Lenzen (Elbe), a UNESCO
World Heritage sight (and by
coincidence, my family name) in
order to follow it down towards
the Czech Republic. The 350km
between the German border and
Lenzen was amazing; it seemed
like the infrastructure, design
sense and passion for cycling had
just rolled on from the Netherlands
- with an addition. Along the route,
every 50km or so there would be
wooden structures specifically
designed for passing cyclists;
somewhere to make a coffee, get
out of the rain or just take a little
break during the days’ cycle. After
a few nights camping in Lenzen I
made my way down the river Elbe.

After reaching Magdeburg,

Germany, it was clear that the
flatlands of northern Germany
and the Netherlands were
giving way to something far
more undulating; much more
than had been experienced so
far on the tour. Although a little
challenging with the trailer, the
beautiful surroundings and fast
tarmac meant that it was worth
the struggle. Every cyclist loves a
downhill but with an added 50kg
and streamlined profile, it was just
that little bit more rewarding than
usual. It was at this point though
the realisation of the impending
route (and some external travel
restrictions out of my control)
that some decisions had to be
made. The route was going to
continue to elevate the further I
travelled south, whilst providing
stunning scenery, it did impede the
kilometers that could be covered
in a days’ cycling. Throughout
the Netherlands and Northern
Germany, 70 - 80km a day were
standard but this had reduced as
the hills started to kick in. With
the ever tightening restrictions on
movements between countries and
the onset of autumn meant that
the sensible decision saw a return
towards the Netherlands and
eventually home.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 71
JANUARY 2023

In late September, I made a beeline

for Amsterdam, deciding on a
few days break before cycling the
LF1 down to Hoek van Holland.
Arriving in central Amsterdam with
a fully ladened bike and trailer late
one Saturday night, I found myself
almost kissing the tarmac of the
country I had come to love. Yes, the
infrastructure is good but it is more
than that; the bicycle is your way
of life, your best companion. This
is why I identified so passionately
with this country; my relatively
cheap, off the peg road bike from
Decathlon had seen me over
2500km around northern Europe
and hadn’t failed me once - not
even a puncture. My trailer was still
water tight and protecting my kit
from the elements and as sturdy as
ever. All in all the knowledge and
experience I had gained from the
tour was immense; things I would
change next time, how to plan the
best route and generally living on
the road. All knowledge I will take
to the next destination I visit.

So, is the Netherlands the best

country for cycle touring? In short,
I don’t know. The only way to
answer this fully would be to visit
far more countries and repeat the
experience. In my opinion though,
it is the best country I have ever
cycled in; stunning countryside
and a passion for the bicycle
certainly make it ideal for a first
cycle tour. Yes, there is a lack of
hills but believe me, this can easily
be compensated by a days’ cycling
down the LF1 coastal route in a
strong headwind! So if you are
reading this thinking of a cycle
tour, unsure where to start, I can
fully recommend the Netherlands
as it will certainly not disappoint.
 BIKE Marketplace is a site for free classifieds
ads in the UK. Buy and sell bicycles, accessories,
components, clothing, and much more in your area.

marketplace.bike-mag.com
 BIKE MAGAZINE
74
JANUARY 2023

THE RIDE
OF MY LIFE

Marcia Roberts
Endurance cyclist & LEJOGLE world Record holder 2020.
Women’s cycling writer and blogger : https://mawonavelo.com
Mindset coach - website : 
https://motivating-mindset.com : Facebook Motivating-mindset
Instagram : Mawonavelo
Free your mind - your future has no limits
They say that when life gives you
lemons, make lemonade.
They say that when life gives you
lemons, make lemonade.
2020 has certainly given the
world more than its fair share
of lemons. If you are fortunate
enough to be blessed with good
health and fitness, the lemons
have been delivered in the form
of cancellations of pretty much
all amateur sporting events in
the calendar.
So, this left athletes around the
world trained up with no where
to compete. No marathons, no
sportives, no swimming, no
triathlons…the list was endless.
Lockdowns made it difficult
to train anyway, so many of
us baked cakes, and gained a
BIKE MAGAZINE
75
JANUARY 2023
little extra padding. I was no
exception and was horrified that
after only a month I had gained
more than half a stone thanks
to my husbands’ new baking
hobby, and my sudden reduction
in training.
In March I had been in the final
stages of training to compete in
the Race around the Netherlands.
The event was due to run in May,
but it was looking likely to be
either postponed or cancelled.
My motivation to train dropped
away, especially once we were in
full lockdown. Endless hours on
a turbo trainer didn’t appeal to
me after I had been planning on
long multiday rides through April.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
76 THE RIDE OF MY LIFE
JANUARY 2023

Nevertheless, I didn’t want all

my winter training to go to waste
so I looked for a new challenge
on home turf. It needed to be
epic, but also flexible enough to
enable me to plan it around Covid
restrictions.

In recent years I had begun

wondering if I might be able to
achieve a cycling world record.
But, let me put this into context. I
am not your traditional athlete, in
fact until November 2019 I didn’t
consider myself to be an athlete at
all. Yes, I could cycle a long way
which is something I discovered
I could do back in 2008 after a
charity bike ride in Vietnam, but I
was always a slow rider and have
never competed in a bike race.
Over the years though I’ve ridden
a number of long-distance rides,
especially Audax.

I had a home-grown event in mind

and checked Guinness World
Records to discover that there
hadn’t been a female record set. In
fact, there was no record anywhere
of even a female attempt.

‘What is the challenge?’ you might

ask.

‘Lands End to John O’Groats, AND

back again’ would be my reply.
Around 1750 miles from end to end
to end.

I registered with Guinness and

together with my coach Trevor
Payne (Zone 6 Concept) set about
changing my training regime to
that for a hilly British ride instead
of a flat and windy Dutch ride.

We were still in lockdown, but

I embraced the Turbo trainer to
maintain my fitness and used my
1 permitted exercise a day to go
out for an hour and do hill reps on
our limited local hills. As summer
eventually allowed us more
freedom I rode further, increasing
my mileage to around 450 miles a
week, and worked on my nutrition
for the ride, with the help of
32Gi. My life for anything other
than training was on hold. Every
moment that I wasn’t working, I
was either training or sleeping.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 77
JANUARY 2023

Riding for Mental Health

Since this was such a big
undertaking for me, I also wanted
to use the ride not just for my own
achievement, but also for two other
reasons.

First, I am a no longer as youthful

as I once was and have always
been a very ordinary ‘non athlete’
by any standard definition. I
wanted to show that you don’t
need to be a young, fit traditional
endurance athlete to do something
epic. If you set your mind to
something, it’s possible, even if
you make loads of errors. It just
takes a strong will and a lot of
determination. I’ve ridden in Audax
for a number of years, and Audax
teaches you a lot of that, and the
rest comes with practice.

Second, I wanted to raise money

and awareness for mental health. I
became very aware of some of the
impact of the Covid pandemic on
the mental health of myself, and
some good friends of mine. I could
see that mental health services
were going to be required every
bit as much as medical services,
and yet charitable mental health
funding dried up almost overnight
as their normal big fundraising
events were all cancelled. I wanted
to help.

So I decided to I would ride to

support Solent Mind, the local
branch of the national mental
health charity.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
78 THE RIDE OF MY LIFE
JANUARY 2023

There and back again

Eventually August arrived, and
the planned start date of 23rd.
All of the UK had opened up for
business, and so it was my narrow
window of opportunity to complete
the ride.

My attempt did not include a

professional support team, in fact I
wasn’t even going to be supported
for the whole ride. My support
crew was my husband, in our semi
converted transit van, and our dog
Jess. I had originally planned a
self-supported ride, but Guinness
set a target time that made that an
impossible mission.

Even before I had started the

ride, people around the country
started to become aware of
what I was doing. I had been
interviewed by my local paper
and radio, and along with posts
on various cycling group forums,
word was getting out. A few days
before the ride started, I had an
offer of a motorbike outrider to
accompany me along the fast and
dangerous A30 through Devon &
Cornwall. I accepted readily. Steve
rode behind me until Tiverton in
Somerset where we parted ways
until the return leg. The first day
went well. The route was simple,
there were no major towns to
navigate other than Taunton, and I
had a great tail wind. All along the
route, there were people waiting in
laybys and on roundabouts waving
me on. I felt amazing by the time
I arrived at the hotel in Portishead
for a precious few hours’ sleep.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 79
JANUARY 2023

On the second day, the plan began

to fall apart a little. There were
numerous navigation woes, which
slowed me down, and a puncture.
This was my highest mileage
day, and I didn’t need any hold
ups. A number of riders came
out and joined me, especially in
the evening. It was lovely to have
company for some of the miles &
they helped keep me awake and
moving forwards. I finished in
Lancaster around 3am and got my
head down for a couple of hours
sleep – it was not really enough.

On day three, my fortunes changed

again, but for the worst. Storm
Francis hit the north west with
full bluster. My top half stayed
relatively dry thanks to my GoreTex
Shakedry jacket, but everything
else just filled up with water. I
changed clothes a few times
during the day, but it didn’t stop
saddle sores developing, and
tiredness setting in. I couldn’t wear
my glasses due to the rain, and the
waterproof protection that I used
to cover my Garmin also steamed
up. Navigation through Kendal,
Penrith and Carlisle became
difficult and I found myself going
round in circles. But eventually the
sun came out and I crossed into
Scotland. The poor weather hadn’t
finished yet, and as darkness fell,
so did the rain, and an annoying
headwind. I stopped early, got a
couple of hours sleep in the van,
and headed back out in the early
hours towards Hamilton. I was well
down on my mileage.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
80 THE RIDE OF MY LIFE
JANUARY 2023

From that point, a combination

of the saddle sores, not enough
to eat and tiredness meant that I
became further behind plan as the
days went on. I progressed to John
O’Groats with no further navigation
problems, but an inability to keep
my eyes open once in darkness
featured a lot. I was very thankful
that my husband was supporting
with the van, as I was able to grab
short sleeps which would enable
me to progress further, but my
daily mileages were not where I
wanted them to be. This state of
affairs continued through most of
the return journey, although I had
learned my navigation lessons
coming back, and adjusted my
route to stick to the main roads.

One of the striking features of my

ride was the immense kindness of
strangers. They watched my ‘dot’
24/7 and popped up all over the
place. Some came to ride with me,
some came to cheer me on, others
were on route with food or handed
me money for my charity. A lovely
lady called Nicky even volunteered
to support me with her own
campervan for a couple of days
after my husband had to return
home. A Facebook group was set
up so that updates were just in
one place, but the messages went
wild. Whenever I stopped, I took
a few minutes glance at them,
and they spurred me on through
my darkest moments – of which
there were many! At one point I
could see that even record braking
legends Lynne Taylor, Jane Moore
and Jenny Graham were following
my progress, and sending me
messages of support.

I crossed the finish in 11 days, 13

hours, and 13 minutes. Although
this was slower that the original
Guinness target time, they have
agreed that they will accept this
as the official record, subject to
my evidence being submitted and
approved.
 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE-MAG.COM 81
JANUARY 2023

Legacy
Once I decided to fundraise for
mental health, I decided to also
set up a virtual LEJOGLE challenge
to encourage riders to keep on
riding, and also raise further
funds for MIND. This has meant
that for some, the dot watching
still hasn’t stopped, and the
participants have been having their
own competitions to see who can
complete the ride first. Some have
caught the long-distance riding
bug and joined Audax UK with a
view to riding events in the future.

Some people have said they have

stopped making excuses for not
riding when the weather turns,
or if things start to get difficult,
and they say to themselves ‘what
would Marcia do?’, and then keep
on riding, or ‘be more Marcia’. It
seems a bit strange that somehow,
I have inspired that, but it’s also
very flattering.

LEJOGLE sponsorship (& Gift Aid,)

and the proceeds of the Virtual
LEJOGLE event have raised £11,125
for Solent Mind.

You can still donate at

https://www.justgiving.com/
fundraising/marcia-roberts

2020 may have given us lemons,

but for me, I made as much
lemonade as I could. Had it not
been for Covid I would not have
a world record, would not have
raised any money for charity, or
raised awareness of the links
between mental health and cycling.

What opportunity will you find

next time you are presented with
lemons?

https://mawonavelo.com (cycling
blog)

https://motivating-mindset.com
(Coaching website)
 Visit Rhodes this year
and cancel out your
carbon footprint
with our
cycling vacation
packages
www.rctravel.gr

Book our
guided cycling vacation
self guided tours
bike rentals
booking@rctravel.gr
fully supported by info@rctravel.gr
www.rodoscycling.com
rodoscycling@gmail.com
+306947309911

ESCAPE THE
LOCKDOWN
Come to Almeria and ride
with Velo Velefique.

Discover Spain’s unique

cycling experience.

www.velovelefique.com
 BIKE MAGAZINE
SHOWCASE 83
JANUARY 2023

Try Monchique The Old Manse The Union Inn

Watch House Ln, Cowes PO31 7QH

01751 476484
www.trymonchique.pt 01983 293163
www.oldmansepickering.co.uk
www.union-inn-cowes.co.uk

Larnaca Pro Cycle Hire Slow Tours Newbourne Woodland Campsite

Milos Court 3 Spyrou Kyprianou 39 Larnaca 26 Renfrew Drive, Hawthorndene Australia Jackson Road Newbourne Woodbridge Suffolk
00357 96885329 +61 408 358 448 01473 736201
www.larnacaprocycle.com www.slowtours.com www.newbourne-campsite.co.uk

Dordogne Cycling Holidays Trevarrian Lodge Harefield Hall

Le Guichard Grand Brassac 24350 Dordogne Mawgan Porth, Cornwall Ripley Bank, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate
0033 (0) 553908495 01637 860 156 01423 711 429
www.dordognecycling.co.uk www.trevarrianlodge.co.uk www.harefieldhall.com
 BIKE Marketplace is a site for free classifieds
ads in the UK. Buy and sell bicycles, accessories,
components, clothing, and much more in your area.

marketplace.bike-mag.com