If you haven’t yet noticed, two-wheeled excitement is hotting up for this summer’s Tour De France Grand Depart in Yorkshire, with cycling related initiatives from local artists’ commissions for bike-shaped pavement benches to cycling-themed weddings popping up all over the region. Tyre pressures are being checked and a battalion of amateur and semi-pro riders are heading out on a tightly organised schedule of training weekends, gearing up for this year’s cycling sportifs which are being organised, literally, all over the UK. We thought, then, that it’s worth stepping back and looking afresh at the cycling phenomenon currently gripping the UK and to put two great things together: cycling and camping –
CYCLE CAMPING! Steve McCully, founder of Lios Bikes (follow him on Twitter @liosbikes), told Campsite Chatter that UK bicycle sales reached an all time high in 2012, with the market set to grow to £800M by 2016. Over the past five years, the retail price paid for bikes has increased by more than 40%. McCully explains, “With significant success at the Olympics, as well as Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Brit to win the Tour de France, participation in competitive as well as casual cycling continues to rapidly grow. 3 million people cycle three times a week or more, with a further 750,000 cycling to work. It's often quicker to cycle somewhere, especially in built up areas, than it is to catch a bus, jump in the car or on the tube. Plus you save money on all the transport costs. I've not even mentioned the benefits from exercise...”
Cue Campsite Chatter’s new camping specialism:
cycle camping. We have identified
5 cycle camping hotspots in the UK, Cycle camping plus of course the North Yorkshire zone hosting
Le Grand Depart, so that you, your group or family can find campsites near cycling:
some of the best road cycling, route cycling or off-road mountain biking in the UK. Whether you are a serious road cyclist, are a parent of a mountain-bike-avid teen, fancy a fun family cycling holiday or are a relative new-comer to all of this bike-malarky, these pages will help you to plan your trip.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, the
Campsite Chatter UK cycle camping hotspots for great cycling holidays in no particular order are…
Cycling holidays in Kent : With its flat, picturesque, varied landscape Kent is ideal for both family cycling holidays and for those who want to use two wheels to link up the historical attractions of the Garden of England (and we are including in this the historical pubs!). Road cycling enthusiasts won’t be disappointed either, with many available options for serious distance routes. Follow @visitkent Twitter feed for tweets about what else is on in the region.
Cycling holidays in Northumberland: A gem for all things cycle, Northumberland’s well organised traffic-free family routes and challenging forest trails ideal for mountain biking offer something for everyone. Follow Cycle Pad on Twitter (@CyclePad) for information on routes in the area and Visit Northumberland (@VisitNland) for news of events in the region.
Cycle camping in the Brecon Beacons: Focusing on biking around the Usk Reservoir, Llanfoist, around Llangorse and Talybont, these campsites will give you access to natural mountain-biking playgrounds, rewarding road routes and family fun cycling days out, all within the stunning setting of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Follow Brecon Beacons National Park news on Twitter (@BreconBeaconsNP).
Cycling Holidays in the Lake District: Cycle through the picturesque beauty and tranquillity of the Lakes and reward yourself with jaw-dropping views. Road cyclists and mountain bikers will love this hotspot, with its focus on mountain biking trails in Whinlatter Forest, Grizedale Forest and routes around beautiful Lazonby.
Cycling Holidays in the South Downs National Park: Visit this cycling-passionate region of the UK to explore its breath-taking countryside and villages using the web of cycle routes that run around and adjacent to the South Downs Way, one of the UK’s 15 National Cycle Routes. Follow @sdnpa Twitter Feed for tweets on what else is on in the region.
Tour de France Campsites: Will you pace-set or slip-stream this summer? Peddle the same routes as the world’s top cycling athletes but at a slightly more leisurely pace, perhaps?
