Long, dark winter nights can be a time to dream. Maybe of rides to come. Like cycling across a sun-drenched landscape, taking winding back roads to visit hilltop villages, pausing to explore ancient castles... and enjoying a well-earned glass or two of wine at the end of the day. Sound good? Then instead of just… Continue reading Time To Dream…Or Make It Real
Since announcing the first Pedal Portugal guided cycle tour in early October, I've been working hard to develop a range of tours for 2016* taking in a selection of the country's different regions. *NOTE: This blog post was about plans for our first year of guided tours (2016) - to see what's coming up in… Continue reading Guided Tours of Portugal
Back in August I wrote a post about the dilemma of what to pack/take on a cycling trip and listed several of the items that make it to my 'must have' list. As promised, this is a continuation of that list with reviews of three more of my personal essentials: 4. MIRRYCLE BIKE MIRROR Bought:… Continue reading Some Of My Favourite Things – Part 2
Exciting news! (For me at least.) The first Pedal Portugal guided cycle tour takes place in 2016 - a 10-day circuit beginning from Lagos on January 31st. I've been thinking of setting up guided tours for a while as it seems the logical next step. I've been giving out advice on cycling in Portugal for… Continue reading Algarve Winter Tour
Warning: this post has nothing to do with Portugal but it is about cycle touring (and why I haven't been posting any updates for the last month) so hopefully still of interest! To celebrate my 50th birthday - and in the interests of trying out the roads in a few countries I've never visited before… Continue reading The Spice Of Life
Some of the hardest decisions when planning a cycle tour are not about where to go but what to take - particularly if you've got to carry everything on your bike. Making up your route as you go is easy. Some roads turn out to be nothing like as nice as they looked when you were… Continue reading Some Of My Favourite Things – Part 1
Fancy riding your bike to some of the most gorgeous and unspoilt beaches in Portugal? Want to escape the crowds on tiny back roads that aren't marked on any regular tourist map? Like the idea of tackling some some rugged hills and exploring orchards full of oranges and olives? Well, help is at hand! My second guidebook… Continue reading Cycling The Algarve – Published!
I realise not everyone can choose when to take holidays but I'm always surprised by the number of emails I get from people seeking advice on cycling in Portugal during July and August. It gives me a real dilemma. On the one hand I want to help, but on the other hand I don't want people going… Continue reading You Really Want To Go Now?
Here's some inspiration for anyone thinking of a trip to Portugal... not my work but a gallery of photos from Bulgarian rider Nora Gavazova. I was able to help Nora with some route advice while she was in the Alentejo earlier this year and she kindly sent me these pictures. She's also added some useful… Continue reading Alentejo gallery
So, is it time to expand? Stop just providing advice to fellow cyclists and start running guided tours of Portugal? Over the last few years the Pedal Portugal website seems to have taken over my life. Visitors to the site went up from around 3,000 in 2013 to more than 13,000 in 2014 - and… Continue reading Cycle Tours – Thinking Out Loud
Pedal Portugal 