Life In The Saddle

This year has been the first in decades that I haven't (yet) had my 'Mountain Fix'. The start of family life has been a wonderful adventure, but it has put many of my adventure plans on hold. Books have provided one means for me to live out those adventures vicariously, and to make many great plans for future ones. The Cairngorms and Perthshire are a beautiful and surprisingly accessible part of Scotland, which I have only very briefly visited in the past; a visit that left me with a strong feeling of wanting more. Markus Stitz's latest book provides everything you could need for planning a gravel adventure in the wild and wonderful Scottish landscape. With detailed route plans, genuine 1:50,000 OS Map inserts, GPX files, and stacks of local information on places to visit, equipment to take, and general safety advice; ' Gravel Rides Cairngorms and Perthshire ' is an indispensable resource for anyone wanting to visit Scotland and ride in this beautiful area. ...

Simon Warren's '100 Greatest Climbs' has become an iconic bucket list for hill climbing enthusiasts across the UK. In recent years, Simon has branched out into many more editions focussing both on localised regions of the UK e.g. 'Cycling Climbs of Wales' as well as further afield in volumes such as '100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of Spain'.  The latest addition to Simon's library is 'Another 100 Greatest Climbs' and '100 Greatest Climbs of the Tour de France'. Both brilliant pocket-sized books that give you all the information you need to create the ultimate climbing bucket list. 'Another 100 Greatest Climbs' promises to be " Longer, Higher and Steeper! " than the original 100 Climbs volume. How?  ' Longer' because Cragg Vale is the longest continuous uphill gradient in the whole of England; 'Higher' because Belanch-na-Bà is Simon's new favourite climb; and 'Steeper'  because Vale Street in B...

The Lake District has long been one of my favourite destinations in the UK, with its never-ending green wilderness, craggy peaks and glistening lakes. I have been to Cumbria on many walking holidays, but I have never taken a bike there; but, I think this book is the final motivation to change that... ' Gravel Rides Lake District ' is a pocket-sized guide to 15 of the best gravel bike rides in the beautiful Lake District National Park. Ranging in distance and difficulty, from 17 to 270 kilometres in length, there is something for every gravel cyclist, with a mix of terrain and backdrops.   The guide has been put together by local expert Andrew Barlow, and the routes include colour 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps, simple directions, and profiles of each route. There are also details of great local cafe stops, and a link to downloadable GPX files. It is a brilliant easy to follow pocket route guide.  >> Shop the 'Gravel Rides Lake District' by Andrew Barlow Disclaimer:...

I love Wales, and every time I visit, I say I must come back and ride more in this land of green mountains, lush sheep covered valleys, and rugged coastlines. Emma Kingston's new release ' Bikepacking Wales ' provides the practical, logistical and inspirational material to make that dream a reality. With eighteen multi-day mountain bike routes across Wales, outlined in great pictorial and written detail; each adventure includes a route description, points of interest along the route, food recommendations and accommodation options. Downloadable GPX files of each route are also available. This new guidebook is a pleasure to read, and it will have you longing for your next escape into the Welsh countryside. For a small country, Wales has a lot to offer the off-road cyclist – with a huge variety of trails to explore. From the amazing terrain of the Elan Valley to the ridge-lines of the Brecon Beacon; from the coastal paths of the Gower Peninsula to the Trans Cambrian Way; ...

In Simon Warren's latest '100Climbs' guide, he heads to Spain to document one hundred of the finest climbs and challenging gradients that have found fame in races such as the Vuelta a España. Also including the Canaries and the island of Mallorca – which I have visited on more than a dozen occasions, this little pocket guide is the perfect companion to let you know what you're really letting yourself in for on your route planning for that trip abroad… ' 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of Spain ' took five years to research and ride. It contains epic climbs such as the Angliru, Alto de Velefique, Lagos de Covadonga and the mighty Pico Veleta. Over on Mallorca, you will find familiar names such as Puig Major and Sa Calobra, whilst in the Canaries you will uncover Tiede on Tenerife, and the Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. Each climb is carefully profiled with gradients and a detailed description of the ascent. I was pleased to see I could tick off every climb i...

I have always enjoyed Hannah Reynold's writing. Much like me, she has dabbled in most disciplines of bike riding: from mountain bike racing to road criteriums; endurance cycling to utility cycling. Her depth of knowledge and years of experience are unpacked in her latest book ' 1001 Cycling Tips '. 1001 Cycling Tips is the essential cyclist's guide—to just about everything bike related. From choosing a bike, to training your fitness, using navigational apps, and exploring new cycling disciplines. Hannah provides her tips and advice through 1001 bullet point chunks, crammed into 150 pages, with some great colour photography. The tips range from basic technique: " #900 ­– On easy, off-road descents the three key things to remember are: head up, weight back and heels down. " Through to deeper sports psychology: "#717: You can outperform your fitness, but if your head falls off in a ride or race it is game over, however good your legs are." Plus, some gr...

In 2018, a team of dedicated cycling enthusiasts took over the colossal task of delivering an annual publication, seven days after the final race of any given season: a book 900+ pages in length, that takes you on a deep dive into the year's cycling calendar and reflects on the highs and lows of the year's bike racing. The Road Book is beautifully put together, with care and attention to detail. It includes in-depth race reports, exclusive essays, team profiles, imagery, trivia and infographics to document the events of the past season. With exclusive first-person accounts from cycling's biggest stars: including Tour de France stage winner Magnus Cort and female star Lorena Wiebes; as well as contributions from the best cycling writers and journalists—the book is a bible of cycling knowledge and passion. The 2022 edition, the fifth in the series, is packed with race reports, quirky statistics and infographics from the entire calendar of the men and women's World Tour ra...

Mark Beaumont is quite possibly my favourite 'famous' cyclist. His books ' The Man Who Cycled The World'  and ' Africa Solo ' have pride of place on my bookshelf; I have watched his documentaries and interviews on many occasions; and I have even ridden with and interviewed Mark several times. Mark Beaumont is the first to admit that he is not a World Tour professional, nor an Olympic level champion. He is however the Guinness World Record holder for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, and with that I believe he holds the accolade of being one, if not the strongest cyclist on the planet, in terms of spirit and mental fortitude. Considering Mark's incredible endurance achievements on a bike, and his everyday approachability, his latest book ' The Complete Guide to Cycling Psychology' , written in partnership with world-renowned sports phycologist Dr Jim Taylor, was always set to be a winner.  The book takes you through every aspect o...

I have not ridden Land's End to John O'Groats, despite having ridden the length of Britain on several occasions, as well as multiple trans-Europe tours. However, if I was to ride the iconic British bike ride I would, without doubt, follow the route laid out by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds in the beautifully edited and illustrated Britain's Best Bike Ride . I have never been one to race across countries, at least not in the literal sense. Some of my multi-country tours have demanded that I ride 200 km+ every day for several weeks to make up the time; however, I have always made time to stop; take in the local surroundings and appreciate the culture that a country has to offer.  Britain's Best Bike Ride  is all about that approach: not taking the fastest or most direct route to complete LEJOG, but instead taking the most interesting, scenic, and in my view most rewarding route from the southernmost point of mainland Britain to the most northern. Britain's Best B...

Traffic-Free Cycle Trails South East England by Nick Cotton and Kathy Rogers features over 100 great cycling routes across the South East, London and into Eastern England. The book offers routes of varying lengths and difficulties, all on traffic-free paths and trails. This is a great resource for gravel cyclists and leisure cyclists looking to explore on routes off the asphalt and into the quiet country landscape of South East England.  As well as detailed route guidance for all the route profiles, the book offers advice on refreshment stops, local points of interest, bike shops and public transport links; so, you can approach any itinerary with confidence that you have all the know-how you need for a relaxed ride.  The guide is formatted in an easy to use way: with iconography for facilities, and an information box containing suggestions on further route advice as outlined above.  I was personally pleased to see three routes on my home turf – the Isle of Wight, all of ...

" They are what they eat " says Hannah Grant—at the time Head Chef for Team Tinkoff-Saxo – one of the most successful professional cycling teams on the UCI World Tour circuit. It is a motto that I subscribe to very strongly. Food is an integral part of cycling. Food is your fuel, and your conditioning agent, as well as your recovery. Energy bars and gels can do so much, when you are on the bike; but it is what you eat the rest of the time that really makes a difference. Cycling teams realised the importance of nutrition some time back, and that is why a number of the top teams now have Michelin level chefs working for them; their role is to ensure that the nutritional intake of the riders is absolutely optimal for their performance. Hannah Grant is one of those top chefs, and just as the mechanics at Team Tinkoff-Saxo played an integral role in preparing the bikes for the riders each morning and evening, Hannah has a fundamental role in ensuring that the riders are co...

Signs of Life: A Doctor's Journey to the Ends of the Earth by Stephen Fabes is an amazing book, documenting an incredible journey. Stephen cycles the length of six continents, over six years; his story of experiences makes for a superb read. The narrative is thought provoking and inspiring. Stephen writes extremely well, and his journey is peppered with amusing forthright observations and encounters. Stephen comes across as a kind and compassionate man—who laughs at himself, and at the world he discovers. Stephen's ride offered him time to really look, listen, and think about the people in the hidden corners of our Earth. Reading his accounts, I longed on many occasions to be at his shoulder; tackling another climb, sharing the view at the summit, and marvelling at yet another new and fascinating culture. Signs of Life: A Doctor's Journey to the Ends of the Earth would be an excellent book to put in any cyclist or adventurer's stocking this Christmas, or indeed j...

This exciting new book is the latest release from single-speed round-the-world cyclist, Markus Stitz. It is a collection of 26 gravel routes across the British Isles, curated by Markus by visiting gravel cyclists from all walks of life, and documenting their favourite off-road rides. As a friend of Markus, and many of the local riders within this book, I was sure that this would be a fantastic read. It has not disappointed. Each route has a detailed route description, a map of the trail, public transport details and attractions to explore, cafe and pub recommendations, and a list of local bike shops and bike hire providers. On top of this there are downloadable GPX files for all the routes – making this an essential companion for every gravel rider in Britain that wants to explore new areas. Markus commented: “ I was curious about the places gravel bikes take us to, but I was even more interested in the people whose infectious enthusiasm makes gravel riding as vibrant as it is. ...

In 2018, a team of dedicated cycling enthusiasts took over the colossal task of delivering an annual publication, seven days after the final race of any given season: a book 900+ pages in length, that takes you on a deep dive into the year's cycling calendar and reflects on the highs and lows of the year's bike racing. The Road Book is beautifully put together, with care and attention to detail. It includes in-depth race reports, exclusive essays, team profiles, imagery, trivia and infographics to document the events of the past season. With exclusive first-person accounts from cycling's biggest stars: including Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix winners Tadej Pogacar and female star Lizzie Deignan; as well as contributions from the best cycling writers and journalists—the book is a bible of cycling knowledge and passion. The 2021 edition, the fourth in the series, is packed with race reports, quirky statistics and infographics from the entire calendar of the men and wo...

What is Britain's most famous highway? What is our Route 66? The road that springs to mind for many is the Great North Road. Stretching from London to Edinburgh, this 400-mile route holds a long and interesting history as a fundamental trading and touring route. The Great North Road by Steve Silk looks to tell that story, from the saddle of a bicycle. In 1921, the Great North Road ceased to exist, at least on paper; the old road was replaced by the A1 motorway that is now the backbone of traffic traversing the length of the UK from London to Scotland. One hundred years later, journalist and cyclist Steve Silk takes on the challenge of riding the length of the archaic route over the course of 11 days. Travelling by bicycle, he heads north from London at a casual 14 miles per hour; searching out milestones, coaching inns of a by-gone era, and of course coffee shops… The 'Slow Travel' journey provides some interesting and humorous discoveries along the route, with a pedal-by-...

Pennine Bridleway by Hannah Collingridge  is a guidebook to this exceptional off-road National Trail. It takes you on a multi-day off-road cycling adventure from Derbyshire through the Yorkshire Dales to Cumbria, following the Pennine Hills. The pocket-sized book documents the big ride—split into four sections: each section including detailed directions, stunning photography, as well as information on points of interest along the route—bringing the history and landscape of the trail to life. Researched, ridden and written by mountain biking expert and freelance writer Hannah Collingridge, the guidebook is clear and easy to use; with embedded Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, ascent and difficulty gradings, bikepacking hints and tips and local knowledge. There is also a comprehensive introduction and a detailed appendix, as well as a link to downloadable GPX files. This route only first came to my attention through Hannah's book, but it...

I have been dreaming a lot lately. Dreaming of faraway places, wilderness, and wild camps; of campfire dinners, loaded panniers, and long twisting trails that meander across the map. Big Rides by Kathy Rogers and Markus Stitz arrived on my doorstep just in time to add some achievable goals and route ideas to my bikepacking dreams. The book features 25 of the best long distance road cycling, gravel, and mountain biking routes across the United Kingdom. Markus Stitz is a friend I have contacted on several occasions regarding route ideas and trip itineraries. Big Rides is a paperback portfolio of beautiful routes all over the UK, crowd-sourced from knowledgeable bikepackers, but curated and edited in a comprehensive and very coherent manner in this detail publication by Markus and Kathy. From well-known routes such as Land's End to John O'Groats, to lesser-known trails such as the West Country Way or the Great North Trail. This book presents every route in meticulous detail, as we...

Heart warming and intensely personal, this is the story of a journey and the people that have made it. An incredible journey, from Lands End to John O' Groats—by bicycle.  Within its pages it incorporates a history of cycling from 1880 to the present day; how the record to achieve this iconic distance has gradually been reduced to an unbelievably short time.  The book is meticulously researched, beautifully written, and brought to life by interviews with the historic cyclists themselves. As Jones writes the stories of the record breakers, he rides the course himself in several long stages—immersing himself in the history and landscape.  Jones is self-critical and trying to come to terms with his recent decision to leave his job as a secondary school headteacher. His writing is poetic, funny, and observant; describing both his inner turmoil and the outer landscape he passes through. I loved this book, I felt I wanted to take note of particularly resonant phrases so I coul...

Post World War Two Europe makes for a fascinating study. At school and university my history and economic history courses delved deep into the political, economic, and social impact of the divisions between the communist bloc and the democratic west during the Cold War period. However, what my studies never really touched on, was sport. So, when the ' Race Against The Stasi'  was published I was sure it would be a compelling read. The historical account follows the life of Dieter Wiedemann—a cycling hero from the GDR (East Germany). Dieter's biography: composed of quotes, news extracts, and letters from his life, is a captivating account. It is story of ambition, success, challenge, and love. The narrative begins with Dieter competing for the GDR in amateur events such as the iconic Peace Race and tours of the communist bloc countries. However, after realising the true extent of political influence on his life and sport, Dieter eventually makes the life-changing decisio...

I have always been a fan of Mark Beaumont's past documentaries and books. Both ' The Man Who Cycled The World ' and ' The Man Who Cycled The Americas ' were superb in their ability to showcase the beauty and captivating cultures seen on long distance bike rides. ' Africa Solo' is an equally interesting story, but in many ways a quite different sequel; and unfortunately, I must admit one that in some ways I found slightly depressing... Mark makes it clear early on in ' Africa Solo ' that the attempt at the World Record from Cairo to Cape Town will be about speed, big miles, and racing the clock. The focus on culture, content creation, and storytelling will be pushed back to second place. I found this rearranged focus to slightly mar what I am sure could be a beautiful story of exploration of the African continent. Mark's previous tales of solo unsupported tours of the Americas and the World were a real immersion in the civilisations seen an...