Bike travel Archives -

Women riding the Tour de France route for equality – a huge feat

August 7, 2019 Nicola Bike travel, Cycle tours, Professional cycling, Women cycling

I’m totally in awe of a group of female cyclists who just finished the most amazing undertaking by riding the Tour de France route a day ahead of the men’s professional race. There were two groups of these amazing women – the Donnons des Elles au Velo (a group of French women who I wrote about last year) who were tackling the route for the fifth time, and a new group call the InternationElles. This InternationElles group of ten women and their French sisters undertook the ride to highlight the lack of equality in men’s and women’s cycling. Riding each

female cyclists doing amazing things – Monika sattler

April 18, 2019 Nicola Bike travel, Life purpose, Women cycling

I always enjoy reading about female cyclists doing amazing things, so the story of Monika Sattler who rode the entire three week Vuelta a España last year, just ahead of the pro peloton, caught my eye this week. That led me to find out more about this extraordinary woman who has a really interesting story so instead of rewriting it I’m sharing her story direct from her own website. Over to Monika…… The seemingly perfect career path Originally from Germany, after high school I moved to the US to play Volleyball for a university team. I graduated with a summa

You should try a bike riding tour in Bali

March 19, 2019 Nicola Bike travel, Mountain bike riding, Women cycling

Last week I was on holidays in Indonesia and couldn’t resist a bike riding tour in Bali. My week long holiday was focused on rest and relaxation, but like most of my holidays I found an excuse to ride a bike. I was travelling with a group of 11 people including a few who don’t ride regularly, so we wanted to find a tour that would suit all of us. We found Happy Bike Tours via an internet search and we couldn’t have been happier. We had a slight hiccup with our booking so I’d recommend that you reconfirm a

I loved riding the Shimanami Kaido

October 31, 2018 Nicola Bike travel, Cycle groups, Women cycling

I’ve just finished riding in the most amazing cycling mecca – riding the Shimanami Kaido with a fabulous group of women led by my friend Tina McCarthy from Wheel Women in Melbourne. Tina is a self-confessed Japanophile with a love affair with all things Nippon spanning 30 years. The tour I’m on is Tina’s third or fourth tour to Japan and she’s got it down to a fine art. What a wonderful time I’ve had, and I’m sure all the others on the tour have had equal enjoyment. Japan is such a wonderful melting pot of old and new. Ancient

Tips for packing your bike for air travel

October 16, 2018 Nicola Bike travel, Women cycling

I’m off to Japan later this week and need to get my bike ready, so I thought I should share some tips on packing your bike for air travel. If you’re not really confident about packing your own bike then make a quick call to your local bike shop and ask them to assist. They’ll probably charge you a modest fee so check that when you make the call to them, and make sure you allow plenty of time before your trip. If you want to give it a go yourself then keep reading. My partner and I have been

Come with me on the Wheel Women Japanese Cycling tour

October 9, 2018 Nicola Bike travel, Blogging, Cycle groups, Cycle tours, Women cycling

I am super excited about heading off next week for the Wheel Women Japanese Cycling tour which will see me riding in southern Japan. Our fabulous tour leader Tina McCarthy describes the tour as a full immersion in another world, with the boundaries of the old and the new criss-crossing at every turn. “From sublime temples to the dazzling orchestra of neon signs in the cities, our Wheel Women Japan Tour takes you on a journey across the sea, over bridges and among friends,” Tina says. Wheel Women’s Tina McCarthy, who has been travelling to Japan since 1986 when her

The amazing life of the World Bike Girl

December 5, 2017 Nicola Bike travel, Women cycling

One of the very best things about being cycling blogger is connecting with extraordinary women and their bikes, and the World Bike Girl Ishbel has an amazing story to share. She is travelling around the world by bike rescuing homeless dogs. She actually contacted me a few months ago and we’ve been corresponding by email. Here’s a few Q&As, but I encourage you to visit her website to learn more. Q: I read that you grew up in Scotland, but now travel the world by bike. Is there a country you call home? Do you still see your family? Do

What to pack for a cycling tour in Europe

October 17, 2017 Nicola Bike travel, Blogging, Cycle tours, Women cycling

I’ve always been intrigued about bike touring, and can’t say I have any experience of what to pack for a cycling tour. So when I read a recent post from fellow blogger Laura Rigby on her great blog Follow My Wheel, I asked Laura if I could reproduce it here. Laura and her husband Phil undertook an ambitious four week cycling tour that started in Nice and ended in Milan. They cycled 1,377 kms and climbed 26,900 vertical metres over 21 ride days carrying all of their luggage in panniers on touring bikes. Laura was good enough to share, and explain

Be inspired to take your bike on holidays

April 18, 2017 Nicola Bike travel, Cycle tours, Women cycling

It’s always great to find a fellow cycling blogger who is as keen about sharing her love of riding with others as me, and in her case she’s focused on how you can take your bike on holidays. Laura Rigby and I connected a few months ago and I was so taken with her blog – Follow My Wheel that I asked her if I could publish one of her posts here. Over to Laura…. Lake Iseo is one of the lesser known lakes in northern Italy. Most crowds flock to Lake Como, Garda & Maggiore which are all

How do I get my partner to ride with me?

April 4, 2017 Nicola Bike travel, Women cycling

‘How do I get my partner to ride with me’ is a question I’ve been asked quite a few times by both men and women. They, like me, love cycling so much that they want to share its many benefits with those closest to them. So here’s a few tips that might help. Before you read on, please excuse the stereotyping and generalising. I’m assuming a low level of bike skills applies here (just like me before I took up road cycling). These thoughts certainly don’t apply to every woman. Be patient and understanding Women generally approach activities like cycling