Bikexplore - Bike tours and expeditions near and far for all abilities by experienced tour leaders
Menu
  1. Home
  2. UK Tours
  3. Abroad
  4. Contact Us
  5. Articles of Interest
  6. About us
image

Where am I going in 2024?


image

Japan - April 2024

Full Trip

Moving on 

Japan continues to be a prime destination for cycle tourists, many of whom return again and again. It is the civilized Far East with amazingly polite people and with so much well preserved history. The scenery is stunning, with mountains, terraced rice paddies, lakes, fishing villages, temples, castles, traditional Japanese Hostels with natural hot water Onsen and much more. Apart from the three main islands there are many smaller islands, each with their unique character. The island of Shikoku lies to the south of the largest island of Honshu and to the east of the island of Kyushu, reached by ferries and bridges across smaller islands to the mainland. Shikoku contains 88 temples which are the subject of a 'Shikoku Pilgrimage'.

For pictures and blog of my visit in 2018

Other Tours in 2024

I have a number of other tours in the planning sage at present.

These will be another cycling trip to the USA, where I have led 7 tours in the past, in this case Yellowstone. I am also looking at a both a fixed centre and moving on tour in the UK.


My experience and style

What to expect


Who am I?

Married with two children, I have organised trips and tours for the Tandem Club, CTC Tours and friends for over 30 years.
My daytime job is a Veterinary Surgeon, but it is really the organising of these holidays and trips that gives me the greatest pleasure.

My tour leading style

My approach is best described as 'relaxed and organised'. I cut my teeth with the Tandem Club, starting with Youth Hostel gatherings for 50 people rising to seven National events attended by over 400 people. For me your holiday is exactly that, a holiday, an experience. If you wish to ride at the front or spend your time idling through the countryside taking in the sites then that's your choice. What I do is provide the tools and support to allow this.

The roads I take

I do a tremendous amount of research into the rides that we follow. I aim to use quiet roads wherever possible, linking places of interest along the way.

The places we stay

A holiday is an immersive experience and a chance to experience the country you are in and the accommodation is a big part of that - after all, over half of your trip will be spent here. I source local accommodation, trying to avoid middle range hotels that are so common on most commercial trips. I have organised 15 tours from chateaus, stayed in yurts in Mongolia and book bed and breakfast and cabins in America, it adds to the experience.

Where do I go ?

I have an incredibly diverse portfolio with regard to the types and locations of tours I've led. My speciality was family tours whilst our family were growing up. Today I go anywhere where the cycling and views are unmissable, be this Sri Lanka, Chile or Mongolia. To pigeon hole me slightly, I have and will lead tours to the United States, a country I understand and with extraordinary areas to see such as Yellowstone National Park. Added to this I visit South East Asia on a regular basis and in 2020 visited Central America for the first time. Closer to home, Norway is a wonderful place and the UK is pretty special as well.

Where have I been?

I have led over 70 tours all over the world for CTC Holidays and Tours, a number of private tours and over 20 centre based trips in the UK for the Tandem Club. Below is just a selection of my previous trips. Take a look at my previous holidays.

image

Jordan 2020
Quite an extraordinary place as we cycled from North to South taking in the Roman city of Jerash, Wadi Rum and of course Petra

  For pictures and blog see: Jordan

image
Family holiday to Germany in 2017
Having done these for 14 years, many families featured here are now firm friends.

 For pictures and a blog see:  Germany 

image
Sri Lanka
 
The children on this island are certainly a curious and gregarious bunch. I've visited twice and will do again in 2022For pictures and blog see:


imageIn 1996 Sarah and I cycled to Australia on a Tandem along with our little mascot who continues to travel with us. We popped into the headquarters of Adventure Cycling in Montana, the continuation of a fondness for cycling in the USA where I have led 7 tours so far, and yes I'm a life member of this organisation promoting cycling in the USA.        Adventure Cycling 

image

Norway

 

Where it all began in 2005, as 12 of us explored the fjords and mountains in Western Norway

 For pictures and blog see:  Norway

Neil's contact details

neil@tandem-club.org.uk
Terms Of UsePrivacy StatementCopyright 2024 by Bikexplore
Back To Top