Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cycling!

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
elioelio
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Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cycling!

Post by elioelio »

Hi there,

I started cycle touring last year and absolutely love it! Now I want to spend my holidays doing it, but of course have to take my partner into consideration. He has always said he doesn't like cycling, but since I've got back from a 3 month tour he seems to be more open to the idea. I've mentioned maybe us doing a short, easy cycle tour somewhere. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations or tips of where to go?
Beautiful scenery is important, or at least interesting places to see on the way, nice pubs etc. Traffic free (at least some of the way) would be great. I reckon 20-30 miles a day. Staying in cheap accommodation. 3-5 days.
Although we love camping, I thought maybe staying in b&bs may be easier for him and less likely for something to go wrong and him hate cycle touring for life! Also, we would have to invest in a larger tent (although I guess the money we save camping instead of b&bs night actually pay for a tent!). I've said I'll carry all the gear so he doesn't have to buy any cycle tour specific stuff.
We are from Norfolk so not too far from Europe, however I'd rather stay in the uk as I've not seen enough of it! But, I am open to ideas.

Has anyone got personal experience of getting their reluctant partner into cycle touring?

Thanks!
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gaz
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by gaz »

Viking Trail comes close to your criteria, possibly a little short. The suggested extension of NCN1 Crab and Winkle Way from Cantebury to pick up RCN18 Oyster Bay Trail between Whitstable and Reculver is a good one.
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Paulatic
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Paulatic »

Beautiful scenery and quiet roads = Dumfries &Galloway [emoji4]
The big mistake I made when trying to get my partner into cycling was;
Not very far (for me) = A long way
It's not a big hill (for me) = Oh no , not another hill.
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Ben@Forest
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Ben@Forest »

Blimey - carrying all the gear for two - you must be keen to convert him. And if you are doing that I'm not sure you want to be carrying too large a tent, the B&B option may be better, especially if the weather is inclement. For a beginner nothing is worse than being wet-through, having to pitch a tent in pouring rain, wondering about drying clothes, trying to cook something hot under a mean flysheet, etc,etc...

I didn't convert my partner (wife) and though it's a shame in some ways it also means I have the option to do what I want either alone or with like-minded people. At this time of year if I had to do a 30 mile bimble avoiding decent hills when I'd want to being doing 80 miles and putting in some ascent I'd be frustrated. So unless he comes up to doing what you consider decent you may be disappointed. And of course there's always the reverse scenario that he ends up a real roadie and wants to do more miles, more quickly than you can do or want to do!
Barrenfluffit
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Barrenfluffit »

Maybe ride to a specific (non cycling) event, and if you can do the bike bit as transport between points of interest even better. The less it looks like a *bike* tour the better, take a longer trip but have non cycling days (which also helps muscles).
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Vorpal »

If you are in Norfolk, maybe you don't need to go so far from home? The Broads offer some nice, off-road and quiet lane cycling. There are some routes with maps http://www.norfolkbroads.com/explore/cy ... ng-routes/

Or you can try a Sustrans route? http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/routes

The quality of these vary, so if something catches your interest, maybe post on here and someone with local knowledge can tell you how good the route is.
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mercalia
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by mercalia »

you ve got back from a 3 MONTH tour? cycle tour? understanding man
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syklist
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by syklist »

I didn't have a reluctant partner but part of the reason we are still cycle touring ten years after our first "long" trip is that we got lucky. We chose to do the Norwegian NSCR (can't remember why for the life of me) and then the "wrong way round" according to normal prevailing winds. We were lucky that the wind decided not to come from the prevailing direction. We also had an unusual amount of fine summer weather and nothing broke on our very cheap bikes. We also had enough understanding of life to be able to look back on the minor setbacks we had and then remember how good the trip was as a whole. We learned from the challenges we experienced along the way which we took with us on the subsequent trips.

My long winded point is that you can plan the ideal trip for your reluctant partner but in the end it the success of the holiday will be partly down to luck and partly down to how well you work together (especially in adversity).

As for a a trip suggestion, you could do a lot worse than pop over the North Sea to Holland. The NSCR coastal route is easy in terms of terrain so not too many physical challenges. From Hoek van Holland to Nieuweschans it is a four day cycle for "normally fit cycle tourers" cycling laden with camping gear. If the wind (your main adversary) is unfavourable when you land then you could take the train to Nieuweschans (by the border with Germany) and start from there. If you run out of time or steam then there are a reasonable number of escape routes by train to get you back to Hoek van Holland. The scenery is not stunning but pleasant enough and has some variation. The route goes through Den Haag and you could plan a "day out" off the route in Amsterdam, or divert via Amsterdam before heading north again.
Last edited by syklist on 20 May 2015, 9:41am, edited 1 time in total.
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Joe.B
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Joe.B »

I’ve always been a cycle touring fan while Mrs B has always been much less keen. She loves cycling, just not so fond of the idea of minimalist lightweight camping.
So for the past few years I’ve gone way with the kids for a short camping tour each summer. As of last year she decided that she would like to come along too. We intended on a having a couple of weeks in Holland, sometimes staying in the same place for two or three days were there was plenty for the kids. That trip never happened as I ended up being away with work during the holidays, and will be this year too. It is still on the cards for another year though.
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Si
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Si »

My advise for getting a reluctant tourist going would be to bite the bullet and splash some cash: they'll enjoy it much more if the first tour doesn't involve too much roughing it. Maybe even go on an organised tour so that you have support to fall back on (which, no doubt, you won't need but it instils a lot more confidence in the reluctant tourist) and they'll carry your luggage for you so the reluctant tourist will find it less physically hard and can take more luxuries with them. Also, organised tours often find the nicest accommodation. Once the bug has bit you can then start pairing it down to more traditional touring.

On the other hand - it depends on your partner's attitude, they may relish roughing it, being challenged, and doing all the planning of a self led tour. Everyone is different.
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syklist
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by syklist »

One other idea, try and get the reluctant partner involved in looking at routes, places to stay etc. If you can narrow down your choices to a few areas, go and find tourist brochures for those areas. There are also lots of pictures of routes to be found on the internet, things like Google Street view can show the scenery along a route.

You could also try a few "one nighters", cycle say 20 miles to a nearby campsite, camp for a night and return the following morning. Good practice (as a couple) for cycling with stuff on your bikes, how to pack/who takes what, working out routines whilst camping setting up/breaking camp, what food to take etc.
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mjr
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by mjr »

Norfolk's beautiful. Could you try some day trips?
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iviehoff
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by iviehoff »

I had a similar issue once, many years ago. I took my reluctant partner on a winter tour in the Yorkshire Dales, it rained nearly all the time, was freezing cold, and a disaster. But we calmed down and tried again. We went on a week's cycle tour in the Scottish highlands (which, perhaps surprisingly, is not very hilly) and conversion occurred.
simonhill
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by simonhill »

I come from Essex, so the other end of East Anglia. I would recommend that you just head south!

East Anglia has some great cycling. Varying from heathlands and Broads in Norfolk through some beautiful undulating country in Suffolk and even N Essex is pretty good. Lots of great scenery and plenty of historic buildings eg Lavenham for a start. There is also the coast, varied and beautiful.

If you get the few OS 150,000 maps that cover the area (borrow from library) you can construct a great route. I think I would aim for a bit more than 20 miles as the days are long and that could be over in a couple of hours. A 20 mile morning run followed by the same in the afternoon would be about right.

One advantage is that you will be close to home if you need to bail out for any reason.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Short cycle tour to get my reluctant partner into cyclin

Post by Tangled Metal »

Well this is an interesting thread with ideas for routes. 30 miles a day is what my partner is considering for our first tour. I am a keen cyclist and fitter than she is but never toured. She is a slower cyclist but has done a lot of touring in out of the way places that don't get many Western Europeans cycling through. The limit of about 30 miles a day is based on the fact we have a 2 year old child and he is unlikely to go much longer than 1-2 hours in one sitting even in the trailer when asleep. That means a cycle then a walk then a cycle then a walk throughout the day. Plus add in the sometimes 8mph average speed we do we do not get far. This is why I too am looking for something similar to the OP only not in the same area. I've posted for ideas but got none just general advise so I will listen to advise on here.

For my part I wondered about the coast and castles route (or part of it). This is up the east coast through Northumberland ultimately reaching Edinburgh IIRC. A bit far north for the OP's needs perhaps but I heard it is a good route. Perhaps an east coast train journey away from Norfolk?? Perhaps cheaper than a ferry to Europe.

We were considering part of the Danube Way in Austria. That is fairly flat and is tarmac traffic free cycleway the whole section. Loads of people do it each year with it being the most cycled cyclepath in Europe. Nice scenery too. The area is set up for it with cycle hire at towns at each end of the section people tend to do in a week or two with collection of bikes possible too. Plenty of cheap accommodation too.
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