Carryabag

Tour of Britain to go through part of Cotswold Way

The Tour of Britain is now fully underway and will be passing through Gloucestershire along parts of the Cotswold Way!

The premier road cycling event started in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Sunday 4^th September 2016 and will end in London, on Sunday 11^th September 2016.

The event will consist of eight stages in Scotland, the Lake District, the South West and London.

• Stage One- Sunday 4 September - Glasgow to Castle Douglas
• Stage Two- Monday 5 September - Carlisle to Kendal
• Stage Three- Tuesday 6 September - Congleton to Tatton Park, Knutsford
• Stage Four- Wednesday 7 September - Denbigh to Builth Wells
• Stage Five- Thursday 8 September - Aberdare to Bath
• Stage Six- Friday 9 September - Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor
• Stage Seven a- Saturday 10 September - Bristol Stage Individual Time Trial
• Stage Seven b- Saturday 10 September - Bristol Stage Circuit Race
• Stage Eight- Sunday 11 September - London Stage presented by TfL

Stage Five of the event will take the cyclists through the city of Gloucestershire on Thursday 8^th September. As well as many iconic places along the Cotswold Way including Stroud, King’s Stanley, Nympsfield, Dursley, Wotton under Edge, Chipping Sodbury and finally stopping in the city of Bath. We do hope that the people carrying the cyclists luggage don’t get too tired, we will of course, always be available should they need a hand!

For more information on the Tour of Britain visit their website.

Countryside is Great Campaign

VisitBritain launched the GREAT Britain Campaign over 3 years ago to promote the UK and invite international tourists to come and visit.  Now entering its fourth year, the campaign has performed well on an international level and over the next two years is set to bring in over £200 million from tourism related spending.  That’s great news for Compass Holidays as we are looking to develop and grow our international appeal for our UK tours namely Cornwall, the Lake District and The Cotswolds.

And what’s more, the next few weeks will see Visit Britain launch the Countryside is GREAT campaign. It is a £3 million campaign showcasing the beauty of Britain’s countryside; from Cornwall to the Lake District, Pembrokeshire to the Scottish Highlands. £4m of advertising space has also been secured in Heathrow airport to promote travel from London and continuing to work with regional gateways such as Manchester and Birmingham to spread valuable inbound tourists to the nations and regions in record numbers.

If you are thinking about enjoying a UK break, take a look at what our sisiter company Compass Holidays has offer at www.compass-holidays.com. If you are looking to walk the Cotswold Way this year, we can transfer your luggage, please see www.carryabag.co.uk for more information. We would love to welcome you and show you how the Countryside is GREAT!

NSPCC Tour Of England Event To Take Place In The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds has now been added to the Tour of England calendar this year. In previous years events have been held in Yorkshire and the South East, but this year the Cotswolds is to join them! This event will last for two days over the weekend and will follow the same formula of the Tour of Britain, including: team cars, soigneurs, domestiques and motorcycle outriders.

It is scheduled to take place on 4^th & 5^th July 2015, and is all for a great cause! Fundraising entry starts from just £29 and money will be donated to the NSPCC(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).

We are pleased to welcome this great event to the Cotswolds and look forward to following the news and progress of the event. We had a great time watching the Tour of Britain riding through Cheltenham and look forward to following this race too!

For more images, please visit our Facebook page.

 

Please click here for more information about the Tour of England.   

A morning at the stables

Yesterday morning we visited Kim Bailey Stables which is just off the Cotswolds Way along with our marketing agency ‘apt marketing and pr’ to celebrate their 13^th birthday. We had the honour to meet and watch Nick Scholfield who recently came third at the Grand National. We also had breakfast with Irish jockey and winner of the 2011 Grand National, Jason Maguire, who also showed us his skills on the jumps. We all had a great day out and are very thankful that the rain held off for us!

Walking Holidays just keep growing!

Due to the Staycation campaign, more people are staying inside the UK for their summer holidays. This is boosting the UK walking industry, with an increase of holidays taken within the UK being seen over the past year. The beauty and diversity of the country is becoming increasingly appreciated by the UK population. Walking holidays are the perfect way to get out there and see more of the UK’s beautiful landscape and to see some of its wonderful wildlife.  

In the UK there are over 140,000 miles of official footpaths; also there is the right to roam which opens up ever more of the UK’s countryside for members of the public. People who hike in the UK will never run out of something new to see and do, with great views around every corner! Fitness also plays a big part in the increased amount of walking holidays, as more people are interested in keeping fit than ever before. A walking holiday is perfect for kick starting a new healthier lifestyle.

Why not have a look at the walking holidays that we offer? http://www.compass-holidays.com/search/?category=3&destination=none

If you would like to read more on this article please follow this link http://www.pr.com/press-release/481158

Cyclist Detection Facility on Volvo’s

Volvo has recently announced that it is going to release a cycling detection facility which will hopefully prevent fatal accidents. If this system works, it’s very likely that it will spread to other car manufactures and reduce the amount of serious accidents with cyclists and car collisions.

The cars will be fitted with detection sensors that can even detect when a cyclist suddenly swerves out into a car’s path. When a risk like this is detected, an alarm would sound and the car’s brakes would be fully deployed. This clever new technology can also focus on multiple pedestrians and cyclists at the same time. The cost for this new system is going to be at least £1,850, but if you think that this could one day save somebody’s life, it is well worth it.

If you would like to read more about this new system, please follow the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21688765

Can’t get out cycling? Here’s what you can do!

Stuck inside due to the snow? Well, why not start to prepare for the next cycle season. If the snow is keeping you indoors when you really want to be out there cycling the country, we have found the perfect way you can still keep fit, no matter what the weather, and  get ready for the cycling year ahead!

You don’t have to have a clear day to cycle when you can use a turbo trainer or rollers, these are one of the best ways to keep your fitness levels up. To make time go faster, it is recommended that you watch your favourite television programme or listen to some uplifting music. This time indoors also gives you time to plan your cycling year! You could look up future races, work out structure or find relevant events to attend. Waiting for the snow to clear will also give you plenty of time to treat your bikes to the necessary love that it needs to continue working in top condition!

If you feel that you can’t wait any longer to get out though, there’s only one more option. Escape the British weather altogether and go on one of our European Cycling holidays! To view all of our cycling holidays, visit our site http://www.compass-holidays.com/holidays_cycling/

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/536584/seven-things-to-do-if-you-can-t-get-out-cycling.html

Electric Bikes – The know how

Want to know more about electric bikes? Then you’re reading the right blog! The definition of an E-bike is ‘a bike that supports your muscle power with an electric motor’.

The first electric bikes were documented in the mid 1890’s, but popularity didn’t really grow until its production increased by 35% from 1993 to 2004. The bikes have also improved a lot in recent years by becoming lighter, more efficient, cheaper, last longer off charge and generally have better designs. I have collated together some of the best facts and figures to share with you:

• The frame size of a bike is very important so that you don’t put too much load on your joints and are comfortable.
• There are two main types of electric bikes, bikes with just pedal assistance and bikes with a moped function so you can ride without pedalling.  
• Electric bikes can have a maximum of 27 gears, these gears make cycling easier so you can cycle faster or slower with the same number of pedalling movements.
• The range of an electric bike is the miles you can drive on a fully charged battery; this depends on many factors including: pressure, weight of rider, headwind, road surface, battery condition, use and speed.
• One of the most important features on a bicycle are the brakes, you can have hand brakes, rim brakes, drum brakes, disc brakes and coaster brakes.
• If you wish to take a child under the age of 8 on the bike, you are required to use a child seat with support for the back, hands and feet.

 

http://catenacycling.com/en/cyclopedia/bikes-and-gear/bicycles/electric-bicycles

Thinking about a Cycling Holiday In the Cotswolds?

If you’re thinking about going on a cycling holiday, there’s no where better to go to than the Cotswolds! It’s situated in the southwest of England and is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. The Cotswolds is renowned for its lush, rolling hillsides, green meadows and small, relaxed villages which are a perfect combination for a cycling break!

There are plenty of things to see and do for everyone including the Cotswolds Farm Park, Prinknash Abbey, Cheltenham Spa, Bath, Westonbirt Arboretum, Hidcote Manor Garden and many more. If you are more interested in history, this region definitely has lots of it!

If cycling isn’t your thing, you can take a walking tour through some of the towns and villages, either with a local guide or self-guided by following one of our guidebooks.

The Cotswolds is a beautiful place to go to and relax, get away from everything and take in the picturesque landscapes. Why not check out one of our tours in the Cotswolds and see for yourself at www.compass-holidays.com 

http://www.bikes.org.uk/cycling-holiday-in-the-cotswolds/

Google Maps Cycling

It started off with just Google maps, it then extended into route planning by car, bus, walking and now by cycling. Although it has been available in America since 2010, it has only just expanded to Europe and Australia. They not only show you the cycling routes available, they also avoid hills and busy roads where possible.

Google maps cycling is only in beta stage and is asking cyclists to upgrade its maps with data on routes they use frequently or routes they know particularly suit cycling. Looking around my local area, they have not highlighted many cycle routes, when in fact there are quite a few.

My thoughts of this are that this is definitely a great way to get people out and about cycling locally and on safe routes, they’ve got some work to do to build the data. Around London it is covered in cycling routes, but the further you go out of cities, the rarer they become.

Why not plan a route local to you and test it out to see if it really does what it says. If you are brave enough, I’d love to hear how you got on!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9394677/Google-cycling-directions-now-on-Google-Maps.html