General information on your ride with Northern Adventures

General Information On Your Cycling Holiday with Northern Adventures

The tour is designated as “self-guided”: Northern Adventures will arrange the accommodation, provide route mapping, kit lists GPX files (if requested) and route notes, along with luggage transfer and emergency mechanical support where required.

Bikes

If not riding your own bike, we can provide you with a hybrid, cyclocross/gravel bike or an ebike.

If bringing your own bike, please ensure that it is fit for purpose, serviced and suitable for the ride

If hiring a bike our standard hybrid bike will come in a frame size that suits your height, it will be a unisex frame (crossbar) unless you request differently prior to your trip.

The majority of our hire bikes are 24 speed and have disc brakes, they are on fast-rolling 700c wheels and are perfect for these routes. All bikes are fitted with a bottle cage and come with a pannier bag, spare innertubes x 2, tyre levers, pump, mulit-tool and bike lock.

Please let us know in plenty of time if there is anything you specifically require or would like on your bike, ie step-through frame, raised handlebars, gel/padded seat, different pedals, etc.  We cannot guarantee your requirements but will see what we can do.  Asking us for these on the day of arrival is too late!

Basic Maintenance

On a multi-day ride there is a fair chance that your bike (or your hire bike) will develop a fault, puncture, squeak or other ailment.

You, or someone in your group needs to be familiar with, and capable of, carrying out basis cycle maintenance should the need arise, including repairing punctures, refitting of chains, minor adjustments to gear and brake cable tensioning etc.

There are generally cycle shops dotted along the route if you are really stuck, however they may be a distance away.

If you do need to call us to come out to you, then please be aware that depending upon where you are on your route and where our drivers are, our emergency back up service could be as much as 4 hours from you.

Training/Experience

For all of our rides, you do require a reasonably good level of cycle experience, be reasonably physically fit and in good health.  Please check the fitness level and technical difficulty of your ride on our website to ensure it is suitable for your fitness and ability.

This may sound ridiculous, but you should also be familiar with riding a bike over long distances before coming on a cycling trip, the understanding of how the gears work and when to use them.

We are not here to teach you how to ride a bike.

Even if riding an ebike you need to be aware that you can’t just “turn it on” and it will take you there, there is still a lot of effort required and you still need to pedal and use the gearing system correctly.  The ebikes have a finite amount of power that needs to be managed and controlled throughout the day.  The batteries are more than capable of getting you the distances you need to do each day if managed correctly, however if you decide to ride on full power, in a big gear all day, then you won’t reach the end of the ride!!

Our experience is that the biggest factor in enjoyment and success of your trip is often the effort put into training.  You will then find yourself enjoying the challenge and the scenery much more.

Medical

If you have any medical conditions that you believe we should be aware of, then please inform us of these prior to arriving on the trip along with any information we may require for emergencies.

If you are in any doubt about your medical conditions, level of fitness or other medical worries, then please speak to your home doctor for their advice and if necessary, approval for you to partake on this trip.  We can provide them with further information if required.

WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY AND NOT END UP SUFFERING BECAUSE OF IT.

A sore posterior after a day in the saddle is not a medical condition, it’s a forgone fact!!

What’s not included

Personal Travel Insurance (activity related) – For your insurance purposes this route is classified as “NON TECHNICAL, LEISURE CYCLING” it is not to be confused with “OFF ROAD MTB CYCLING”

Cycle Hire Insurance – Once you take acceptance of the hire bike they become your responsibility, you acknowledge that they are hired in good condition and undertake to return them in the same condition or to reimburse Northern Adventures for any damages or losses.

Any relevant entrance fees

Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary.

Any charges for travelling with your own bike, taxi fares.

Any costs associated with bringing your own bike including maintenance, repair and the supply or replacement parts on the bike.

Any questions

If you’d like further information or have any questions about our cycling holidays or bike hire, please feel free to get in touch on 07790596782, 01665 713448 or email info@northernadventures.co.uk

Remember to:

• ENJOY THE CHALLENGE

• TAKE TIME TO STOP AND ADMIRE YOUR STUNNING SURROUNDINGS