A beginner’s guide to UK cycling holidays
What to expect and our top first-time rides
A Beginner's Guide to Cycling Holidays
Cycle across the country point-to-point on a self-guided cycling holiday. Here's how these adventures work.
A Beginner's Guide to Cycling Holidays
https://www.contourscycle.co.uk/beginners-guide-cycling-holidays
What to expect and our top first-time rides
1 Get your bicycle ready, pick your ideal itinerary for your chosen route and receive your custom Holiday Pack four weeks before your tour begins. You’ll use our maps, directions and GPX routes to navigate on your holiday.
2 Leave your bags at your accommodation for us to carry and set out through the UK countryside on road or bridleway. Cycle at your own pace, add detours as you please, and choose where to eat along the way.
3 Arrive at hand-picked accommodation each night, where you’ll find your luggage waiting for you. Explore this new town and pick a place for dinner. Enjoy breakfast at your B&B the following morning.
We book your trip. We reserve all your overnight accommodation, breakfasts included, and arrange daily luggage transfers along with any lifts you might need between your accommodation and the trail.In short, we arrange brilliant point-to-point cycling holidays through the UK, leaving all the flexibility required to make the ride your own. If a stress-free adventure sounds right for you, browse our holidays via our search page or holiday location map, or get in touch to see what Contours can arrange for you:
If you have any queries or just want to tell us what you think, we would love to hear from you. Please mention which trail you are interested in so we can get back to you with the relevant information as quickly as possible.
If you are messaging regarding an existing booking, please send us an email, as we cannot change bookings based on Contact form messages.
For maximum flexibility, Contours Holidays offer both road cycling tours and off-road mountain biking holidays. If you’re interested in an approachable tour of either type, here are our recommendations. They’ve been picked for their circular nature, which makes it easier to transport your bicycle; their flexibility; the ease of the terrain; the quality of the sights; and their overall popularity.
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If you’re looking for an approachable ride suitable for a family group, we highly recommend the White Peak Leisure cycling holiday. This holiday keeps to established traffic-free cyclepaths for the vast majority of the route, with reliable well-maintained tarmac and hardpacked surfaces throughout.
Contours Holidays do not provide bicycles for our cycling holidays, so what kind of bike should you be bringing along? This varies between holidays, and you can find our suggestions in the Elevation & Terrain tab of your chosen tour.
Once you're sure your bike suits, make sure to thoroughly service your bike and pack all the necessary spares. You may want to consider mounting panniers or a frame bag on your bike to carry the heavier consumables and tools — carrying them in a backpack will get tiring on a long-distance trip.
If you're travelling to the start of your holiday by public transport, make sure to double-check the rules for bicycles. Most train services allow bicycles, for example, but as spaces are limited, it's important to book your bike in ahead of time.
You can head over to our kit list page for more information.
