Lonely Planet Cycling Britain (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides) [Paperback]

Ian Connellan (Author), Nicola Wells (Author), Ian Duckworth (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lonely Planet Cycling Guides | Publication Date: March 2001

Lonely Planet's new Cycling Guides have everything for the traveller who likes to ride. Each one describes and maps the best cycle tours, long and short, in a prime cycling destination.

First, they answer the big questions: how to get rider and bike there in one piece, and keep both in good shape on the road.

Cyclists demand good maps, and these have been specifically designed and drawn with cyclists' needs in mind. Each map carries one or more keyed cue sheets, which contain all the essential directions for a day's ride. Elevation profiles chart hilly days, and symbols indicate services in towns along the way. It's all packaged together on one page for convenient access on the road.

Background material for each day, including selected accommodation options (including camping), where to eat or buy food, and bike shops along the route, is nearby.

Like all Lonely Planet guides, Cycling Guides are compact and built to last -- and they're designed to fold flat, slip into a handlebar bag and go.
-- up to 40 rides per book, ranging in length from one day to three weeks, mapped and described in detail
-- a selection of the best mountain bike rides
-- illustrated instructions on do-it-yourself bicycle maintenance, bicycle setup, loading a bike for touring
-- tips for staying healthy on the road including essential first aid, nutrition, stretching routines
-- useful synopsis of the destination country's road rules
-- featured special sections: the Tour de France in Cycling France; the Land's End to John o'Groats ride in Cycling Britain
-- information on the cyclists' network, with contact details, for pre-trip research and on-the-road back-up
-- where to stay andeat, and what to see and do, when not in the saddle
-- where to find bike shops for repairs or rental

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While Britain is one of the world's most densely populated nations, with a bicycle it's easy to leave the crowded main roads behind and find yourself in an idyllic country setting. The country maintains an astonishing complex of minor roads that links thousands of cities, towns, and villages. It's only a short pedal to the nearest pub, café, or guesthouse. Britain is also a land of many hills but few mountains, which makes it easy to take in the graceful scenery and rich history or meet the locals. As Britain claims to be the birthplace of the bicycle (a Scottish blacksmith built the first self-propelled bike), you can also visit several collections of bicycle memorabilia. The Lonely Planet guidebook has a wide range of itineraries and tours for riders of all abilities, with detailed maps and excellent directions for each, from a Sunday ride past London's best-known sites to a ten-day journey through the Highlands, islands, and quiet roads of Scotland.

Lonely Planet provides in one book all the information a cyclist will need for a tour of Britain, including Wales and Scotland. "Facts for Cyclists" provides practical information on when to ride, a checklist of what to bring, information on buying or renting locally, a list of cycling events, and Internet resources. There's a detailed introduction to the British cycle-touring scene, with tips on how to get to and from Heathrow Airport and how to use the excellent rail network to cover more of the island. There are tips for senior, disabled, and gay and lesbian cyclers, and those riding with children, as well as lists of which airlines are bicycle friendly and how to pack and transport your bike. The "Health and Safety" chapter explains the British rules of the road, and gives tips for getting and staying fit. It discusses treatments for common ailments on the road, and even explains how to avoid the "bonk." As well, there's the usual information on where to stay, what to eat, and what to see, and photographs (though the latter are on the small and skimpy side). With the inclusion of a chapter on bicycle maintenance and repair, this is one excellent, all-purpose guide. Be sure to make room for it in your pannier. --Lesley Reed

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 1St Edition edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864500379
• ISBN-13: 978-1864500370
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,681,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good reference for planning a tour of Britain, September 9, 2005

By 

Jamie Bresson (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Cycling Britain (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides) (Paperback)

This is a great book for planning a cycle tour of Britain. It has strengths common to all the Lonely Planet series, such as advice on getting to and from Britain and using rail and air travel to get to the various touring routes. There are also sections on bicycle maintenance and pre-tour fitness training that might be useful to potential tourists.

From the perspective of using this book as an actual road guide, there are many shortcoming. This book is very much a "townie's" guide, with the majority of route description focusing on where to spend your money on food and accomadation rather than discussing on-the-bike route navigation. The route maps printed in the book are of minimal detail, with many towns and roads omitted. The routes themsevles are descibe by lists of verbal cues and arrows, for example "--> At unisigned road." The combination of these factors means that it is very easy to miss a cue, get off-route, and wind up on a part of your map with no description.

I would recommend supplementing the book with at least the 1:250,000 scale Ordnance Survey Travelmaster maps. The book itself also recommends this, but the editorial review claims the book is a stand-alone guide. Also, many of the descibed routes coincide with the Sustrans National Cycle Network (NCN) in Britain. One might do well to use this book in planning a tour of Britain, then acquiring the detailed cycle route maps from Sustrans.