News

As part of our recent press trip, which saw 11 journalists from the likes of the Daily Telegraph, National Geographic Traveler, Canadian Living, The New York Times, The Times of India, The Sun and more ride our Shakespeare's Way cycling tour, we secured an exclusive preview of the Lee Valley VeloPark, which opens to the public at the end of this month (March 31st).

The focus of our visit was the velodrome, although you can also try your hand at racing the road circuit, tackling mountain bike trails or riding the berms on the re-modelled Olympic BMX track. Unusually, the VeloPark hosts all 4 disciplines in one location.

We were lucky enough to have a very informative and animated guide who let us in on some of the secrets behind the building of the velodrome. For example, he told us that Sir Chris Hoy (our star GB track cyclist for those of you who don't know, somewhat of a national hero after London 2012!) was consulted at the start of the design process. The architects implemented his 3 main suggestions, which were:

1. A 360° audience - which is very unusual for a velodrome

2. Increased air temperature to reduce aerodynamic drag acting on the cyclists

3. A toilet (!) right next to the start line (which is situated just underneath the track)

Now here at The Carter Company we like gentle cycling and pottering about on a bike at a relaxed pace (as did most of our journalists). So naturally many of them were pretty nervous about having a go as there are some crucial differences between standard touring bikes and velodrome bikes. First of all, there are no brakes on the bikes, so to slow down you have to use the strength of your legs. And secondly, unlike normal hybrid outdoor bikes, you can't balance on these bikes without support, so you have to hold on to a rail to get started.

It's quite scary at first but you do get the hang of it! By the end, every one of our journalists was absolutely raving about the experience. It's very exhilarating once you're moving, and it's great fun to feel part of this quite special place where so much of Britain's excitement was focused during the summer of 2012.

The velodrome is now bookable (although it is already booked up weeks in advance as the Olympic fever pitch lives on and the popularity of cycling in England continues to rise!) and costs £30/hour which includes tuition. See their website for more info.

PS. thanks to Paula from The New York Post who took this photo!

Last week we hosted a group of 11 journalists from around the globe on our Shakespeare's Way Cycling Holiday. We were delighted that representatives from many highly respected broadsheets and magazines chose to attend - including The New York Post, The Daily Telegraph, National Geographic Traveler, Canadian Living, The Times of India, Het Niewsblad, Het Laatste Nieuws, Pasar, Bicycling Magazine, The Daily Beast & The Sun - and what a group they were!

We really enjoyed getting to know everyone, and with some big personalities in the group, it was a real hoot from start to finish. Everyone agreed at the end that they had never been on a press trip where the group bonded so well - of course we put this down to the cycling (!) From our experience though, even grumpy teenagers seem to perk up and get along better once they're astride their bike with the wind in their hair ;)

The itinerary

Our Shakespeare's Way cycling trip can actually be done over 7 days (for the more ambitious cyclist) or 10 days (for the more leisurely cyclist).

Our journalists did an condensed version of the route (hopping in a van at various points to speed things along), and cycled it in reverse, so starting in Stratford-upon-Avon and finishing in London. As with all our tours, we offer great flexibility - so you too can customise the itinerary if you would like to, adding in or removing elements as you wish.

As well as some stunning cycling through a real variety of English landscape and city-scape along our favourite pick of quiet lanes, little-known backroads, riverside paths and secret alleyways, there were many attractions to take in and pit stops en route...

• Day 1 featured a cycle tour around Stratford-upon-Avon taking in Shakespeare's birthplace, a tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and dinner at the >fantastic Arden Hotel

• Day 2 began with a ride and private tour around the Pashley Cycle Factory, a cycle through the Cotswolds from Chipping Campden to Daylesford Organic for lunch, followed by a tour of Blenheim Palace and a cycle into Oxford

• Day 3 started with a bike tour of Oxford, a cycle through (or should we say down!) the Chiltern Hills, lunch at Heston Blumenthal's pub The Hind's Head in Bray, a bike ride along the Thames and concluded with an evening performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Rose Theatre in Kingston

• Day 4 consisted of a cycle from Putney Bridge to Tower Bridge - a fantastic way to enter London - lunch at the cool cycling cafe Look Mum No Hands!, an exclusive tour of the Lee Valley VeloPark and a session in the velodrome, and dinner at the famous Forman's salmon restaurant in Hackney Wick

• Day 5 rounded off the trip with a visit to Southbank and a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

We have collated all the photos taken by ourselves and the journalists into an album on Facebook - click here to see them!

Here at The Carter Company, we're not about lycra-clad, high-speed road cycling. Whilst we do offer some more challenging trips, we specialise in creating itineraries that let you amble along at your own pace. We believe in slow travel, giving you the time to immerse yourself in your surroundings, to stop and admire the view and to follow your nose off from the beaten track (experience has shown us that 'creative' detours always lead to some interesting discoveries!)

Our time-generous trips offer a major advantage for those of you who are interested in the local wildlife of the area you are cycling or walking in. Below are some of our recommendations for places to visit if you enjoy a spot of birding...

1. First up, Braunton Burrows near Barnstaple, which you can explore on Devon Coast to Coast and Whistle-Stop Devon. In addition to some incredibly abundant flora - including sea stock, sand toadflax, bee orchid and water germander (which is only found on one other site in the UK) - Braunton is also home to an amazing array of fauna, including 33 species of butterfly, hedgehogs and of course rabbits. In the spring and summer you can see good numbers of migrants such as chiffchaff, willow warbler and common and lesser whitethroat. The highlight during May is to listen for the call of the cuckoo - sadly a declining species in the UK but just a few still visit the Burrows. Meadow pipits, skylarks and stonechats can be found where the vegetation is low. And the rabbits tend to attract some bigger birds of prey - watch out for kestrels and buzzards hovering overhead.

2. In Dorset, Studland Heath Nature Reserve on our Dorset Tours and the RSPB's Arne Bay are worth a visit. At the former, you can expect to find purple sandpipers, Dartford warblers, nightjars, and hobbys. At Arne, star species include the avocet, little egret and stonechat. If you're lucky in Autumn you might catch a glimpse of an Osprey or Marsh Harrier.

3. Finally, The Chilterns (where our small HQ office is located) is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Perhaps its most famous avian resident (and a personal favourite of the team here) is the red kite, a beautifully majestic bird of prey which was extremely rare until it was re-introduced to the Chilterns in the early 1990s. There are now over 300 pairs. Buzzards have increased across the area in recent years and are often seen flying with red kites - surprisingly they seem to tolerate each other! Blackcaps, great spotted and green woodpeckers, tawny owls are frequently found in the Chiltern woodlands. Apart from birds, other interesting wildlife finds here are the rare stag beetle and many badger sets. Check out our Whistle-Stop Chiltern tour if you've only got a couple of days, or our Grand Tour for the ultimate tour of quintessential England by bike, which takes in sections of The Chilterns.

The good news is, panniers come included on all our bikes, so there's plenty of space to pack the binoculars. Happy Birding!

Here at The Carter Company we love a good cup of properly brewed leaf tea and a slice of cake. Earl Grey and Keemun are regular favourites in the office (excellent complements for a Battenberg or Lemon Drizzle), but we've also been branching out to more unusual blends recently... Artichoke or Roasted Rice Green Tea anyone? Naturally if we can combine tea with a cycling or walking trip we are mighty happy!

Having spent hours on our bikes figuring out route directions and scouting the best itineraries for our trips in each area, we have built up quite a bit of knowledge and gathered lots of tips from locals on the best places to go. Of course this has resulted in some 'research trips' to a fair number of establishments. Which was very arduous for us (hoho).

So without further ado, the following are The Carter Company's top tips for a cup of tea (and luckily you can visit them all on our cycling and walking holidays):

• Dorchester Abbey Tea Room - A stunning setting and delicious home-made cakes make this a personal favourite of Wendy's (founder and director of The Carter Company). Plus all the profits go to charity. Our Thames Source to Sea ride winds right past this one, as do most of our Thames biking and walking trips

• Rumsey's Chocolaterie in Wendover - Luckily this one is on our not-so-gentle Chiltern Challenge, so you can burn off the irresistible hand-made chocolates you will no doubt struggle to resist following a visit to this local favourite! The place has a quintessentially English charm to it, and the staff are really friendly. Plus, the glass wall that separates the cafe from the kitchen means you can watch the magic happen and see first-hand the care and attention to detail the chefs put into making each and every chocolate. Rumsey's also run courses and workshops for those wanting to have a go themselves. See their website for more details

• Langass Lodge on the Isle of North Uist - Set on the edge of Loch Eport and overlooking Ben Eaval, you can't get many landscapes more breathtaking than this. But more importantly, the tea at this family-run establishment is one we highly recommend. Take our Highlands and Hebrides guided cycling tour for a chance to visit

Why do people choose to book their pedal bike tours and walking holidays with The Carter Company?

Here's a taster of the feedback our customers have sent through to us:

"This is our second holiday with you within 12 months. We really enjoyed exploring a beautiful part of the country. We loved staying at The Bell in Hampton Poyle and at The Kingham Plough. Bledington Farm, which we discovered en route, is our future dream home!! The trip was well organised with great back up. See you next year!!" - Julie & Martin, who took our Really Rather Special Bespoke Luxury Cotswold Tour

"This was a birthday gift from my wife and it exceeded my expectations! I loved walking through famers' fields (which you are not allowed to do in the States), the villages in the countryside, the various stages of The Thames river and the fact that you made it hassle-free for us. Our bags were always waiting for us on arrival at our hotels. We feel we are leaving with a true appreciation of the various slices of UK life!" - Mr Foley and his wife Karen, who took the walking tour Thames Path from source to Henley

"We all thoroughly enjoyed our weekend of cycling. Undoubtedly the best way of seeing the beautiful Cotswolds! And we will definitely be recommending you to our friends" - The Davies, who took our biking tour Whistle-Stop Cotswolds