Cycling tourism has stepped into the digital age thanks to a company offering GPS systems to visitors wanting to explore some of Scotland’s most beautiful yet remote routes.
Velodays, based in Aberdeen, was established last year by keen cyclist Neil Innes, who wants to build on the popularity of cycling created by the Olympics to convert more of Scotland’s tourists to pedal power.
Neil was a club cyclist in his youth and still enjoys long-distance rides today, which is how he came up with the idea for Velodays.
He told road.cc: “Travelling by bike is a wonderful experience and a great way to meet local people but my experiences have also included having my bike damaged in transit by airlines, five-mile climbs up the wrong road, having been given the wrong directions, and up to 20 miles of additional cycling in search of hotel rooms at the end of long cycling days.”
Velodays holidays provide you with a good quality hybrid bike (Dawes and Giant are typical makes) complete with Garmin GPS navigation systems to lead the way. The only pain you’ll have to deal with is aching joints as the company takes care of your food, luggage transfer and accommodation arrangements. This includes somewhere luxurious to lay your head at the end of a demanding day on the road - with stays in some of rural Scotland’s best known four star hotels.
Neil says: “The area around Aberdeen is a maze of unclassified minor roads with virtually no signs. You have to carry an OS map to find your way around and my motivation for using GPS was to have all the turn instructions on your handlebars so you don’t have to keep stopping to check the way.
“From a tourism point of view, if you’re cycling within a mile of an attraction it can beep up a message on the screen and give you the option of making a detour to go and see it.”
Neil claims to have been the first company in Britain to offer the GPS service although he expects it will catch on fast. His company offers 15 holiday itinerarires in Scotland, with the emphasis on short breaks with from two to seven days’ cycling. Tour itineraries follow pre-programmed routes on quiet roads, featuring no shortage of lochs, glens, castles and distilleries.
New additions to his product line include a GPS-guided Land's End to John O’Groats ride, where Neil will arrange your accommodation on a daily basis depending on your progress, and longer routes for cyclists training for events.
To find out more visit the website: www.velodays.com
plausible deniability, beloved tool of every bully 🤮
Weirdly I did know a LBS who at least claimed they wouldn't touch a bike if they hadn't sold it.
Hi not many ever mention jra or just riding along wheels hand built cheap and customisable, yiu cam have aluminium or carbon aswell worth a look ?
Im afraid the writing has been on the wall for a few seasons. with a very heavy heart I will probably do the same.
Except they don't do any prosecuting or indeed take any action when presented with video evidence. They're as bad if not worse than the rest.
Or more likely an elementary course in unit conversion....
Pretty sure cosmetic gold plating is a hallmark of non-professional workshop tools.
One suspects most of the people who complain about police investigating hate speech are those who wish to use it themselves with impunity. Threats...
It was against the person, not the type of wheels he was on. He will be rammed no matter he was on a (e)bike, skateboard or roller shoes. He just...
In a "war on the motorist" of the kind you describe almost everyone loses, including most motorists. For every benefit there's a negative. They...