JUST RIDE the BIKE

The weather is definitely closing in now. February is into its stride and the temperature continues to drop. So, you have a few choices as bike riders. Suck it up, wrap up warm and get out on the roads. Adopt the ‘cyclists’ form of hibernation and retreat to spin classes at the gym or the turbo trainer or rollers (how’s it going Stuart Wilks?). Or, why not do a combination of those ideas but plan ahead? Why not set a target like a cycling trip?

We’ve been impressed with the ideas that Premier Inn has come up with lately. No, they are not sponsoring our pages but it does look like they have things set up for a decent cycling break. We’ve used their facilities a few years ago – they work. The breakfasts are good too, we were eating the only last week. Most of all we love the use of The Hives music for this advertisement – and the weather! Who doesn’t like getting covered in mud when you just ride the bike!

We recommend checking out the Premier Inn site for cycling tips too. They’ve asked Trevor Ward – he writes for the Guardian and Cyclist magazine amongst others (he’s also been spotted in a rowing boat years ago too in east London but that’s another story) – for advice and put together a short  video that offers great ideas. The idea of the plastic bag on the seat is not old school by the way – it is true class. Check it out if you’re planning on travelling with a bike and need some help identifying the essentials to pack in your rucksack. I might well use it for a bit of revision before I embark on Project Barbara in May.

But there’s more. A quick scroll through the Premier Inn site and you can find all kinds of ideas about food, packing, gear and some routes too – what’s more, it is very family friendly, which is something we roundly applaud.

Well done Premier Inn. We are going to look out for some more of their ideas to share – but we want to see some from you guys too. Please email us at admin@justridethebike.com or share your thoughts via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook; we are easy to find: just look for justridethebike. So, what are your plans for a cycling trip? What would you recommend? And can you help Trevor with his next video top tips? Have a think and let us know.