The full tour takes in the counties of Avon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex, which around a millennium ago (in Anglo-Saxon times) once made up most of an area in the south of the country known as Wessex.

The tour consists of four quite hilly days overall, two of somewhat easier terrain and one additional stop over (cycle-free day). The daily cycling distances are generally in the 75–80km range, apart from the final day which is shorter.

The starting point for the Tour is Bristol, then a couple of days cycling in the Mendip Hills via Wells to Salisbury. From Salisbury it’s on through parts of the New Forest and around to Southampton. En-route this ride takes in the rather splendid Arboretum Drives. On from Southampton we follow the NCN2 coastal route around to Hayling Island. This makes use of a number of small passenger ferries across some of the numerous inlets along the coast. From Hayling Island, we return to the hills over the South Downs and Low Weald to Horsham.

Note: there are a couple of options to get a train from Horsham back to London, or continue the next day across the Low Weald and finally over the North Downs for a Zone 6 finish to the south of London at Coulsdon South or Purley.

Contact Jenny Hung07779 321878.

The Brevet de Randonneur des Alpes (BRA) is a biennial 2-day alpine randonnée (similar to Audax), starting from Le Bourg d'Oisans, organised by Cyclotouristes Grenoblois CTG. Details are starting to become available. The date is now fixed, and there are some details of the route - depending on options, it is 180km with 4200m climbing.

This year there are a few changes.

• Unusually, the 2-day option will start on Sunday 13th July. Monday 14th is Bastille Day, a public holiday in France. There is a baggage service to move an overnight bag to a Sunday night hotel (either Valloire or St-Michel-de-Maurienne) and back again.
• The change of start day permits the event, for the first time since 2009, to be run anti-clockwise from Le Bourg d'Oisans, up the Col de Lautaret, then over the Cols of the Galibier, Telegraphe and Croix de Fer. This will give it a completely different feel with different climbs and descents.

There are options for some additional days of touring from Le Bourg before the BRA event on Sunday.

We will stay in the hotel in Le Bourg, except for the night of Sunday 13th July. The Hotel Oberland is well located close to the town centre, opposite the stop for the bus to/from Grenoble.

Travel Logistics

• Dates:
  • outward between Tuesday 9th July and Saturday 12th
  • return on either Tuesday 15th or Wednesday 16th
• Either:
  • Eurostar to Paris, Train to Grenoble, bus to Bourg d'Oisans
  • fly to Lyon, train or bus to Grenoble, and regional bus to Bourg d'Oisans

For more details and options see here.

Contact David Kurtz07771 760660.

8 days (9 nights), but designed with options for any number of days in between.

21st August – arrive for overnight in Preston.
22nd August – day trip to Blackpool.
There are many possibilites for accommodation in Preston. We have booked Legacy Preston International Hotel (currently £194 for two nights, incl breakfast)

23rd - 25th August – overnight in Samlesbury.
We have booked the Bluebird Inn (currently £329 for three nights, incl breakfast). Another option is the Samlesbury Hotel.

26th - 28th August – overnight in Clitheroe.
We have booked the Station Lounge (currently £240 for three nights). Other options include the Calf's Head, the Spread Eagle and the Waddington Arms.

29th August – route through the Trough of Bowland and past the Jubilee Tower and finishing with a train from Lancaster to Euston.

For those not returning on the 29th, options for getting back to London are:

1. from Samlesbury, by train from Preston;
2. from Clitheroe, by train from Clitheroe via Blackburn and Preston;
3. from Clitheroe, by train from Clitheroe via Manchester.

Daily routes will explore:

1. the Ribble Valley;
2. the Forest of Bowland;
3. Pendle Hill and surrounding areas.

Booking Accommodation is in short supply. Check booking.com, hotels.com, Airbnb, etc, for alternatives, but note that daily rides will start from the hotels that we have booked above.

Early and refundable booking is recommended at this early stage. To confirm a place on the tour, please let us know for which nights and days you will be joining us.

Route maps will follow later.

This tour is now fully booked. Please let us know if you want to be told if there are any cancellations.

Contact Christine Johnson07971 294523.