Cycling Around the World

A little while ago I posted a blog titled Tour de Australia, which highlighted some of the great cycling trails available in Australia. Obviously, Australia is only one of the many countries that offers great cycling opportunities - whether they be in the densest cities or in and around some of the prettiest landscapes on the Planet.

There are two articles I've come across recently that showcase the plethora of cycling opportunities available wherever you might be in the world. The most recent was in National Geographic to promote a new book called Bicycle Diaries (Viking, 2009), which was written by famous Talking Head David Byrne. The book chronicles six months of urban bike rides Byrne took as he travelled around the world. The article lists 8 of his most satisfying rides, including New York's Staten Island green pathway; San Francisco's cycle route system (there is a great map which shows you how to avoid the severe hills); Rome, which is "the least accommodating" cycle city but because it has so much congestion, riding a bike becomes the quickest mode; and, surprisingly, between all the vacant lots in Detroit, which Byrne says "was one of the best and most memorable bike rides I’ve ever taken".

Reading this article obviously got me dreaming (once again) about all those great walking and cycling opportunities that abound whenever one goes travelling. It also reminded me of an article I read in the UK's The Guardian in 2007 describing some of the most scenic bike opportunties available. Titled Top 10 bike rides of the world, this article lists some mouth-watering (not to mention gut-busting) travel experiences, with a few of them really standing out:
* the Alpe d'Huez in France (see picture above) - one of the most famous cycling climbs in the world thanks to the Tour de France. The Alpe has been a stage finish most years and is considered one of the key climbs for the eventual winner. Oh yeah, and it's arguably the most scenic stage on the route.

* the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia - "nothing can prepare you for riding over its swathes of white salt, baked hard under a fantastically blue sky. This is a landscape just waiting for your imagination to paint it." And unlike many of the other rides in the article, this one is dead flat!

* London to Hever Castle, UK - this sounds like one of those quaint British travel experiences that takes you on the back roads through beautiful old towns and past lush rolling countryside.

Of course, this is just a snapshot - for a more comprehensive listing of cycling trails and holiday experiences you can access, why not check out Bicycling World, which lists over 1000 cycle tour options you can go on.