Kos and Weight Loss Cycling Holidays

Hi again, well we have just returned home after an amazing week in Kos, Greece. The Island is absolutely beautiful and the people are amazing, so nice and generous. But one point to make, since the Migrant crisis last year, the popularity of the Island, and Greece as a whole has declined considerably. The Bars and Restaurants are really quiet, which is really not nice to see. I have to say that the Migrants are no longer there, they have moved on to other areas in Europe. There aren't any boatloads coming over from Turkey, the Beaches AREN'T scattered with discarded lifejackets. So if you are looking for an amazing holiday go now whilst it is still quiet.

Anyway, now that little rant is over, I want to talk again about something that is a real problem all over the World. I read today that more than 7 Million people in the UK face Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer within the next 20 years. That is 4 in 10 Adults. Isn't that a scary statistic?

As we know Cycling is a really good way to burn the calories, it is low impact on the knees and it is so much nicer being out on the bike on a nice day rather than sweating it out in the Gym. I burn double the calories out on the bike as I do in the gym, that is why I am slightly put off the gym in the summer. We really want to push the benefits of Cycling for Weightless and Fitness, and we have created the Ride Fit Club.  So if you are looking to lose weight and have an amazing holiday at the same time, then we can create that for you. We are working with some land based operators if Cruise isn't for you. But on board some of the ships there are Dietitian who can work with you to formulate a Healthy Eating Plan, and the meals on board the ship can be made very Healthy for you. So lets get rid of the myth that Cruising is for old people and that you get fat when you go on board, because that is not exactly true.

I had better get the suitcase unpacked and the contents washed before my next journey. Thanks for reading.

Wow 2nd Blog in a week

Hi and Welcome to another installment of our Blog.

Wow it has been a busy week putting different programmes together. We have had some feedback regarding the website, some saying that we didn't have enough choices of cruises. So we have rectified that. The original plan was to only have one cruise, but that was clearly not enough.

We are still working on suggestions for the Mediterranean cruises, there are some big plans in the pipeline for this area. We can still source the right ship for you. If you are an Individual or small group, we can offer departures from Barcelona and Rome at the moment and we can certainly look for another departure point for you if you wish. The Mediterranean area is somewhat of a cycling hot spot of a destination. We can look at some cruises into Sardinia for you, there will always be a stop into the Cycling Mecca of Majorca. 

The next area that we have actually had requests for is the Middle East. With some of the UCI Tours starting to take off in the region. We have the Tour of Dubai, The Tour of Oman and the Tour of Qatar that some of the top Pro Riders are racing in. We are just narrowing down some possibilities of operating in the area. There are quite a few cruises with itineraries out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There are also a variety of choice of ships in the area. We are looking at operating on board a Boutique Ultra Luxury Yacht, so we will keep you posted. But it is all looking very exciting. Maybe it is advisable not to go for a cycling holiday in peak Summer. But keep following us on Twitter for up to the minute updates.

We also want to add UK departures to the list. It was pointed out by someone that we know that it would be an ideal thing to do, especially if you have a non cycling partner who doesn't like flying but wants to go on holiday, and you want a Cycling Holiday. There are quite a few sailings to the Canaries, so for example, there would be a few days at sea for you to relax into your holiday. We might be able to get a ride in Lisbon. And then we can go and tackle the big mountains of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. And as our friend mentioned, his wife was most upset because he would be out and about on a ride and she would be left on board with the kids. Just to inform anyone who isn't familiar with cruising, the ships have some of the finest Kids Clubs in the World. So the chances are they won't want to see the parents anyway. A bonus of a UK departure cruise, is that you can take unlimited baggage. So no more weight restrictions. 

 
So thats all from the quick update. Any questions please do let us know info@velocruise.com

Back on the Blog

Hello and thank you for stopping by to read the Blog.

Wow things have changed since we last wrote on the Blog. First, and most importantly we are now fully ATOL bonded, you can be rest assured that when you book with us, your money will be 100% safe.

Our second bit of news is that we are now the UK Reps for Global Cycle Rides based in Sydney, Australia. For us, it is absolutely amazing, one of our main concerns getting VC off the ground was being able to guarantee the same standard of service and standards throughout the world, and with GCR we can do that. Have a look at their website www.globalcyclerides.com

We can also tailor the Cycling Cruise to you and your needs, we are not just an Annual Cycling Cruise, we can operate for individuals as well as Groups and Teams, even if you are already booked, given just 48 hours notice, we can arrange a quality ride bike to meet you and take you out with our Experienced Local Ride Leader.

We have also added Fly Rides to our menu. We appreciate Cruising isn't for everyone, so we can arrange flights, hotels, transfers and rides in your chosen city where GCR operate. We had the inspiration from the Fly-Drives that were popular back in to 90's, so lets have a revamp and get some Fly-Rides in. Just let us know where and when to go and we will do the rest.

Living in the most beautiful areas in the country, we had to just put some of the most amazing rides on the website. We have the routes from the Tour de Yorkshire right on our doorstep. Why not come up for a couple of days. We have the beach to the right, and amazing countryside to the right. If you are doing The Way of the Roses, then please get in touch. We can arrange hotels.

So thats about all the updates so far for the Blog. If you haven'f found what you are looking for on the website, or here on the Blog, please feel free to drop us a line info@velocruise.com and we'll be in touch.

See you soon

Mike

Ticking Time Bomb

I was amazed to read the newspaper last week to see that we are still in an Obesity crisis. One in Ten children are obese by the time that they reach Primary School. The number of overweight 6 year olds has doubled in the last ten years, and the amount overweight 15 years olds has trebled.

Do you not find these statistics frightening? Even walking around our local town, you can clearly see that the country is in fat crisis.

I do not claim to be a 100% slim Jim, we are all apt to the odd bit of bad food, however, the parents should be really questioned as to why they are letting their children get so big.

I was in Switzerland a few days ago and was talking to a colleague on the train, now lets call her Jo to protect her identity. She is pretty,  I'd say a UK size 10, she did not look in the slightest bit overweight, however she told me that she was considered 'A Fat Friend' when she goes out. I was totally set aback, how on earth could she class herself as fat?

So, this led me to have a think about things on the flight home. When I first joined the company that I work for, I was a trim 32" waist, went to the gym most days, only because I was single at the time, and had nothing better to do, so I was burning everything off. Two years down the line, in a secure and stable relationship, we earn good money so we ate out a lot, we had wine most nights, and didn't really go to the gym. It was Winter, so I didn't really bother going out on the bike. When I went for my recurrent training, I was really quite offended how blunt the Swiss were regarding my weight gain. I must have been 14 stone, I would say that I was 'Well Built' but I would not say obese in any way. When we were on holiday, I was quite slim compared to our fellow British travellers.

As different societies, do we have a unwritten rule as to who is fat and who isn't? The Swiss Germans, and the Austrians seem to have a very outdoors lifestyle, given a few days of nice weather over here, then so do we. However it got me thinking, is our acceptable fatness level parameters much higher than our continental cousins? Maybe so. At school I was bullied because I was carrying a few extra pounds, but that isn't allowed anymore. Since I have returned from Switzerland, where I personally felt that I was bullied in a very minor way regarding my slight weight gain, I have done something about it, and it is having a positive effect. I managed to get into a slimmer pair of jeans without a muffin top appearing at the front.

We have toyed with the idea of Velo Squad for a while now. is now the right time to push it along with everything else that we are doing? I say Yes. If we are able to educate ten people into healthy eating, getting out and about on the bike, taking responsibility for their actions, then surely that is a good thing? We can run Velo Squad along with Velo Cruise, and combine it with Re-Invention At Sea, it works. I do not want to see these sorts of headlines in the coming years, when the Government seem to be turning a blind eye and focusing on events Thousands of miles away, when they have their own NHS ticking time bomb right on their doorstep.

Its time to get blogging

New logo - New way 

Hi there, well it has been a while since we put something here on the Blog!! But we have been busy behind the scenes working hard on bringing something unique and off beat for your next holiday. We are currently in negotiations with various Cruise Lines to ensure you have the most relaxing, enjoyable and luxurious Cycling Holiday.

We are looking at various areas around the World, and one of the issues has been tying in when the ship arrives in port and any of the UCI Cycling Tours that are in the area. Not only would we want you to watch the Tours but we really would like to offer you the opportunity to ride some of the sectors too.

We are also looking at our fitness brand Velo Squad to offer some of our clients the opportunity to get on a bike for general overall fitness. We riders who have been in the saddle are well aware of the positive aspects of cycling and we really would like to attract more people to the sport, so once on board we will be looking at diet, exercise and general well being so what is learnt on board the cruise can be adapted into everyday life.

So that has been a quite summary of where we are at the moment, don't forget to follow us on Twitter @velocruise or like our page on Facebook Velo Cruise Cycling

Please feel free to email us with any questions at any time

Around the World in 21 days

Well I have finally managed to do it. I have been flying in the Aviation Industry both Commercially and now Corporate for 17 years now and have never completed the

Flight from Frankfurt to Tokyo

ANA Business Class

Around the World trip, I have been as far as Los Angeles in one direction,
and as far as Auckland in the other, but have never crossed the Pacific Ocean, so once this trip made it onto the schedule I was very excited. My journey started as a positioning trip from Manchester UK, then to Frankfurt, and then the long flight to Tokyo where I joined the aircraft.

Approach into Ushuaia

As you see from the map, we didn't just go around the world, we went via South America. We flew to Hawaii, crossing the International Date Line.  After a few days in Honolulu and Maui we then went to Tahiti for a refuelling stop, then carried on to Easter Island, where we took a guided tour of the islands and visited many of the 'Head' sculptures. We learnt how they were calved and how they were transported to the various ancient burial sites around the island. 

Then we were off again this time South East to Santiago de Chile, which was a great place, great people and a fantastic hotel. We had 2 nights there, then we headed south, that is 300nm from Antarctica, we went to the Southernmost City in the World called Ushuaia in Argentina, and as you expect it was freezing, it was very hot at home, and there was I, freezing my bits off surrounded by skiers.

Then we were on the home straight, my dream of making it around the World was in sight. We then headed back North to Rio de Janeiro, where I had been to many times, but it is a fantastic place to be. The Atmosphere is electric down there, and it was good to see the Football Stadiums from the World Cup, and the new stadiums being built for the Olympics in 2016.

Our final couple of legs took us to St Maarten in the Caribbean, and then a short hop to West Palm beach for a couple of days R&R before heading back to Europe.

Resort Review Playa de Ingles Gran Canaria

If you are following us on Twitter, then you might have known that we have just returned home from a fantastic break to Gran Canaria. The flight time from here in the UK is approximately 4 1/2 hours, a bit quicker with a tail wind, which isn't far at all. 

Barcelo Margaritas

I had never been to Gran Canaria, we had been to Tenerife earlier in the year, so had a rough idea what to expect. But Wow what a place, we stayed the the 4* All Inclusive Resort of Barcelo

 Margaritas, in Playa de Ingles, which is about a 20 minute bus ride from the airport in Las Palmas (LPA). We arrived mid evening and we could hear the evening Entertainment in full swing, nothing too garish, and we had arrived in time for a couple of night caps before the All Inclusive ended at 11pm, which is good in one way, because the only noise that you can hear comes from the fellow guests, and as this is a genuine 4* establishment, the clientele is slightly more refined, and I hate to admit, but slightly older too. This is not a hotel for Hen Parties or rowdy Stag do's. 

Although the entertainment was below par on a couple of occasion, this would not matter if you came

here on a cycling holiday, there are plenty of bars and meeting up places around the hotel to discuss the days ride or planning tomorrows. Although we were AI we did venture out most nights, the walk down to the beach takes about 20 minutes, which is nice to walk off any aches and pains.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the Barcelo, but there are many Self Catering options to be had on the island. I reckon that you could have a fantastic holiday in Gran Canaria at any budget. I found the island safe, I did not see any trouble, and I found the Gran Canarians more friendly then the people of Tenerife, cars stop at Pedestrian Crossings for starters and do not try and mow you down.

Unfortunately we did not get the opportunity to ride this time, but next time the bikes are definitely coming.