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John Upton

Welcome to my tour page

Where am I going in 2024?

Eden Valley

Based at a very comfortable self catering Victorian house, we shall explore the beautiful Eden Valley located between the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District. Five daily rides are offered to places of interest, encompassing beautiful views and, of course, the local cafes.

A Wander through Worcestershire

A weekend break of around 40 miles a day, starting and finishing at New Street station in Birmingham. Mainly cycle routes through the city, then quiet back roads through Worcestershire. Dinner, bed and breakfast are included in the price, staying overnight at The Bank House in Bransford just beyond Worcester where you can use the swimming pool and thermal rooms. The return leg is similar, but on a different route.

My experience and style

What to expect

Who am I?

I work full time in IT, living on the southern edge of Birmingham with my two teenage sons. A bicycle has been my preferred mode of transport since the age of 9 and I've toured through much of the UK over the last 25 years, either with friends or solo. I love thinking up places to go, plotting routes and planning logistics, as much as the adventure itself, so it seemed a natural progression to join Bikexplore as a tour leader, which I did in 2021. When I'm not on an adventure, I am planning the next one.

My tour leading style

To go at a pace that the slowest rider in the group can comfortably manage. I’m happy for smaller groups to go faster if they have the route and a phone, though I like to try to keep groups together where practical to do so, as this is the point of group riding. I love coffee and cake, and cycling is a great excuse to indulge.

The roads I take

I will cycle any and everywhere I can: on and off road, bike-packing, camping and ‘credit card’ touring, self-organised and led, some solo but mainly in groups. I always avoid traffic where it is practical to do so and try to avoid too many hills. I love rolling countryside, especially woodlands. With Bikexplore I stay on roads unless specified otherwise

The places I stay

Depends on what is available. I generally favour a nice B&B or budget hotel.

Where do I go?

Most of what I do is road-based in the UK. However, I also enjoy off-roading and have been to the Canaries several times and am planning to visit southern Spain in 2024 with a view to offering gravel tours there.

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