This Thursday (the 1st September) I'll be giving a talk at the fantastic Tollymore National Outdoor Centre.

The Centre itself is a great location, and I'm delighted to be able to tell my story there for an hour or two. Tollymore is near Newcastle, and more detailed directions are on their website here.

So if you're based in Northern Ireland and keen on cycling, adventure or just feel like coming along for something a bit different, it all kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5, and even better, all proceeds go straight to UNICEF. Good stuff, eh?

I'll even promise a few as-yet unseen clips from the upcoming documentar

See you there!

This Saturday (11th June) will see the arrival of the Big Wheel of Kent - a cycle event held in Canterbury by SPOKES East Kent Cycle Campaign, in association with the upcoming National Bike week.

Basically, it's a must-go-to event for anyone in the South East who is remotely interested in cycling. There will be a number of opportunities to ride into Canterbury from the surrounding towns, as well as shorter circular rides within the city. The Festival part will take place in the Dane John Gardens of Canterbury, and will include live music, food and drink, stalls for local cycling organisations and shops, as well as a 'Dr Bike' stand to help out with bike repairs.

I'll also be there with my own little stand. Lola (for new readers, Lola is my trusty bicycle!) and I will be there offering advice on cycle touring, and I'll be giving out information on the motivations lectures I give for schools and societies. So if you're interested in booking me for a talk, would just like to ask some logistical questions about planning a trip, or just want to say hi, then come down to the Dane John Gardens this Saturday!

Look forward to seeing plenty of you Kentish folks out and about during the day, and don't forget to check out the Big Wheel website here

It's now only a few weeks until the annual nationwide 'Bike Week.' Essentially this is a celebration of cycling, and an opportunity to promote and highlight the associated social, health and environmental benefits. It aims go get us all onto a bicycle for even just a short while during the week, and encourages people to consider incorporating cycling into their lives for general transport, commuting, shopping or just for fun - anything goes!

There will be fun events, rides, competitions and workshops happening all over the U.K so make sure you check out the Bike Week website and see what's happening near you.

I'll be heading back to Northern Ireland and working with Sustrans (the U.K's sustainable transport organisation) to give my "Cycling Reporter' lecture in a number of schools during the week. Keep an eye on my site for further updates on that and possibly a few other things.

So if you've been meaning to get that bicycle out for ages but haven't got round to it, or even if you're already a bike fanatic then there's plenty for you to get involved with during Bike Week - no excuses!