Exploring the ‘Leicestershire Alps’ with Jack Thurston (by John Whitney in Cycling Plus magazine)
Jack Thurston is barrelling along with the unchecked enthusiasm of a man unburdened by complex assignments and tight deadlines. “I’m just loving this ride,” he exclaims, as we hit the foot of yet another sharp climb in a part of England that he only half-jokingly, I think, calls the ‘Leicestershire Alps’. There is, undoubtedly, a lot to love, with mile upon mile of pin-drop quiet lanes piercing this magnificently and, somewhat unexpectedly for me, undulating land. But that isn’t why Jack is so happy. READ MORE
A cycling return home: exploring the lost lanes of Wales (by Emily Chappell in The Guardian)
“Oh, I don’t know …” says my father, shaking his head and sucking his teeth, as if I’d asked him to make a much more serious decision than coming out for a ride with me on the only sunny day of the week. “It’ll be fun!” I attempt to convince him. “We haven’t cycled together for – well, it’s got to be years, hasn’t it? And you’re always saying you want to spend more time on the bike.” He frowns, and I begin to feel slightly guilty for making what appear to be unreasonable demands on his decision-making faculties. READ MORE
Lost lanes of the Purbecks (by Andy Storey of Prendas Ciclismo)
I’m apparently pretty difficult to buy for when it comes to birthdays/Christmas – so when I received a copy of Lost Lanes West by Jack Thurston, it has given me some very welcome inspiration to make me explore some new routes for my regular rides. Most of my riding time is spent commuting to work, so that means a fixed start and endpoint for most of my rides despite some of the detours I go on some mornings. Being located so close to the sea, it also means there is not much scope for heading south either, so it is all too easy for route choice to become a little stale. READ MORE
Interview with Podium Café
Jack Thurston, host of The Bike Show podcast and author of the Lost Lanes cycling guidebooks, pops into the Café to talk about the series and some of his own favourite guidebooks. READ MORE