Rise of Family Cycling Holidays
The Great British family holiday has been evolving for as long as it’s existed. The Victorian and Georgian heyday of the British seaside resorts such as Scarborough and Blackpool was superseded by the rise of the Mediterranean escape in the 60s and 70s. Cruises were big business in the 80s and 90s, with the long-haul escape to destinations such as Thailand and America following the decade after. Then we had the rise of camping and glamping, with the ‘staycation’being big business in the UK for families who are sick of spending hours at an airport or in a flying tin can before slowly burning to a crisp under the Mediterranean sun.
Staycations are certainly here to stay, it seems, and the British holiday is changing once again. The huge rise in popularity of cycling in Britain has seeped over into the holiday and leisure world, with cycling holidays becoming increasingly popular amongst British families. They’re often tied in with countryside camping trips, allowing families to pack up their gear, put the bikes on the roof rack and head off to the country for a summer of cycling and exploration of the Great British outdoors.
We’ve been blessed with good weather in recent summers, and even when it’s a little damp or cooler it’s all part of the experience of holidaying in Britain. Besides which, there’s nothing worse than thirty-five degree heat when you’re trying to cycle up a great hill. In some circles, 2014 has even been given the catchy moniker of ‘the Summer of Cycling’, with great swathes of British families expected to head for the countryside in order to explore Britain by bike.
The benefits of taking your family on a cycling holiday are clear to everyone, with the rise of the British staycation gaining in popularity every year. More and more of us are choosing to holiday in Britain, particularly in the countryside, and there are more than just one or two good reasons for this. A scenic adventure holiday can help to broaden the mind and improve physical health, and it’s also a lot cheaper and often more enjoyable than heading abroad, with many beautiful areas of Britain practically on our doorstep. No need to change foreign currency, learn how to order beers in Spanish or pack three suitcases full of Ambre Solaire —this is the rise of the Summer of Cycling, and it’s here to stay.