Team Building - on two wheels!

Looking to do something different on this year's team building trip? How about an activity that is undergoing a surge in popularity and is both great fun and good for you?

In other words, how about cycling? Edinburgh has access to some of the best cycling terrain in the country and we at 2 Wheel Tours are always happy to introduce people to it. Based in East Lothian, we are a bicycle tour operator and training provider, and are launching this exciting corporate programme for 2010.

Among the activities we will be offering are local day tours and games such as bike-orienteering; whereby teams work to solve clues and complete tasks in order to beat their opponents to the finish line - always guaranteed to bring out the competitive spirit! We also work with some excellent local restaurants and caterers to ensure that all the energy expended in these activities is more than replaced!

We strive to ensure that all levels of fitness and cycling experience are catered for and have qualified coaches on hand to provide assistance where needed. All safety equipment and bicycles are provided by us, although customers can of course bring their own bikes if preferred. A full day of entertainment can be provided, or we can be booked as a component to a varied activity day with another provider.

For more information:

email info@2wheel-tours.com,

visit us at www.2wheel-tours.com/corporate.html

or call 07932 676841.

Christmas is almost here! - Early New Year's Resolution ideas

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With Christmas upon us, everyone (including us at 2 Wheel Tours) is frantically shopping for last minute gifts, decorating the tree and preparing their bodies for the upcoming boozy feast.

At times like this, it's nice to distract yourself from all this madcap action by dreaming of summer or spring holidays, and what better way to do so than in checking out our new range of cycling tours around Scotland!

The fact that all of our cycling holidays are active, outdoorsy trips means that they would fit quite happily into a forthcoming New Year's Resolution. A perfect example of something to aim for would be the challenge of completing our Southern Upland Coast 2 Coast tour - a 253 mile epic route through some of Southern Scotland's most spectacular countryside. On the other hand, you may feel that you would like to set your sights a little lower in terms of challenge, and in this case the Edinburgh Countryside Explorer tour would be perfect. This is a fully customisable holiday and allows for guests to tailor their stay in whichever way they would like - whether that would be basing themselves in Edinburgh for the duration of the holiday or venturing out into the beautiful countryside and coastline of East Lothian.

Either way, we at 2 Wheel Tours hope that all of our customers and future customers have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy Hogmanay (New Year) and we look forward to hearing from you in 2010!

Alasdair
2 Wheel Tours

Highland Holidays!

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As some of you may know, 2010 is a big year for 2 Wheel Tours, as it marks the beginning of our foray into offering full cycling holiday packages. We have had an incredibly exciting few months and our day tours in East Lothian have been a great success. The main aim however, has always been to be a fully fledged cycle tour operator and we have been spending the last few weeks putting the finishing touches to a fantastic range of cycle tours across Scotland.

The full details of these will be published on our main site in the next 2 weeks, but as a wee taster I can give you a brief overview of two of our new holidays, both of which are situated in Highland Perthshire. These are the Lochs and Mountains tour and the Highland Discovery holiday.

Lochs and Mountains

Starting in Pitlochry, home of the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland, this tour takes in two of the country's most beautiful lochs, Loch Rannoch and Loch Tay. We also pass magnificent mountains, among them the majestic Schiehallion and Ben Lawers, thankfully we avoid climbing either of these monsters on our bikes.

This is also an area which has great potential for adventure sports, and we can arrange white water rafting, sphereing or any number of madcap activities through our extensive network of local suppliers.

Highland Discovery

Also starting in Pitlochry, we head off in a different direction, visiting the oldest tree in Europe, the site of Rob Roy Macgregor's famous escape from the English and one of the most peaceful and isolated glens in the country - Glen Lyon. Again, additional activities can be arranged and there is a wealth of local wildlife to spot - red deer, the rare red squirrel, golden eagle and wild salmon.

As I have mentioned, full details of both of these holidays and the rest of our tours will be published on our main website very soon - keep your eyes peeled!

Alasdair

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!

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Recently we had the pleasure of a group of girls from Ireland joining us on a couple of tours, and one of them, Sally, offered to write a testimonial of their Half-Day Beach Bum ride. Her article is as follows:

Having seen John and Alasdair's advert for East Lothian cycle tours, we three decided to give it a go. Aren't we glad that we did! Having sorted us out with great bikes, cycle helmets and a safety talk, we set off, one of us somewhat slower than the others, but no names shall be mentioned!

We went via the Glen Golf Club on towards Tantallon Castle, John pointing out things of local interest on the way. We continued on for several miles until we reached the log cabin at Ravensdale - spectacular views overlooking the deserted beach. Here we stopped for a short history lesson, much to Marion's relief as it has been many years since she has been on a bicycle. However, the promise of a stop a few kilometers further on at the coffee shop in Tyninghame gave her a new lease of life!

Once there, we sat outside in the sun (yes it does shine in Scotland) enjoying our food and drink. The company and banter was great, but it was now time to head towards home. John did try to alter his normal route so as to avoid the one long hill; however, in the end three of us cycled it and one walked it. The only complaint from Marion was that she thought her bike was slower than Kay and mine!

A great day was had by all and we are signed up for another tour before we fly home to the Emerald Isle.

Sally

Norway Calling!

We were recently visited by a lovely young couple from Norway. They chose to go out on two self-guided tours with us while staying in North Berwick.

The first tour they tackled was the Hillfoots Trail and were blessed with some good weather for the day, which allowed them to experience the full beauty of the views. They decided to go for the full day tour, which is probably our most strenuous route, but enjoyed the challenge.

On their second day they plumped for the Whisky Trail, a much less demanding route, capped by a visit to the Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery. Needless to say, they got home safely, if a little slower than on the way out!

Here they are, pictured before setting out on the Hillfoots Trail.


Alasdair
2 Wheel Tours

BBC Countryfile Magazine Review

Image by ewanmcdowall via Flickr

2 Wheel Tours were recently featured in an article in the BBC Countryfile Magazine website.

Named as a provider of one of "Britain's Best Cycling Holidays" and the only company recommended in Scotland, this is a great endorsement of our day tours and holidays. Although we have only been up and running for a couple of months, there is already a real buzz about what we are doing!

If you're interested in finding out more about our tours of East Lothian and the Borders, visit our main website for more details. We're only minutes from Edinburgh and it is very easy to combine our tours with a trip to the city's International Festival.

Please feel free to visit the site and check out the other cycling holidays on offer in other parts of the UK.

A detailed look at our routes - Beach Bum

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This bike tour takes us to some of the finest, hidden beaches in the country. Our knowledge of the area means that we can introduce people to quiet sandy coves with a stunning outlook over the Firth of Forth.

We journey east, along the coast away from North Berwick towards our first stop - Seacliff beach. This has a hidden harbour at one end of the bay, used by the owners for lobster fishing now, but once perhaps a landing spot for smugglers. The beach is one of the less well known in the area but has a cracking view of the Bass Rock and beautiful yellow sands.

Next we head further along the coast, following deserted farm lanes to a local gem - Tyninghame Beach. This is perhaps the most beautiful of all the settings we visit, and also the quietest. It is relatively inaccessible to cars and therefore is a perfect spot to get away from the buzz of modern life.

Heading inland, we stop at an excellent village cafe for complimentary refreshments and lunch. Finally we cruise on to Yellowcraig Beach, a busier bay but a great bathing spot - the perfect way to cool down and reward yourself for your efforts. North Berwick is then only a 10 or 15 minute ride home.

This is the full day programme of the Beach Bum tour and is designed to take around 6 hours. It is rated as an easy tour and is mostly very flat. We stick to traffic-less farm lanes or quiet country roads for the duration.

A half day Beach Bum tour is also available, which takes in 2 of the 3 beaches and is designed to take around 3 hours.

Please see our main website for prices and booking details.

Alasdair

www.2wheel-tours.com

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