Have you ever taken your bike with you on holiday, given your bike a little change of scenery from the slug road!!

Bill and I have had two super holidays in recent years cycling around Orkney in Scotland and Denmark (fairly flat terrain!) but last year we did something a little bit different and went on an organised trip. I am master of holiday planning in our house so I decided, with some trepidation I might add; to join an organised trip with a cycling holiday firm but the experience was fabulous. We went for a 10 day trip round the Lofoten Islands of Norway.

If our experience is anything to go by you would be well looked after and have a great time. We were a party of 10 of various abilities and ages but that proved to be no problem. Our trip started at Aberdeen Airport with our bikes in bike boxes sitting on the tarmac as we taxied off to Stavanger then on to Oslo and then Bodo. So that was a wee stress to arrive on a biking holiday with no bike!! But in fact the bikes arrived in plenty time the next.

The Lofoten Islands are a narrow chain of islands. Jagged peaks soar up from the coastline but never fear they are so steep the roads take a meandering route around the base. Any hills we encountered were no worse that our local routes. And there was always the pleasant thought that just around the corner might be one of our guides in the van with little snack or cup of tea for the cyclists and always an absolutely fabulous picnic lunch!! Definitely worth cycling for!! We cycled round the islands and island hopped on luxury ferries. Accommodation was in Rorbus –traditional fishermen’s wood cabins perched on stilts at the waters edge. They were extremely comfortable and Saddle Skedaddle guides had a lovely Norwegian style breakfast ready every morning. Our evening meals were taken in local restaurants. Fabulous food but restricted drinking, as you would expect in seasoned cyclists! (Well the Aberdonian certainly wasn’t going to spend over £5 on a pint too often!!). What’s more, we even made it onto the website photos….and with me ahead of Bill for once.