How cycle4fun began Self-Guided Cycling Holidays
See how it all started and how you can get fun, confidence and freedom from our bicycle tours, trips and routes.
Have you ever asked yourself any of the questions?...
How can I organise a cycle holiday for me or a group?
How can I cycle safely and avoid busy roads?
What is it like to cycle overseas and how can I do it independently?
Where can I get a stress free cycle ride for the family?
How can I cycle through the best scenery in the world without a guide?
If you have you’re in the right place.
Hello, I’m Alan Cheesley, founder of cycle4fun.
I'm here to help everyone enjoy cycling adventures in places you never thought possible, and have maximum fun and freedom.
The words I write and the videos I record are aimed at making you more confident about cycling in places you may think are out of reach and out of your comfort zone.
You can learn how to avoid busy roads, and how to cycle safely in places you never dreamed possible, with the freedom to ride solo or with your friends, at your pace, within your own budget.
Check out the Free Guides for cycling inspiration, and go to the Destinations page to see how easy it is to experience a trip of a lifetime without spending loads, and still get the flexibility to go where you want, and do your own thing, at your own pace.
Get more fun into your life.
What you will get from me is the knowledge and confidence to take leisure cycling a step further, without having to record the best time, or spend lots of money.
Do you want to cycle in places you always wanted to visit, to ‘smell the roses’, safely, with no stress, on your own or in a group of your friends? I will help you do it.
Self-guided trips are great fun and stress-free when everything is organised for you.
The routes include The Alps, Tuscany, Croatia, The Tatra Mountains, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, The Danube, Sardinia, Japan, Colombia, Cuba plus many trips in the UK including cycling around the UK coast visiting all the RNLI stations, with each leg organised for people to raise awareness and money for a great charity.
How I got into cycling…
Growing up in a family of four boys cycling was a way of life, it was how I got to the park, how I did my paper rounds and butcher’s round, and that early experience stuck with me.
Rugby Union has always been important to me. The lessons I learnt through this great sport have helped shape who I am, how I behave, and how I treat others. In the 80s I travelled for almost two years and played rugby in as many different environments as possible.
What I love and miss about playing the sport comes out in many ways – confidence in trying the unknown and untested, enjoyment in helping others achieve their dreams, and creating an atmosphere of comaradery where a group of individuals can be stronger as a team.
Having been competitive in sport and my work life you would think I would want to buy a racing bike and do the Alpe d’Huez or Passo Stelvio, but no, I was interested in something else. I guess ‘because’ of that early competitive life I looked for something other than competition, and maybe being a dad changed something too.
Although I didn’t have a bike in my 20s and 30s, it seemed right to start cycling again when my children came along, to set a good example, and give them the start towards a fit and healthy life. It started by taking the children to DayCare in the bike seat, and progressed to the bike buddy.
Fitness has always been very important to me, but only so myself and the people around me can all be happy – from the evidence I have seen, being fit and healthy means you are more likely to be happy and alert.
This is what I want to share with the people who don’t think they could ever experience the things you are about to see, people who are not confident enough to cycle in these places, and perhaps not even fit enough (yet) – these are the people I want to serve.
