Cycling Holidays

Get Cycling Holiday 2010

Queen Ethelburga's College on the Thorpe Underwood Estate, near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. Sat 28th Aug to Sat 4th Sept.

A Get Cycling Week is something special. Each year we hire an historic public school in wonderful cycling country, and put on cycling holidays unlike anything else.

There's a rich mix of around 80 holidaymakers, of all ages and cycling interests, enjoying a choice of four or five sociable, fully guided rides each day. The holiday includes seven nights bed, breakfast, packed lunch and evening meal, and the chance to try out a wide range of cycles, from high quality road bikes to some very unconventional machines. These can be borrowed on an occasional daily basis, and we run try-out events in the evenings.

There are social activities (for adults and children), cycle skills sessions for children, cycling films, maintenance classes, and talks from cycling personalities.

The cycling is great. It is 14 miles to the West of York, with a fine network of country lanes, and varied topography. Plenty of flat riding, but the Hambleton Hills are not too far off and the North York Moors are just beyond. There are plenty of good destinations: Knaresborough, Easingwold, Coxwold (Tristam Shandy's home) Newby Hall, Benningbrough Hall, York. It's three miles from Cattal railway station so we can offer folding bike mixed-mode days using our 20 Brompton folding bikes.

Easy riders usually pedal ten to twenty miles each day, and more experienced cyclists cover fifty to sixty miles, with other rides each day of 25 to 40 miles. We design the rides around what you tell us in advance about your capabilities and wishes, and alter them as necessary during the holiday. If you're struggling we come and pick you up and bring you back to base. It's a holiday, not a challenge. You'll meet some great people: it's the mix of beginners and experienced cyclists, old hands and newcomers, which gives these holidays their unique, inclusive atmosphere.

Accommodation is in a single modern building (Genesis House), with two, three and four-bed apartments. Each has en suite shower and toilet, a flat screen TV, and a mini-kitchen which includes dishwasher and fridge. There's a lovely lounge, laundry facilities, lots of computer stations, plus pool and table tennis tables. The new swimming pool, open before supper, has a slide, waves and spa pool. There's a huge sports hall, the dining facilities are excellent and the standard of food is high. The extensive grounds (the Thorpe Underwood Estate) include a sculpture park, play equipment for small children and tennis courts.

These holidays have been taking place for twenty years now, and always have a unique, inclusive and supportive atmosphere, with participants from several countries. It is wonderful to see how people of so many different backgrounds, ages and levels of cycling experience enjoy each-others' company. From the wine reception on the first day to the music and dance on the last evening, you will experience an astonishingly different holiday amongst new friends.

It's also great fun for our Get Cycling staff, who work on our bike try-out roadshows and cycling programs for local authorities the rest of the year.

The Bikes

We will be bringing thirty or so amazing bikes for you and your children to try out and have fun on during the evening try-out sessions. We have 400 cycles to choose from back at base, and try to bring something different each year. There will be family cycles, tandems, tricycles, recumbents, folders, fun bikes, etc. We also have a wide range of special needs cycles, which we can bring by prior arrangement. We're happy to lend you many of these bikes on a fairly ad hoc basis for your day-rides, but at our discretion, and in a way which is fair to everyone.

If you require a high quality hire bike, which is yours for the whole holiday, we can supply a “hybrid” style bike from a leading manufacturer at a low rate. The bikes are suitable for road riding but are OK for the odd off-road track, with a good range of gears. We bring your bike all set up for you, with pannier, water bottle, lock and helmet. Prices are below. These prices are at cost: they cover preparation time, depreciation and transport from York. Some people choose to buy their hire bike at the end of the holiday, in which case we discount the hire charge. You can decide about two months before the holiday if you want a hire bike; no need to decide these details on booking.

What we expect of you

Well, we expect that you can ride a bike competently, and that any bike you bring is in good condition. We have taught adults to ride on these holidays, but this has to be by prior arrangement, since it may require extra staff resources. Children must have the skills needed to ride on the road if they are on a separate bike and must be closely supervised by parents or carer. The normal age for a child to be aware of traffic is around 8 years old (although some well experienced cycling families are competent below that age.) No one is obliged to cycle every day! People take ‘days off' to do other things.

Prices

Get Cycling Week 2010 will cost more than past Weeks. This reflects the en suite accommodation and inclusion of daily packed lunches. Unfortunately we pay by the bed, with no reductions for children. We have created what child discounts we can in our pricing. The costs for the 2010 holiday are set out below. The lower price on the left is for bookings made (and deposit paid) before the raised UK VAT deadline on the 1st January 2010.

	Up to 31st Dec. 09	from 1st Jan. 2010
Adults	£495	£505
10 to 15 year olds:	£368	£376
4 to 9 year olds:	£242	£247
Under-3s in beds:	£115	£118
Single supplement:	£40	£40
Hire of bike for the week	£50	£50

Visit Queen Ethelburga's College's Website

How to book

There is no booking form. If you have questions or wish to book, just email admin@getcycling.org.uk or ring us on 01904 636812. We need your full contact details, and names and ages of your children. We will send you a more detailed questionnaire together with confirmation of your booking. We ask for a 20% deposit. Don't delay. These annual events fill up fast, and are always booked up. Don't forget that there is a considerable discount if you pay your deposit before 1st Jan 2010.

Terms

Deposit of 20%. Payable on booking. Balance to be paid no later than 6 weeks before holiday (16th July). Please note that we do not send a reminder.

You can pay by cheque, bank transfer, credit card or debit card. A charge of 3% is made for payments paid by credit card, however there is no charge for debit card payments. Cheques to Get Cycling CiC

Cancellation refunds

Should you, or any member of your party be forced to cancel your holiday booking you must do so in writing and this letter must be signed by the person who made the booking. Alternatively, you may advise by e-mail. A cancellation will take effect from the date that written notice is received at our office. All such cancellations will be subject to a charge of a percentage of the total holiday price, and the following scale indicates the maximum which will be charged in any circumstance.

Up to 6 weeks before the holiday, the deposit can be refunded.

42-22 days:20% of total value (the deposit) can be charged
21-15 days:50% of total value
14-8 days:60% of total value
7 days or less: 100%

We look forward to seeing you there.

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