All the C’s and one D
Copenhagen, cake, cycling, Canyon bikes, raising cash for cancer charities, and a lovely bloke called Dave.
Question: what proportion of cyclists wouldn’t show up for Sunday morning club rides if there wasn’t the obligatory stop for coffee and cake? My bet is on 30%. At least. But if everyone were even slightly like one of our clients Dave from our 2025 Road to Copenhagen trip, the answer would probably be closer to 100%. 105% maybe (bearing in mind I am about as good a mathematician as most football commentators).
You might not have guessed Dave’s penchant for cake as we gathered in Hook of Holland to ride north through the Netherlands, northern Germany and southern Denmark to Copenhagen (The Road to Copenhagen 2025). But it’s always the lean ones, hey? Already by the first night when Dave was the only client to order a desert, his sweet tooth was apparent…in truth, if you are going to choose a route on the basis of quality cake, then you could do worse than this tour. Northern Europe perhaps excels as much in sweet delicacies as it does in quality cycle paths. As Paddy, another client on that trip of obvious origin has pointed out, it is a route also featuring excellent beer. But I won’t mention that for fear of stereotypes…
Dave had decided to join our 2025 Road to Copenhagen holiday as a fundraising ride in support of Cancer Research and MacMillan, in memory of his sister-in-law who had died of cancer the previous year. She had adored Copenhagen, and the trip coincided with the date of her passing, so everything had fallen somewhat into place. However, Dave did generously add that he wouldn’t have booked Pedal Nation’s tour if we hadn’t had such good reviews.
I am sure none of the clients on the trip were under any illusion that that Dave could have ridden the route far more quickly than we did. In his youth, Dave had been on the verge of a life as a pro swimmer and footballer, before his life took a different turn. And his athletic ability was clear to all. But rather than boosting his ego by riding fast, he preferred to take up the rear, and encourage other riders. Indeed, it was one of the trips where the group came together and chose to ride as a group. This is entirely optional on our holidays, but as a result the strongest bonds were made. In Dave’s own words, ‘on the trip we all looked out for each other. If somebody was having an off day so to speak, we’d be there to offer support and encouragement, and we would offer the chance to draft on a back wheel. And if there was a puncture or other mechanical, Si (another client) was dab hand at helping out.’ Agreed, thanks Si!
Which is the best bike for our RTC trip? Dave himself was riding a Canyon road bike with trad gears and 28mm tyres, and he said he would choose the same again were he to repeat that tour. Yet there were the full range of bikes, including two Brompton riders who did exceptionally in maintaining a 15mph pace, Si’s beautiful steel Mercian road bike (he really was the King of Mercia on it), a Canondale Synapse hybrid, a Ribble titanium gravel bike, my co-guide Leon on a Canondale endurance bike, and me juddering along on my 25mm tyres wondering why I was such an idiot and hadn’t brought my tourer! It really did show that you don’t need the most expensive, lightest fastest bike for a Pedal Nation tour though (this doesn’t mean the new 6.5kg Orbea Orca that I have on order won’t have a sighting this year! But not on the way to Copenhagen, perhaps!)
Best cakes? Certainly deferring to Dave on this one. Apparently a heated waffle with caramel and assorted toppings whose precise location is lost somewhere to a sugar rush in northern Germany. Apparently Holland was best for coffee (I second that), Germany for cakes, and Denmark for a combo of both. How diplomatic!
Dave and a few other clients stayed on for a few days at the end of the trip to enjoy Copenhagen, and why wouldn’t you? It’s one of my own personal favourite European cities too. Not only Tivoli gardens, restaurants and bars, independent shops and antiques, alleyways, museums…but also as everyone discovered, a Rapha shop! I believe money was spent.
How to end? The thing is, cycling holidays don’t really end. They hgave a tendency to develop a life of their own…We are all still in touch. Almost half of the guests are already booked onto a 2026 tour, with more considering it. So, chapeau (another C for the list) to the lovely group of men and women who completed a wonderful Road to Copenhagen trip 2025. Dave’s Just Giving page has now closed, but if you have enjoyed this blog piece, please do consider a donation to Cancer Research or MacMillan.
See HERE to find out more about our Road to Copenhagen tour or to book your place on this year’s tour.
A few bits of feedback from last years’ clients:
‘Best bit of the tour? There are so many answers , but as well as experiencing the various towns and villages and meeting local people, it was the togetherness and camaraderie of the whole group including Lucy and Leon. I made great friends on this journey.’
‘Small groups, good value for money, well organised.’
‘I can’t speak highly enough of the company…’
‘Overall it was generally well planned, good accommodation and very helpful and customer focused leaders.’
‘The coastal riding with tailwind was great!’
