FionaOutdoors

They might have caused a dozen or more raised eyebrows, and certainly a few fellow tri club cyclists thought they were hilarious, but my new skiing mitts have become the genius solution to cold hands while cycling. One of the reasons that I don’t like cycling in winter is that my hands get very, very [...]

It’s great to hear about other people’s outdoor sporting achievements and goals. I “met” Andy Fallon on Twitter. His tweets about an epic cycling challenge sounded interesting. Here’s his story. Andy is 45 and married with a six-year-old daughter. He lives in Huddersfield West Yorks and spends his days working for Morrisons as a senior [...]

I just wanted to add my vote to the campaign, being supported by fab cyclist Chris Boardman, over threats to cut funding for cycling and walking promotion in Scotland. The campaigners and environmental groups argue that a funding cut of about a third by the Scottish government will be hugely detrimental to health and carbon emission [...]

Cyclists of all ages and aspirations can look forward to next May’s Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival. The organiser, Highland Perthshire Cycling, have announced the return of  the popular event and offered a glimpse of some of the highlights. The Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival takes place leading up to, and over, the legendary Etape Caledonia weekend, and includes [...]

This is an American graphic but many of the messages are applicable to cyclists anywhere. I like the sentiment of the messages and it’s a great way to get across a few points about the benefits of cycling. Thanks to Jen Rhee who got in touch to show me the graphic that she’d created. Created [...]

Keen mountain biker Karl Mott spotted a gap in the outdoors market while studying at college in Edinburgh. The business studies graduate couldn’t afford a car and so he struggled to find the transport to reach MTB Mecca Glentress, some 20 miles south of the city near Peebles. Now Karl and his wife Abie have [...]

Stunning weather, superb views, a total transport cost of £8.50 and a fabulous day of solo cycling. Don’t you just love it when a day of adventure turns out to be utterly perfect? I had a whole day to myself and bizarrely(for Scotland in September) the weather forecast was predicting blue skies and sunshine. So [...]

In the summer I chanced upon a few new sections of beautifully smooth and welcoming bike path near the village of Ballachullish. I was so impressed that I stopped during my bike ride to take a pic of the oh-so-lovely new tarmac. I found out then that Sustrans were aiming to create a 25-mile bike [...]

Real-time and Facebook friend, former colleague and now cycling convert, Debbie, reveals her discovery of the delights of two-wheeled exercise. Debbie writes: Some people are born to exercise – others have exercise thrust upon them. Anyone who knows me knows which category I fall into. I’ve spent a lifetime battling with my weight, mainly by [...]

It could be the continuing rise in petrol prices, or the Tour de France effect, or even, and this is in my wildest dreams, some kind of FionaOutdoors cycling momentum, but several of my readers have recently requested information about how to get into cycling. Two requests come from women. One wants to increase her [...]