GTN - how it all began

Pyrenees 1988

Between 1979 and 1985, Dave Newman had been cycle-camping in Briain, including a visit to Sydmouth folk festival in Devon, ‘John’s Bikes’ bike holidays (which became Bike Events) culminating in the Great British Bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats in 1983, and Bicycle Beano holidays in Wales.

Dave returning from Sydmouth, 1980

Dave at London-to- Brighton ride 1981

Camping beside the River Thames August 1979

Dave on Round-London ride 1985

Geoff Thomas had been touring around Europe and America on his motorbike in the 1970’s, where he met Sylvie and worked in the summer at Camp Moto, a motorcyclist’s campsite in the south of France.

Towards the end of the 1980’s, Geoff and Dave met while leading London Cycling Campaign Sunday bikerides.

Dave’s first experience of cycling in France was in 1988 on the Bottom Bracket bike holiday from St Malo on the Brittany coast of the English Channel to the Pyrenees near the border with Spain. Geoff was also on this holiday, which was his first cycling and camping trip in France. Travel back to London was on the Bike Train, which provided sleeping compartments with a baggage van for the bicycles on the motorail train between Calais and Brive in central France.

Near Pyrenees, 1988

Dave at Col de Portet d’Aspet, 1988

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