A week at Retreats often starts with a group of strangers who nervously set of on their first ride together, which we refer to as “The Leg Spinner”. Then, fast forward to the end of the holiday and you’ll see the same group of people laughing, joking, and striking up friendships, supporting each other every step of the way… just like a family! Mark and I have a very small but close family, which consists of our fabulous daughter Meg, Mark’s parents, Mark’s sister and brother in law, and a cheeky but lovely nephew and niece. Thanks to Cycle Retreats, we now feel we have one BIG extended family! It’s made up of people we laugh and cry with, who share our love of cycling, and who have not only supported us on our journey, but who have helped us to build what has become an exceptional and highly respected brand. We’ve been supported by our Cycle Retreats’ family, just like we have our blood family and it’s wonderful!   

The relationships we build at Retreats doesn’t end on the day everybody goes home, it’s great how we all stay in touch! Very often people arrange their next Cycle Retreats’ visit around each other’s availability or when booking, they ask who’s going to be there. It’s a bit like looking forward to going to a cousin’s wedding for a good catch up with extended family members! Riders often meet up at Sportives throughout the year and send words of encouragement to a fellow Cycle Retreaters who are racing, or are having a tricky time. One rider recently had surgery and she has been keeping her Cycle Retreat’s family updated as they care about her progress. Some are even attending a wedding of fellow cyclists, while others are going on holidays together in other countries. Among all this support there is also banter that goes on between our Cycle Retreats’ family. It’s great that the riders are comfortable and at ease with each other and that “taking the Michael” is so natural, this is something you mainly see between families and/or friendships of many years! So… what is it that creates this unit?

Mark and I believe it’s the people. Cycle Retreats is known as a luxury brand, and was built to give cyclists so much more. A shared experience, a supported environment, to be allowed to cycle your way and respect what this means to different people, this attracts a person who has our values. Mark and I believe it’s this shared value that has brought together an amazing bunch of people, who we feel proud to call our Cycle Retreats’ family. We are so fortunate to have met so many great people, and this would never have been possible without the family home of Cycle Retreats.

As a member of our Cycle Retreats Family, you will be first to hear about exciting news about pending retreats and any exclusive offers. Our extended family are those people who are yet to come for a visit, we look forward to seeing them soon and welcoming them into the fold.