Last night BBC4 started a new series with Clare Balding setting out on a two-wheel odyssey to re-discover Britain from the saddle of her bike.
In a six-part series, Clare will follow the wheeltracks of compulsive cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe whose evocative guide books of the late 1940s lovingly describe by-passed Britain - a world of unspoiled villages, cycle touring clubs and sunny B roads.
Carrying a set of Harold's Cycling Touring Guides for company, Clare embarks on six iconic cycle rides to try and find the world he described.
Her first journey was to the rugged and beautiful Atlantic coast of north Devon - from Lynmouth, scene of Britain's worst flood disaster in the early 1950s, to Ilfracombe via Little Switzerland, and a hidden silver mine whose riches probably helped England win the Battle of Agincourt. En route she met two men setting out on a tour from Ilfracombe to Plymouth which we feature as our Devon Coast to Coast tour. It is traditional to dip your front wheel in the sea at both ends of the journey for good luck.
It looks like this is going to be excellent viewing for those who love cycling so we shall be hooked!
