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We all know (even if we don't like to admit it), that really, all the stuff we get to buy for our favourite hobbies is just as fun (possibly more fun?!) than actually doing the hobby. This is especially true when it comes to cycling. Bicycle culture has its fair share of accessories and its own set of aesthetics. Of course, within the cycling-mad subsection of society there are a number of distinct groups, from the fixie-riding urban hipster to the amateur road racer, from the teenage BMX fanatic to the mountain biking junkie. They may all have different sensibilities, different 'looks' and different types of bike, but they all share a love of bicycle accessories, gadgets, paraphernalia, add-ons and any other stuff they can get their hands on.

There are a number of retail outlets, institutions, cafes, lifestyle websites, cycling blogs and artistic projects that have sprung up in response to this demand for all things cycling. Now, it's true that our biking vacations in the UK and Europe cycling tours tend to be on the gentle side, offering routes that go easy on distance and gradients so you can enjoy what's around you (instead of that big hill up ahead). However, just because we're all about fair-weather, relaxed cycling holidays, and our customers may not be 'serious cyclists', this doesn't mean we (and you!) can't still enjoy indulging in a spot of accessory shopping and partake in bicycle culture. Cycling is a democratic mode of transport, so anyone should be able to join in and get their hands in some bike stuff - even if it's just for a weekend cycling break.

Shops to visit before embarking on your bicycle adventures

1. look mum no hands!
   This is an awesome cafe and shop which serves incredible coffee and tasty, reasonably-priced snacks and sells lots of trendy bikes and cycling accessories. In fact, it feels more like a London bicycle cultural and social hub than anything else - the labels 'cafe' and 'shop' really don't do it justice. It's always buzzing with people and they often host events here too, like book launches for bike-related publications such as - a good read by the way! It's generally a brilliant place to go and tap into London cycle circles.

2. Cycling books.com
   A wonderful idea if we ever saw one. Your one-stop shop for all things written about bicycle adventures, cycling tours and generally anything else even vaguely cycling-related. Some examples of what's on the bookshelf here.... Jack Thurston's 'Lost Lanes' - a Carter Company favourite and a beautifully presented book about backroads bike tours in England, and Paul F Pinsky's 'Biking Through The Hoods', billed as an engaging exploration of urban America. There's also some more niche tomes you can discover here, like 'Stamp Collecting For The Cyclist' by Ronald F Sudbury. Written in 1981, it's an illustrated catalogue of stamps issued between 1887 and 1979 that feature bicycles. Very specific!

3. Cycle Chic
   This online shop is all about helping you to cycle in style. What more could you want? There's also a great blog, limited edition products exclusive to CycleChic and loads of helpful insider tips on how to choose the right accessories for you. As well as recreational cycle wear, which is perfect for commuters and those fixie-riding fixies, the site now also sells a sporty range for those who see their biking vacations and cycling holidays as a chance to get fit. In other words, if this is you, we would recommend our more challenging UK cycling tours. Brands like Chapeau are stocked, which are founded on the philosophy that bike-related stuff' should be good enough to live on display, garnering a sense of interest from the un-initiated - not bewilderment and sometimes repulsion! Its official, cycling is now cool and we can all start being a bit more proud of our sport!' We couldn't agree more!

Stuff to get before going on a cycling tour or biking vacation

1. Panniers
   Panniers are all-round heroes. If you're heading out on a bicycle vacation, they hold your packed lunch, your padlock, your binoculars and the kitchen sink. We love them. Travel in style with a bright-coloured option like these Basil Bloom panniers from Rose Bikes.

2. Trouser straps
   If you're out enjoying a gentle cycling tour around the UK you don't need to don a full-blown lycra suit, but you don't want your trousers getting caught in the chain ring either. There's a solution to this... trouser straps! The coolest and most understated have to be the leather ones made by Brooks. They come in a variety of colours too.

3. Trotify
   We're getting slightly weird and wacky now but this is just wonderful. The website for this bike accessory (also see photo above) greets you with the question: 'Hey bike lovers, why the long face? Lacking some horsepower?' If the answer is yes, the solution is Trotify. Positioned as the world's leading 'bike-horse hybridiser', this is a wooden device that sits on your front wheel and makes your bike clop like a horse. What more could you want? See it in action here. We think customers on all our UK biking vacations and European cycling tours should have one. Available on request!

If you're even thinking about visiting the South Downs in East Sussex, then we would strongly recommend heading for The Seven Sisters, a famous stretch of prominent undulations of the chalk cliffs that tower above the English Channel, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne. This stretch of coast is (rightly) very well known - it is absolutely stunning.

A little bit further along, between Eastbourne and Birling Gap, you will come across Beachy Head. The cliff at Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 530 feet (162 metres) at its highest point above sea level. The chalk of the cliffs was formed over a period of 30 million years when a warm sub tropical sea covered the area, between 95 to 65 million years ago.

Beachy Head is an area of outstanding natural beauty and is considered to be one of the most beautiful locations in the entire UK. Due to the dangerous rocks off the headland campaigns for a lighthouse date back to 1691 when petitions were raised due to sailors losing their lives. Eventually it was agreed that a lighthouse could be built on the peak known as Belle Tout, from where the lighthouse was to take its name.

Belle Tout B&B - a must-visit for walkers

Housed in a former lighthouse, the Belle Tout B&B is our insider tip for anyone visiting this area. Built in 1832 and decommissioned in 1902, the lighthouse is now a tea-shop and B&B, part-destroyed during the second world war and lovingly rebuilt in the 50s. It is owned by the BBC, who often use it as a filming location, for such programmes of The Life and Loves of a She Devil. Dramatically, the lighthouse was recently moved due to erosion of the cliff upon which it stands. It has now been beautifully restored and renovated. You can read more about the history of Belle Tout in more detail on the B&B website.

With 360 degree views of the English Channel, beautiful landscape, countryside and the enigmatic Seven Sisters, Belle Tout is a remarkable place to stay. It's a really charming English experience... they even have themed rooms such as 'The Captains Cabin', 'Old England' and 'Keepers Loft'.

During the day time, we advise you pull on your walking boots and set out on a hike. There are fantastic walking routes in every direction. The Carter Company offers tailor-made walking holidays in this area. Both guided walks along the South Downs and self-guided walks in this Seven Sisters area are available. You can also download free maps of walking routes from the official Beachy Head website.

Beachy Head is also home to a wonderfully quintessential English pub - The Tiger Inn. Here you can expect fine food, great ales and a warm welcome in this very idyllic country pub. There are also rooms you can stay in here if you don't like heights!

Great Britain has its fair share of Great Writers. Our literary heritage is a particularly rich one, with world-famous legends such as Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Dylan Thomas, William Shakespeare, The Bronte sisters, James Herriot, William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter all flying the flag for British literature. There's no better way to celebrate this incredible legacy than with a walking tour of Britain, taking in some our most well-loved writers' houses.

Walking around Britain on our 'In the footsteps of famous writers' tour offers a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the landscape that was Jane Austen's inspiration for writing, to visit historic houses such as New Place and Nash's House where Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, and to experience up close the places that feature in the works of writers like Lewis Carroll.

Beginning in London and then the gentle hamlets of southern England, this special historic walking tour takes you through charming villages pf the West Country to the stunning and unspoilt coastline of Wales. The route then heads on through the picturesque Cotswolds to Stratford on Avon in the heart of middle England. From here you travel north to the very different scene of the Yorkshire moors and then into the poetic Yorkshire Dales. Enjoy the drama of the absolutely gorgeous Lake District before reaching Scotland and Edinburgh, your final destination.

Our favourite historic writers' houses to visit

Our favourite historic houses which have associations with Great British writers and which you can visit on one of the walking tour are:

1. The 16th Century CHAWTON HOUSE and library where Jane Austen’s brother lived, a house she would often visit. You can take a guided tour of the house and garden, and there's also a chance to explore this pretty village in which it sits, discovering for yourself the details of Jane’s life, family and books. It's also possible to visit JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE in Chawton, which is now a museum. It was here that she produced all her novels, revising all previous drafts, including Pride and Prejudice, and writing her three later novels, including Emma, in their entirety. 2014 is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mansfield Park, the first book Jane wrote entirely at Chawton. The museum will be celebrating all year with a range of events and activities.

2. MAX GATE IN DORCHESTER, where Thomas Hardy lived. Hardy actually designed the house himself (he was a formally trained architect) and his brother built it. During the years that he resided at Max Gate, Hardy wrote some of his most well known works, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Woodlanders, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure, The Dynasts as well as numerous poems and short stories. Hardy was an intensely private individual who valued his innermost privacy, and there is a fair amount of mystery surrounding his personal life and relationship with his wife Emma, whose sudden death inspired a spate of poetry expressing deep remorse for the distance between them... there has been a lot of speculation, and many visit Max Gate in the hope of gaining some insight into this enigmatic character in English literary history.

3. DYLAN THOMAS' HOUSE IN LAUGHARNE. He famously wrote of his home in Wales: ‘there is nowhere like it anywhere at all...'. It's the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2014 so there are some special events on to commemorate the occasion. Many of the families and landmarks he knew are still there for you discover as you walk through the village down to the sandbanks and estuary. In 1944, Dylan wrote 'Poem in October' about his birthday walk, which you too can walk. In fact, if you plan to do this to coincide with your own special day, then the village will celebrate with you by giving you several free Dylan loved treats – a bag of chips, a pint of beer, a coffee and Welsh cakes and more!

4. DOVE COTTAGE AND RYDAL MOUNT where Wordsworth lived. These historic writer's homes are wonderful to visit as part of a stunning circular walk through the Lake District. Wordsworth thought the Vale of Grasmere was 'the loveliest spot that man hath ever found'. Take in the shores of the mile long Rydal Water where he often sat, his early home at Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount where he spent the last 30 years of his life. The walk also runs through Grasmere village, which is absolutely idyllic with its surroundings of fells, tarns and lakes.

It's hard to whittle it down to 4, but the above are our favourite writers' houses to visit - perfect to combine with a walking tour of England!

Daylesford is an organic farm, market garden, cafe and cookery school. Located near Kingham in the heart of The Cotswolds, with its lush green valleys and rolling hills dotted with sheep, it has become an increasing pull over the years for our customers, who love visiting this area of quintessential England and this very English establishment. And if you're still one of those people that associate England with bad food, think again - we promise you'll be pleasantly surprised! Think risotto of asparagus and new potatoes wild garlic pesto and Parmesan, or beetroot cured salmon with sour cream, Sicilian lemon and pumpernickel bread. Mmmm delicious... our taste buds are watering already!

If you're into food, Daylesford is a pretty inspiring place to visit; the produce in the shop is presented beautifully, and menu in the cafe is full of fresh ideas for making the most of the season's crops. Follow their Instagram for a sneak peek. If you want to go one step further and invest in the organic lifestyle for the long term, we suggest you book a place at their cookery school. There's a wide array of workshops and sessions to choose from, including 'Wild Food & Foraging' (our personal favourite!), 'Artisan Bread Making for Beginners', 'Seasonal Dinner Party', and 'Perfect Puddings', to name but a few.

Shopping in daylesford

Most of the produce you can buy and/or eat at Daylesford is from the farm itself, which is committed to sustainable principles and farming methods that are in harmony with the environment. As they explain: "all our food comes straight from our farm to your fork: our meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables from our market garden, bread from our bakery, and cheese, milk and yoghurt from our creamery." Where they sell other products, they source from artisan suppliers who share their commitment to quality and sustainability.

Cycle or walk to Daylesford Organic Farm with The Carter Company

Many of our bike tours and walking holidays in The Cotswolds pass Daylesford Farm Shop en route. Whether you prefer guided cycling holidays or a self-guided weekend cycling break, we've got something to suit you. Follow this link for cycling breaks or click here for our walking tours in The Cotswolds. Equally, if you're not planning a cycling break to The Cotswolds, but you are in London, you can visit one of their shops in Pimlico or Chelsea for a slice of the Daylesford experience.

In the coming weeks, we will have an exciting announcement to make about a special joint venture between The Carter Company and Daylesford... watch this space for more info!

Here at The Carter Company, planning cycling holidays for families is a speciality of ours. In fact, our connection to cycling breaks with kids runs deep - it was an extended Carter Family cycling trip to Austria - see photo above - many years ago (comprising of 4 adults and 5 children from 9 to 15 years old!) that inspired Wendy, our Director, to found The Carter Company back here in the UK. With dozens of cycling trips with kids in tow under our belt since then, we have learnt a fair few things over the years about how to plan family-friendly cycling holidays.

Tip 1 - Traffic-free cycle routes

Do your research and try to find a trip that uses mainly traffic-free routes. Certain areas in the UK are better for this than others - Dorset, for instance, has miles and miles of disused railway lines that now function as bike paths, which makes it a great choice for a UK cycling holiday with kids. Another thing to check out is the terrain... where possible it's a good idea to avoid steep hills. Little legs get tired quickly and you don't want a tantrum to ensue en route (!)

Tip 2 - Points of interest galore

Cycling all day and only stopping for lunch isn't just tiring; it feels like a bit of a frogmarch, and doesn't allow for those moments when you want to follow your nose and explore all that your surroundings have to offer. We love slow travel by bike here at The Carter Company - it gives our customers the chance to really stop and engage with all there is to see and do wherever they are. So we recommend picking a trip that factors in plenty of spare time (with perhaps in total only 3-4 hours actual cycling time in the day), and choosing an itinerary that has lots of things to see and do along the way - nature reserves, museums, castles & palaces, beaches or lakes to swim in etc.. After all, it's not really about the cycling, it's about the places en route.

Tip 3 - Choose gentle distances

In our experience, it's sometimes quite surprising how far kids can actually cycle (they do have a lot of energy), but there's nothing worse than having to cajole a kid another 10 miles when they've had enough.. so err on the side of caution! Definitely anything more than 25 miles could be too much. We would also recommend asking your tour operator for a local taxi service number just in case they run out of steam.

Tip 4 - Child-friendly bike trips don't necessarily involve the kids cycling!

If your children aren't quite riding a bike all on their own yet, or don't have much stamina, there are a number of options. If you're looking to hire a child-seat, make sure you request one that will fit your child right. They are designed for for kids of 6 months to 5 years, so getting the right size is key. Tagalong bikes are a good option for kids aged around 4-9. Bike Hub have a great article on carrying children on bikes if you want to read about these options in more detail.

Tip 5 - The real secret to success

Ice cream. Make sure that ice-cream features somewhere along the way. It's a surefire way to guarantee success.

Our Top Family Cycling Holidays

For a complete list of The Carter Company's easy, family-friendly cycling holidays for children under 10, over 10s and teenagers, see this dedicated page on our website.