Briton Tim Organ is in love with cycling for many years. In his youth he lived in the county of Somerset and participated in the championships of various levels. Today Tim, who is over 70 years old, still likes to ride the iron horse in the most beautiful cycle track in Britain. It is located in the village of Llanigon, Herefordshire county. Every week Tim makes a ride in central Wales or in hilly terrain of Brecon Beacons.
There are a lot of people like Tim. Cycling has become a real cult in the UK thanks to victories of British cyclists in the last year Olympic Games in London and in "Tour de France". According to "Sport England", the UK now has 99,000 more cyclists than in 2008. Many of them choose a place of residence on the basis of their sporting habits.
Bicycle fans look for houses in the hills of Brecon Beacons in cities of Machynlleth and Caerphilly (both are in Wales). Three-bedroom house in this region costs about £319,500 (€378,450).
Places with beautiful landscapes, low built-upness and high standard of living are best for cycling. Obviously, housing in such places is not very cheap. Such property can be found next to Dartmoor National Park, Devon county. There is a lot of space, good roads and trails. Three-bedroom house in Islington, on the park border, will cost you £945,000 (€1.1 million). Just a mile from the town of Moretonhampstead there is a four-room cottage of XVII-century with delightful view over the countryside of Dartmoor for £925,000 (€1.09 million).
Town of Kendal, Cumbria, attracts a lot of people who tired from hard life in Greater London. Cyclists like the Kentmere valley, with its comfortable cycling track along the Windermere Lake shores. XVII-century country house in Longsleddale, to the north from Kendal, can be bought for £675,000 (€799,539).
However, the point is not just about a nice house and a comfortable cycle track. Affection for cycling unites people in real life social networks. So says Chris Boulton, 50, "The Circle of 30 years length" author. He lives with his wife Jennifer and their two sons in Highclere, North Hampshire. Chris, the head of the company that build luxury houses, is fond of cycling since his childhood. He underwent heart surgery in 1998 but 10 years later he got back in the saddle and participated in "Magnificat cycling Sportive", organized by him among his friends from the tavern . Now he, along with other members of Newbury Road Club, ride against the clock. They ride 50-70 miles from Newbury to the border county of Hampshire every Sunday, though many of them are over sixty years old.
"This is an exciting activity that does not require a lot of efforts, but contributes to the emergence of a strong team spirit and a common touch. Bicycle helps to get rid of searching for Friday's drinking partners, it also helps to get to know the neighborhood. We accept everyone, and every member can choose the speed of riding according to his capabilities. Yesterday a 82 years old athlete joined our club", Chris says with enthusiasm. It does not matter for him that in his town there is only one pub and no shops at all, because he can get to the cycling paradise in West Berkshire, Wiltshire and Bourne valleys from his place very fast.
"This is the best place to live after retirement. Newbury has an extensive network of roads, and it increases the availability of surrounding villages. Cyclists can get to any of them, eat a berry pie, drink milk and enjoy the view of rural landscape along the road. There are a lot of pleasures just for £450,000 (€539,000). It's a cost of a four-room house in a shady alley in Highclere. Isn't it wonderful?", says Chris.
When the time comes to retire, Chris is going not to move to a warmer place, but to cycle along the highways enjoying views of Berkshire hills and fields. We wish him good luck .
Text: Ivan Ulitin, ee24.com. Based on "The Telegraph"