Hands clasped behind head on a springy bed of pine needles, listening to the lazy tap of the Woodpecker making his way around the forest clearing. Gazing out to sea from behind a pie and a pint outside the Square and Compass atop the Purbecks. Riding breeze assisted all the way along Bournemouth Prom to Christchurch for fish & chips.

Just some of the idyllic moments I can still conjure up from a week camping in the New Forest. Not to mention catching up with the New Forest Rally CC regulars at the cheese and wine gatherings. And only one day washed out by rain – a whole twelve hour shower!

If you want a cycling holiday, particularly with young ones, that doesn’t cost the earth, the CTC New Forest Rally is the place to go. It’s far from flat, but if you can handle variable surfaces and undulating terrain you should enjoy it.

If you haven’t spotted it yet, we have two new cyclists on our People page. Barry from Cheltenham with his Hase Lepus, and John from Dorset with his electric assist HPV Scorpion.

I had the pleasure of discussing cycling in Dorset with John over a cup of coffee at Avon Tyrell, but unfortunately I messed up the meeting arrangements with Terry. Hopefully I can get it right next time when I’m in the vicinity of Moors Valley Country Park. A missed opportunity in many ways – for a start we don’t have a handcyclist yet on our People page…

And that’s a reminder to everyone out there cycling with a disability, we need more of your personal stories about how, what and why you cycle. Just reading about someone in a similar position can be enough encouragement to give it a go. Don’t feel you’re not worthy, this is an inclusive cycling forum and we’re interested in all forms of disability and in cycles from the ordinary to the extreme.

Talking of extreme, our ICF members have been out and about during the summer months doing those daring deeds so you don’t have to.

Martin form Norwich has participated in a ride across Devon on his new Boma raising money for the Scoliosis Association UK and the Lane Fox Respiratory Unit Fox Respiratory Unit Patient’s Association.

You can read all about his adventure from Ilfracombe to Plymouth on his website. I’m looking forward to meeting up with him in Norwich again to talk about his exploits and to explore the controversial question that’s been raised as to whether Martin can be considered a cyclist.

And long distance tourer Graeme has almost ridden all the way around the British coast. We saw him at the CTC AGM in Weymouth shortly after he set out. I’ve been following him via his Ride2Recovery facebook page, and thoroughly enjoyed toasting him from afar with a celebratory drink when he reached John O’Groats.

He’s making his way along the southern coast of Wales right now and hopefully I’ll get the chance to talk with Graeme too, looking back on his adventures for a future blog post.

It’s not quite over yet – there’s still a little time left before Autumn creeps in. I’m off out this bank holiday weekend on the tandem – more of that marvellous machine to come – and if you’re in London the following weekend, don’t forget the Wheels for Wellbeing stand on Sunday 4th Sep at the Mayor’s Skyride.

I’ll be in London on Saturday as well for the launch of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, a group calling for the kind of high quality cycling infrastructure that everyone can use.

See if you can guess which is my entry in the poster competition…