We've got a new passion, and a new website! 

Why Pay for Expensive Bike Tours? Plan Your Own Adventure with Rides.bike

As someone who’s always loved bicycle touring, there’s one thing that’s baffled me for years: the cost. Organized tours are everywhere, and sure, they offer convenience and structure, but do they really need to come with such a hefty price tag?

I started rides.bike because I believe the adventure of a lifetime shouldn’t cost you thousands of dollars. The open road, the freedom to explore, the joy of riding at your own pace—these experiences should be accessible to everyone. But instead, I kept seeing people held back by one thing: the cost of organized tours. And honestly, it’s something I never understood.

Why Are People Paying So Much?

Look, I get it—there’s value in having someone else plan the route, book the hotels, and carry your bags. But what I couldn’t shake was this nagging question: Why can’t people just do it themselves? Why is the market so focused on all-inclusive packages when half the fun of bicycle touring is the sense of freedom and self-sufficiency?

The reality is, with the right resources, anyone can plan and execute an incredible bike tour without paying for a company to do it for them. And yet, this gap in the market persisted. So I decided to do something about it.

Enter Rides.bike: Your DIY Touring Guide

I built rides.bike because I want to empower riders to take control of their own trips. Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or new to bike touring, the truth is, planning your own tour isn’t rocket science—it’s about having the right tools, information, and confidence.

With rides.bike, my goal is simple: help people plan their own bike tours for a fraction of the cost of a guided tour. We provide up-to-date, detailed information on the best touring locations worldwide, along with tips, tricks, and practical advice to make your adventure seamless—without the premium price tag.

The Problem with the Market Today

Here’s the thing: the bike touring market is saturated with organized tours that charge you a premium for things you don’t necessarily need. You’re paying for guides, pre-set itineraries, and logistical support—things that are nice to have, but not essential. The real magic of bike touring comes when you’re the one in charge, deciding where to go and what to see.

The truth is, planning a bike tour yourself isn’t as intimidating as it’s made out to be. That’s where I saw the gap—no one was providing comprehensive, accessible information to help people feel confident planning their own tours. 

Most cyclists who dream of a big adventure are either convinced they need to shell out big bucks for a tour or are too overwhelmed to even start the planning process. I knew this had to change.

What You’ll Find at rides.bike

At Rides.bike, we give you everything you need to plan your own tour—whether it’s a weekend getaway or a multi-week expedition:

- Top Bicycle Touring Destinations: From quiet coastal paths to adventurous mountain routes, we cover the best bike touring locations worldwide.

- Planning Tips: We break down everything—how to pick the right route, what gear you need, how to stay safe, and more.

- Budget-Friendly Strategies: Bike tours shouldn’t cost a fortune. We’ll show you how to plan your trip without draining your savings.

- Gear Reviews: Picking the right equipment can make or break your tour. We review and recommend bikes, bags, tents, and other essentials.

- Real-Life Advice: Hear from experienced riders who’ve done it all—from cross-country tours to international treks—so you can learn from their successes (and their mistakes).

 The Freedom of DIY Touring

There’s a reason people are drawn to bicycle touring in the first place: freedom. The freedom to go where you want, at your own pace, stopping whenever the mood strikes you. That’s the beauty of touring on two wheels, and it’s why I’m so passionate about empowering more people to plan their own trips.

The market for bike tours today often strips that freedom away by locking you into a set itinerary, pace, and route. And you’re paying a premium for it! I believe there’s a better way—a way that gives you control over your journey while keeping the costs down.

## So, Why Pay More? Head over to https://rides.bike today!

Ask yourself this: why pay more for a guided bike tour when you can have the same incredible experience—on your terms—for less? With rides.bike, you don’t need to choose between quality and affordability. You can have both, and all it takes is a little planning.

Enecutive Mashup #2 - I WANT SUMMER!!!

Well we all know November has hit and it has hit hard. You get up and it's dark, you go to sleep when its dark, you leave work when its dark. DARK DARK DARK!

So we want something to make us remember why we are working those 9-5s and something that simply wants to make us dance wherever we are. So I give to you something i compiled earlier: "I WANT SUMMER!" I'd say it was a compilation of house/french house that has been thrown together. Some of these tracks you will recognize, some you wont. If you like them they are usually lots of indie-artists available on SC/YT so don't miss out! Listing:

So try not to bob your head too much or stay up to late listening to this, though it does make an absolutely awesome commute soundtrack. 

 01. Pierre De La Touche - Song of the Sirens
 02. Room 5 - Make Luv
 03. Cherokee - Mambo Jet
 04. The Ones - Flawless
 05. Darius - Maliblue
 06. Memoryhouse - To The Lighthouse (Millionyoung Remix)
 07. Toomy Disco - Since I fell for You
 08. Lando Kal - 3D Action Jackson
 09. Darius Once In a While
 10. Ourvais - Some Funk
 11. Washed Out - Feel It All Around
 12. Onra - Keep On Loving Me
 13. Moths - Summer


But remember, if you like it, BUY IT.

LISTEN

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Blu Mar Ten - Love Is The Devil

This has been quite the anticipated release in the DNB scene. London's Blu Mar Ten have released their new album ' Love is The Devil' and I have to say that this album is absolutely genius!

Tracklist:
01. Into the light (feat. Airwalker) (05:43)
02. All Thoughts Are Prayers (05:47)
03. Blind Soul (feat. Stray) (05:21)
04. Damage (05:17)
05. Dive Summers (05:18)
06. Blind Soul (feat. INtrepid) (05:53)
07. The Beginning (05:59)
08. Made In London (04:34)
09. The Fourth (feat. Jenni Potts)(05:34)
10. Another Year (feat. Mike Lesirge) (04:56)
11. Problem Child (05:42)
12. Love Is The Devil (04:45)
13. Sweet Little Supernova (feat. Rochelle Parker) (05:26)
14. Hollow Men (04:55)
15. Whisper (feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw) (05:31)
16. Blue Skies (05:43)
17. Still The One (feat. InsideInfo) (05:36)
18. All Or Nothing (05:17)
Really enjoyed it and has made it up there with my favourite album releases. I am also looking forward to the Hosptial Records 15 years release later this month!

LISTEN and BUY if you like it.

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Gang Starr - Moment of Truth

So what do you want on a hip-hop album?

That's a great question to ask, and a question that I have thought quite a number of times. For me, I'd want fantastic written lyrics, littered with metaphors, puns, and similes that make you think and smile. I want good rhythm from the MC who spits at a fast enough rate, and who has the voice that you know was born to do it, and then you want the right beats, that make the song what it is and make it memorable for you.

So step into the arena, Guru and DJ Premier, and you have Gang Starr. This duo from the 1990s set themselves a great stage and devoured the hip-hop scene prompting there to be a shift. Slick smooth beats from Premier and great lyrics from the late Guru (RIP 2010) show that there was necessary changes as well as people to beat within the scene at the time when the gods such as biggie and 2pac made themselves so famous like they are tonight. But I don't feel they compare, and thats probably because I love my beats within hiphop and for that reason I like jazzhop.


My only critisism is that there is too much of a east coast vibe running through the album, but I guess that comes with the time.

My favorite album is probably 'Moment of Truth', and that's the one that I'll link you today.

I am aware that there haven't been many posts recently and I am requesting some help with my blog. If you want to write with me send me an email to: vieralviral@gmail.com

LISTEN



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edit - Crying Over Pros For No Reason

Edit is a DJ that is part of the glitch mob, producing interesting variant beats that have a large part of music progression today. I first heard twenty minutes on a gaming movie a year or two back and I still think this album is absolutely fantastic.I love some of the tracks on this album so much and have been absolutely killing him out recently. If you like this, you should check out Your Infamous Harp and Emancipator too, they're more ambient but they are amazing.

LISTEN

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Bright Eyes - The People's Key

I've been a busy man over the last few weeks. I am sorry for not posting as often as I'd like. 

Sadly, this is probably the last album Bright Eyes will ever release. But my god is it a treat! Bright eyes are a band manned and fronted by America's famous Conor Oberst, who is probably one of my favourite lyrical poets of all time. He creates vivid and meaningful images with his song writing, and this album is no exception.

Sometimes I seem to forget how good Conor is, but he always comes back kicking and screaming.

Hope to be seeing these guys soon. Here:

LISTEN


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Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now Youngster

The start of 2010 I  heard of Los Campesinos! from a friend, who gave me 'Year In Lists' to start with. Quite rapidly, I developed a like for them and listened to little else apart from their at the time 3 albums until around May, when I saw them as part of dot2dot festival, Manchester. The gig was probably the most emotional personally that I have ever been to and one of the most enjoyable. Their album 'Hold On Now, Youngster' was actually the last album I purchased! (i support bands via attire and sometimes digital downloads as much as I can, as I don't like record companies getting a big chunk).

Los Campesinos! are quite a hectic sounding band that have a lot of variation within  their music, including synths, keyboards, guitars, and violins with a vocalist that puts a large amount of emotion into every song. Be sure to check out 'You'll Need These Fingers For Crossing' and 'Year In Lists' as these are two of my favorite tracks by this band.


ListeN!

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Au Reviour Simone - The Bird of Music

Au Reviour Simone

This album is an old gem that I seem to re-discover every couple of months. The trio of girls from New York that produce piano-lo-fi shoegaze dream pop have made a few good albums and I started listening to them in 2009 after the prospect of going to see them with a good friend was made. We never did go to see that gig.

They have two albums out, The Bird Of Music and Verses Of Comfort, Assurance, and Salvation. I much prefer The Bird Of Music - and that is what the link is going to be to.

Next time they come around, I definately won't be passing up the chance to see them preform. Hope you can enjoy it!

LISTEN

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Netsky - Enecutive Single Mashup

This is a mash up of Netsky's singles from over the years into one mix. This mix should give you a good pan of his styles, but should not be confused with his original album, titled Netsky.



This is my first mash together of singles and hence the songs probably wont flow as I intended them to, but I tried my best.


Tracklist:

01. Starlight
02. I Refuse
03. Pirate Bay
04. Lost In This Place
05. Nobody's Perfect
06. Smile
07. The Lotus Symphony
08. Tomorrow's Another Day
09. Your Way
10. Memory Lane
11. Eyes Closed


Hope you can enjoy it,

DOWNLOAD

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Chaotic Lynk

This album is something that is relatively new, and still brilliant. I heard it from bob42jh's channel and decided that it won a place big enough in my heart to post here. The hiphop album throws in great beats, some of which are made by Japanese producer Blazo, and CL throws some dope lyrics and vocals on top coming out with a smooth vibing sound that makes you want to listen to some tracks over and over, which in my opinion, is what you want with an album.

Make sure you check out Live Life, which is one the best tracks on the best songs on the album by far.

Check it out:
http://uploading.com/files/281b457e/CL%2Ba.k.a%2BChaotic%2BLynk%2B-%2BGENERATIVITY%2B%25282011%2529.rar/



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Alexi Murdoch - Away We Go

Alexi Murdoch was an artist I discovered in the most random of places: Stargate Universe. His song 'Breathe' came on at the end of one of the episodes, and I decided to check him out.

Thankfully, it turned out that he was a fantastic acoustic artist that has a deep mellow in his voice as he strums along with some fantastic lyrics. Away we go is his better album in my opinion, and is the one that is linked below. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't check out Towards the Sun.

Check it out, good stuff!

http://www.mediafire.com/?yxjmwmwfjyw

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The Head and the Heart

Got back from traveling yesterday. Blog isn't that big or active regardless but for any followers, I am sorry.

I saw these guys play at the Death Cab for Cutie gig, Melkweg, Amsterdam back in June. They are very good an implement a very good example of how vocals can group together to create a very interesting yet developed sound.

Check out the track 'Rivers and Roads' too, that is by far one of the best.

http://www.mediafire.com/?eb95z1o2mv9udqw

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Netsky - Essential Mix

I still stand by the fact that this is one of the best mixes that has ever been featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix. Netsky is a young DJ who was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, and exploded onto the scene and is now seen as one of the best drum and bass artists around, and for good reason. This D&B artist leans usually towards the liquid side of things, and is signed to hospitality records (which also house fantastic artists such as London Elektricity, and High Contrast). I was lucky enough to witness him playing in my city around March '10 (Problem Child, with Netsky, True Tiger, Rich Reason, and Joy Orbison) and I have to say it was one of the sickest nights I have ever been to and he absolutely tore the place down with his play of secret agent.

If you haven't heard this mix yet, whack it on while you do your Sunday chores, or while you go to do some cardio exercise!

Essential Mix Link:

http://uploading.com/files/9c5adde3/Essential_Mix_Netsky.rar/

Hope you enjoy it.

PS: Another good mix http://soundcloud.com/urbannerdslondon/urban-nerds-4th-birthday-mix-03-netsky

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DCFC - We Have The Facts and We're Voting Yes

Album Art

Death Cab for Cutie are one of my favourite bands, and it annoys me that people do not give them a chance even though Ben Gibbard, as one of the best lyrical poets I have ever come across, writes some of the deepest and melodic songs you will ever open your ears to. So if you haven't given one of their albums a try yet: do it.


All of their albums have had their time with me, originally hearing 'I will possess your heart' back in 2009 after a friend of mine started getting into them. I was hooked, I don't think I listened to much else over the Summer of '09 and I do not regret doing so. I have watched myself appreciate different songs at different times of emotional highs (or indeed, lows) and have dug to enjoy yet relate to the songs that Ben writes.

There most recent release was titled 'Codes and Keys' and went on sale on the 31st of May. Personally, I found this album disappointing, but maybe it was just different. I've become accustomed to non-repetitive lyrics and heavily guitar influenced music, which is something I feel Codes and Keys lacks.


Although I would recommend all people trying to get into this band through their 2005 release 'Plans', I have come to love their 2000 album titled: We Have The Facts and We're Voting Yes. I don't know which song I like the best on this beautiful album, its a toss up between 'For What Reason' and 'Company Calls', but it certainly tells thrilling exciting yet moving story of a man in love throughout the album. If you like indie music, make sure you get this album downloaded, and listen to it in full radiohead mode.

Note: If you watch the music video for 'You Are a Tourist' you will see an enactment of the album cover towards the beginning.

http://www.mediafire.com/?jzdj5nezyeg

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Arts The BeatDoctor - Progressions 2008

Arts the Beatdoctor, a project from Utrecht, The Netherlands are a new find for me, they are a bit different to the jazz hop producers I usually listen to, infact I'd say some of his beats lean towards glitch-hop. However, teaming up with Dutch rapper Pete Philly [who I am big fan of after being introduced to him by a good friend of mine] to create some fresh beats with Philly's great flow. That doesn't leave out the other artist that feature on this EP though, with Pax doing the lyrics for Sleep, perhaps my favourite track on the EP. Skiggy Rapz also does the rapping for other tracks on their album titled 'Transitions'.

The cherry on the cake for me concerning this artist, was the fact that one of my best dutch friends has a cousin had done work with them as the bassist. A small world indeed, friends.

I hope you can all appreciate this EP. Make sure to check their website out, too:

http://www.artsthebeatdoctor.com/

Link to Progressions EP:

http://uploading.com/files/5ma8292b/ATBD%2B-%2BProgressions.rar/

Incise

Incise

Incise is someone that I have only recently found a love for. After getting introduced to Nujabes [RIP] as late as Spring  2009, I had some catching up to do within the Jazz-Hop scene. After absolutely killing out Modal Soul and First Collection, I quickly moved onto appreciate conscious hip-hop artists (see other post for more on that).

This left me out of the jazz-hop scene for quite a while, with no progression being made. Until I started following BOB42JH's compilations, which erupted me to search deeper than where I had before. This lead me to fantastic artists, such as Polish producer Kondor, and London's man, Thomas Prime. Still, neither of those artists gripped me as much as Incise did.

From Toronto, Canada, this youngster burst through the scene after starting his career in 2002. In 2004 he appeared to mix for Canada DMC and has been producing slick beats ever since. Teaming up with people like Nieve, 49ers and Shad, as well as other great artists, this guy turns rap conceived by emotionally realistic rappers (as shown in the song Rising) into pleasant easy listening with a deeper meaning.

I would recommend his albums to anyone wanting to get further into the scene.

http://uploading.com/files/d3eef9b1/Incise%2B-%2BNobody%2527s%2BStory%2B%25282010%2529.rar/


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Top 5 'Hipster' Hip-Hop Albums

I have been getting heavily into hip-hop recently, but I found friends frowning upon my choices in the genre, as a lot of the artists I was listening to were not heard of by the most avid of hip-hop fans that I knew. It then dawned on me, that I was indeed preferring Underground hip-hop, more specifically, conscious hip-hop. This will give a run down of the best albums I have found in the last 6 months.

1. Shad - The Old Prince

Big up to this guy, and I can't wait to see what else he produces. Shad or Shad K is from Canada and is quickly rising the ranks there. This album was probably the first that got me into hiphop again. I'd been a heavy Kanye West listener, in my early teens, leading me to make the common transition to those more 'legendary' rappers, such as Tupac, and Biggie. Neither of which I can hold much credit for, which is also addressed by a track on this album titled 'Get Up'. I found this album fantastic because not only was it lyrically pleasing, but I found myself touched and dwelling on some of the songs, something I usually do not find within the hip hop genre (or maybe I just haven't been looking?) Pleasant lyrics is something I found hard to adapt to after thinking rap had gone to lyrics on the subject of money, hoes, and violence. I was pleasantly surprised upon hearing a smooth guitar riff in 'I Heard You Had A Voice Like an Angel' which is one of the deepest tracks I have possibly ever heard. However, it doesn't stop there, this album has more to offer than just simply one deep track, in fact it would be harsh to say it wasn't full of them. Such songs include 'Get Up', which discusses the lack of care and commitment from people in general and the lack of willingness to do anything about faults throughout the planet, 'Brother Watching' sees Shad rap about how there are far too many differences between white and black throughout his life, and how he started writing, it also goes on to say that modern black activists use their passion in music to throw such negative (and wrong) claims out of the window. But I'll leave it to you to decide.

Shad also released two more albums: TSOL (2010) and When This is Over (2006), both of which are brilliant albums and I would recommend purchasing both.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2qysomonlqo

2. Panacea - The Scenic Route 

Not to be confused with psy-d&b artist 'The Panacea'.This album was a recent find, and I've only just recently been getting into Panacea recently. A little more up beat than Shad, these lyrics are still very motivating and will generally have you bobbing whenever you listen to the album. The beats used in these tracks are the main things to be considered, starting off rather relaxed before quickly picking up. Even though I'm not usually a fan of faster rap, I find this album fantastic.

My favorite track on this album personally is "Pops Said", which tells us a story about how the younger years of the life did not really matter to the rappers involved, the sort of 'care free youth' as I like to call it. I would recommend their other albums too, a big track for me was 'Sync-In-City', which has helped me many times through daily commutes with its fast beat, female vocals, and heavily changing synth to ease the song out. I also find the whistle in 'Between Earth and Sky' irresistible, and I feel like i'd be doing something wrong if I didn't whistle along for this track.

Very recommendable if you're looking for some feel-good hiphop, not saying that all these tracks are as deep as the ones on my first choice, but some of it is simply fantastic, and very, catchy. Panacea have quite a large amount of albums, a discography is available here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panacea_(group)

http://www.mediafire.com/?0z5ym42hggc

3. Exposition - The Metro

Exposition - A huge part of MC group Audible Mainframe, created this beautiful album back in 2004. Its beats all seem to have some sort of classic input, something I like very much. The gem of this track for me by far is 'Sketches of Pain', which I still haven't got bored of and see it as a perfect (but probably rather depressing) song to wake up to. The song discusses the difference in the definition of intelligence, discussing that people that seem to work hard do not usually get society, and that the rapper, exposition, isn't like this, and doesn't get why anyone would want to be like this. Later in the track, exposition stresses at the fact that people use music to speak out about various things, but at the end of the day, without people bonding and all speaking out at the same time, it will do nothing and make nobody better and the world will remain exactly the same. One of the main factors for me in this track, is that smooth, rhythmic, Saxophone. Maybe I just like revolutionary rap, or the fact that someone has the balls to say 'Fuck Darwin' (a bold statement, by all means, I love Darwin). Overall the album offers deep lyrics, but with a hint of feel good rap thrown into certain tracks, enjoyable beats, at a slow pace. If you like this album, check out Audible Mainframe too.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3SGI64H7

4. The 49ers - The Ultrasound

This album by the 49ers kicks off with one track that made me smile as I was walking down the street listening to it: In Love With Two Women'. It starts off describing a complicated life, I am not someone that usually listens to love infested hip-hop, but when he later reveals that this other woman in his life is in fact the music he creates, I can't help but feel a deuce has been dropped by the writer. Taking the football team (The San Fran. 49ers) they create uplifting hip-hop, very easy listened, but dont be fooled -these guys ensure their tracks are still filled with metaphors. And my dear god, do i love metaphors! With lots of smooth piano throughout the album, the album generally finds a place in my 'getting ready' chart, and hence, is usually listened to every week. The only song I feel this album is missing is Kondor's 'Four Corners', featuring the 49ers themselves. Any future releases by the 49ers will definitely be snatched up by me and listened to for hours.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7mv6vd6ztjbzxas

5. Knowmads - Saturdayzed 

These champs are from Seattle, Washington. I was introduced to Knowmads through one of Bob42Jh's compilations, which featured 'Pick Me Apart'. This reality rap group discuss heavily the issues with the daily grinds of life, as well as throwing in the fact that they absolutely love weed: something I have absolutely no issue with!

Although I'd still stand by the fact that 'Pick Me Apart' is still the best song they have produced (which was created for a school project initially), there are other gems on this album. Not only are some of the tracks rather funny, but there is a deep message to be relayed around about how things aren't improved, and because of the lack of commitment from governments and the feeling of being the forsaken youths, Knowmads carry a powerful moral high ground around the scene, trying to directly preach their messages to the youths of today. 'Growing Deep' is a good example of this, but some other tracks, such as 'In The Basement' are also very laid back, causing no issues for those listeners that want to find themselves bobbing to the slick beats that this album unfolds.

http://www.mediafire.com/?l9243xss6k5yfpi

Their album can be found here, but there are more of them available on their Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/knowmads

Although these are my current favourite albums, I could see this changing again relatively soon as I discover more artists. Stay tuned for similar articles on variating genres.

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And So It Was!

After debating it for a long time, I've decided to actually make a blog dedicated completely to music. Stay tuned for information on new finds, and new releases.