Tour Cyclist's Paradise

By pushpedal | Pedalling Continents | 23 Jul 2019

In Turkey there are strong communities promoting the use of bicycles. Some cities have a cycling association where cyclists are welcomed stay and rest. We had the opportunity to stay at the ones in Sakarya and Lüleburgas.

Sarkarya Cycling Association

From WarmShowers we requested to stay with Mert. He was the manager of the cycling association, taking care of the cycling house and organising activities. Everything was run by volunteers and funded by the members. The house had a room set up to accommodate two guests. There were basic arrangements but we appreciated having a roof over our heads.

Ring a Ding

On a Sunday evening the cycling community came together for a ride to the city centre. We had about 30+ cyclists of all ages attend. We started quite late but everyone had lights and reflectors. We arrived in the centre where they had a pedestrian only street with the night market. It was busy and packed, so we passed through slowly ringing our bells to get everyone's attention. The purpose was to promote cycling to the community and we certainly got the attention from everyone.

Here's a short video https://pedallingcontinents.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/vid_20190602_2233153_1440x810.mp4

Tea & Chat

Afterward we stopped at a park and Mert gave a speech. We learned there was a tragic incident recently involving cyclists, unfortunately they died. As tribute they lit up two lanterns wishing for no more such tragedies. Afterward we had tea and chatted with each other. It was a nice way to end the evening ride.

Lüleburgas Bicycle Academy

We first heard about the academy in the tour cycling WhatApps group. It was in Lüleburgas and could accommodate up to 8 travellers at a time. The profile page in WarmShowers didn't have photos so we didn't know what to expect. When we arrived we saw something exceptional and "world first".

Rent & Ride

The academy was designed to provide a safe place for cyclists to train, ride and socialise. Originally in the design there were two looping tracks: one for bicycles and another for motorcycles. The bigger cycling track had two hills and bumpy parts for extra adrenaline, but unfortunately the motorcycle track was closed due to safety concerns.

The children were loving the place. This academy was located next to schools and apartments so it was convenient to access. Bikes can be rented for free as long as it's used in the academy.

Eat & Sleep

Luckily for us the academy provided a place to sleep too! The building we stayed in had "box beds", kitchen and bathroom. There was security at the complex the entire time so our belongings were safe. Our room even had air conditioning so we slept very comfortably.

Like & Share

We absolutely loved this place. Our host Inanc gave us a great time during our stay. We hope that he will be promoted from volunteer to a paid position to keep this place running for future cyclists.

Lüleburgas Bisiklet Akademy (LYMBA)

GPS: 41.393387, 27.348977

WarmShowers Page: https://www.warmshowers.org/user/181222

We must also thank the municipality of Lüleburgas for investing in the cycling facilities. They dedicated the year of 2017 to promote anything about cycling. It is promising to see a city invest and value alternative and green mode of transport.