About CycleActive Ltd
Lots of people are surprised when they find out CycleActive is run by two people. Rich and Jon talk to you on the phone when you have an enquiry, handle your booking, and deliver the courses and holidays on the ground. We do have some additional help in the summer months from our freelance team.
This tight nit staff approach, in turn, keeps quality high.
Rich Barnard
Director
Life Outside of Work
Pets:
Cat, tortoise, Senegal parrot, massive tropical fish
Things that keep me busy:
3 young kids
House renovation
Track car Renault Clio 182 RS
3D printing
Ride my bike
"A Morecambe lad who wound up in the Lake District after a short stint working for camp America. Now Married to a paramedic with 3 kids"
Jon Chalmers
Director
Life Outside of Work
Pets:
Labradoodle trail dog
Things that keep me busy:
Walking the dog
Track car Renault Megane RS
Kite skiing
Ride my bike
Ride my bike a bit more
Ride my bike a alot more
"A Southern from the home counties who came north to seek a life in the mountains. Now married to a Dutch international Mountain Leader"
By travelling with a company run by cyclists, who do their own research and have a real passion for this form of travel, you know that you can relax and enjoy a truly amazing holiday.
Started out back in 1996.
CycleActive runs in the same friendly, well informed and professional way now as when we started out back in 1996.
Travel writer and Adventure Travel Editor of The Telegraph, Richard Madden, came on our very first holiday and even then his comment in the paper read “A fantastic first tour! This has to be a success.”
The founder
CycleActive was founded in 1996 by Chris Ford, who relocated to East Africa after qualifying as a chartered accountant and corporate recovery specialist with Deloitte. Drawing on his professional services background, Chris set out to create high-quality cycling experiences delivered with a friendly, approachable, and supportive ethos.
After three years gaining hands-on experience in Africa, by 1999 he had developed the confidence and expertise to design exceptional cycling trips and training courses anywhere in the world.
The friendly take over
In 2014 Chris Ford the founder of CycleActive left due to personal reasons. Rich Barnard (Now the managing director) grabbed the opportunity to run the company in the same friendly manner which Chris had built over the years. Moving from mountain bike guide to business owner was a steep learning curve and the previous 6 years of full time employment at CycleActive stood Rich in good stead to further the company.
Jon started working for CycleActive in 2010 and became a director in 2016. He now manages the tour logistics for the company as well as the hire bike fleet. He always has one or two projects on the go for new holiday ideas, which hit the website periodically.
Chris can still be found loitering around the office with a cup of coffee in his hand, letting us both know about the next big idea. The way it should be ;-)
