When we told the story of Jurgen Knupe’s Panamericana bikepacking challenge earlier in the year it created intrigue and admiration from other riders, and after a staggering 25623 km over 230 days Jurgen’s trip is now complete.
As number one in the VeloViewer Explorer Max Cluster leaderboard and in the top three of the Explorer Tiles leaderboard, we were keen to learn more about Jurgen’s focus and motivation during the trip and his love of tile hunting.
Get inspired by Jurgen’s tales of adventure….
1. How long had you planned the trip for, and was it hard to make the time to take on the challenge?
The idea for this trip came to me in early 2023. However, it wasn’t until January 2024 that I started planning properly. I had decided to end my working career early, and my last day of work was scheduled for Friday, July 26, 2024. Just three days later, my flight to Vancouver, Canada, left. Continue reading
Active Travel Move More Awards
VeloViewer sponsored the Active Travel Award at Sheffield’s Move More Award ceremony on Friday 28th March, where winner Chella Quint OBE was presented the accolade by South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, and three time Olympic Champion, Ed Clancy.
The inaugural Trailblazer in Active Travel Award was presented to Chella, Founder of Period Positive, for her campaigning for better cycling support and infrastructure, in particular for disabled cyclists. Period Positive is a movement that challenges menstrual taboos through the arts. Continue reading
Intro to Tile Hunting Series – From Roadie to Gravel Rider
Hearing how tile hunting has totally changed riders’ approach to cycling is very rewarding, as it is often a gateway to inspiring new adventures. In British tile hunter Matt Fletcher’s case when he realised the limitations of road cycling, and the squares he was missing out on due to accessibility, it encouraged him to start gravel riding. His switch to off-road has allowed him to achieve a 47×47 explorer square, with plans to grow this even further in 2025.
Read how Matt introduced a new cycling discipline to his ride outs, and how this increased his rate of tile collecting. Continue reading
Cycling Safety and Risk Management with Dr Cormac Bryce
Last year we linked up with Dr Cormac Bryce of City St George’s, University of London, to discuss safety in cycling after reading his academic work on the subject. His study included in-depth analysis of factors that contributed to a high-profile safety incident on the track in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the learnings to be taken from this. We were particularly interested in the parallels with other sports including Formula 1. The analysis sought to look broadly at contributing factors and relevant conceptual frameworks that help us to appreciate the complex nature of cycling safety.
VeloViewer From a Race Organisers Perspective
As the 2025 season gets underway, VeloViewer’s role of working with Race Organisers is more prevalent than ever, and is integral to improving race safety. From single day classics to Grand Tours, VeloViewer technology is playing a crucial role in race planning courtesy of the new contract with The Association Internationale des Organisateurs de Courses Cyclistes (AIOCC).
VeloViewer’s partnership with AIOCC means all members will now have access to the WorldTour App including all three Grand Tours, 34 UCI WorldTour events and 22 women’s races. The VeloViewer tools within the WorldTour package are designed to ensure a safer season, improving logistics and coordination for Race Organisers.
VeloViewer’s Sixth Season of Support for Cycling Sheffield
VeloViewer is delighted to renew its support of Cycling Sheffield for the 2025 season, with exciting new riders making their debut at the Team Launch at The Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), at Sheffield Hallam University, on Thursday, 5th March.
Cycling Sheffield is a team renowned for its support and progression of young riders through the British and European cycling scene. The U23 Development Team, under the expert leadership of Dave Coulson, went on to great successes in the 2024 season with an opening season win by the promising Jack Hartley.
Intro to Tile Hunting Series – How to Get Involved
If you’re not already, inject some new energy into your local riding with our VeloViewer Tile Hunting tool. There are 27K Pro VeloViewer users, and an ever increasing number of them regularly tiling, and exploring new routes to increase their Max Square or Max Cluster of tiles.
For those new to the sport, here’s what tile hunting offers and how it can spice up your riding.
Intro to Tile Hunting Series – Sweet Treats
Explorer tile hunting has been in the spotlight recently and becoming an increasingly popular pastime with VeloViewer users. If it’s new to you, discover how others are using the VeloViewer platform to collect tiles and give a new focus to their riding, which isn’t all about chasing KOMs/QOMs.
In our Intro to Tile Hunting Series find out from everyday riders their motivation to claim tiles, equipment they use, and the adventures along the way.
For British cyclist Jeffrey Ott tile hunting has helped to give him focus in the British winter, and when faced challenges claiming squares he’s resorted to offering home-baked goods to try and ‘sweet talk’ residents to let him gain access – unfortunately yet to be successful!
Explorer Tile Tales – Bushwhacking Safari
The lengths Explorer Tile fanatics go to is somewhat staggering, and we were impressed by the grit and determination of Jim Solan went on his own bushwhacking safari to reach a square by a British zoo.
AIOCC agreement for the 2025 season
New for the 2025 race season, we are delighted to announce a partnership with The Association Internationale des Organisateurs de Courses Cyclistes (AIOCC), which represents the interests of cycling event organisers worldwide. Courtesy of AIOCC, race organisers, including the three Grand Tours, 34 UCI WorldTour events, and 22 women’s events, will have access to the VeloViewer WorldTour tools, already used by pro teams.