Peak Tours > About Peak Tours

About Peak Tours

Who are Peak Tours?

Peak Tours was established by Steve Coackley in 2007. Born and bred in the High Peak or Dark Peak area of the Peak District Steve has walked and cycled extensively throughout the Peak District for many years. Prior to setting up Peak Tours Steve cycled around the world on an unsupported trip along with three friends from Scotland, China & Australia. The journey took Steve through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, USA & Ireland covering 12,700 miles in eight months. All travel by land was by bike and the group carried everything they needed to be self sufficient. Apart from getting arrested in the Xinjang autonomous region of Western China on suspicion of being spies the tour was generally trouble free. On returning home Steve left his career in finance to work as a tour leader for the adventure travel company Explore Worldwide, leading walking & cycling tours in Turkey, China, India, Poland, Ukraine, Macedonia, Greece, Finland & Bulgaria.

After working with Explore, Steve founded Peak Tours which provided Cycling & Walking Holidays in the Peak District and also Cycle Hire in the Peak District. In 2010 Steve and his small team did their first Lands End to John o’Groats Cycle tour quickly followed by the Coast to Coast tour. Over the next few years they provided more and more LEJOG tours and also added the Way of the Roses route. They soon realised that people had such a good time on the LEJOG tours that they wanted similar holidays run in the same way and so the idea behind the Dover to Durness tour was born (opposite two corners to the LEJOG). In 2014 they ventured abroad and started the Moselle to Mozart Cycle in Germany & Austria and then in 2015 they started the extremely popular Channel to the Med tours from one end of France to the other. Each year they continue to research and add new tours to their repertoire and thoroughly enjoy meeting all the new people who join the Peak Tours caravan and also catching up with those long serving cyclists who keep coming back for more and have become good friends.

After working as a ‘one man band’ for many years Steve soon realised that he needed help with the running of the business and also needed more and more guides to lead the tours. Now with seven full time staff and over eighty guides, Peak Tours continues to grow and there are many new tours in the pipeline so watch this space!

Matt Reid

Before starting to work for Peak Tours in 2016 I was leading overseas expeditions all over the globe from Chile to Nepal . As well as working as a DofE assessor around the country . I the winter months now I work for the British Army training the new recruits in navigation, Climbing and Paddlesports with my summers guiding for Peak. I enjoy meeting all the riders new and old on the tours

Mike Carey

Hi I am Mike and like a lot of other guides I was a customer of Peak tours in 2014 on a 14 Day LEJOG.

I have travel extensively through Europe and around the World, with my bike. I love planning trips, routes and exploring new areas.

I enjoy a challenge and undertake long distance triathlons. I have a Cytech level 2 bike mechanic qualification along with a Tour Bike leader qualification.

It’s great meeting people and seeing the buzz generated from completing a Peak Tour.

Russ Middleton

When I retired from the Police Service in 2108 , I was an overweight , unfit and unhealthy 52 year old.
I decided to take up cycling and haven’t looked back. I love all things bike , and the camaraderie that goes with it.
According to my wife I’ve become the “Forest Gump “ of cycling …..and I’ve lost 26kg in the process !

I rode my first Lejog as a customer with Peak Tours in 2021. I loved it so much I turned around and rode back to Lands End and made it a lejogjogle.

I’m proud and honoured to have joined the Peak Tours Team for 2024 , and I look forward to riding with future customers and helping you with your cycling challenges.

Mick Preston

After spending my working life behind a desk I was lucky enough to start working for Peak Tours as a guide in 2023. I’ve been a keen cyclist since I was a teenager in the days when touring bikes had 10 gears, and navigation relied on maps and road signs. I have toured extensively by bike in Britain and continental Europe and can say ‘broken spokes’ in most of the major European languages. Apart from cycling, I also do a bit of running and fell walking, and am also happy to chat about football and reading in the bar after a day’s cycling.

Michael Burnip

A cycle coach and guide for over 10 years, often found in the man cave tinkering with bikes whether it’s building one from scratch or servicing them. Also a firefighter in County Durham when not travelling around cycling or running up mountains. Loves a funky pair of socks, so watch out for them when on the bike.

Tom Mutton

I have worked in the cycle industry for all of my career, from the education sector, working with Sustrans, the national sustainable transport charity, through managing a UK wide cycling brand as a National Cycling Manager in the Leisure industry to working as a Partnerships Manager for the National Governing Body for the sport, British Cycling. I now work for myself as a freelance guide, mechanic, tutor, coach and assessor for various cycling organisations.

As an experienced club rider and traveller, I am equally happy on a road or MTB and have been fortunate to have guided tours all over the world.

Roger Chaldecott

After 30+ years of being (sort-of) paid to travel the world and take people to climb, mountaineer, ski and paddle; and with my knees creaking, I discovered the delights of cycling. The joy of sitting on a bike, enjoying chatting with wonderful people and seeing new places was a game changer for me. I took my bike to Nepal, around the Alps, cycled on Christmas Day, and to many wonderful places in the UK before my first cycle guiding. Whilst I enjoy riding the best thing about cycling is the people, and the toughest part… is it the hills or avoiding eating too many tasty snacks?

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