One of the joys of cycling, whether it's on a sportive or just a spin with friends, is the chance to chat and set the world to rights along the way. Ride etiquette, mechanical wisdom and top bants - you'll hear it all in the rolling hedge school of the club run. The only drawback is that the physical nature of cycling, not to mention environmental hazards like wind, hills and traffic, can combine to make extended conversation tricky.

Welcome news, then, that the London Sports Writing Festival is returning to Lord's cricket ground this year, giving cycling fans the chance to enjoy stimulating conversation in a luxurious indoor setting complete with actual chairs, central heating and a bar.

The festival opens on Thursday 23 October, with the first three days dedicated to the lesser sports: cricket, rugby, and the one with the round ball (Roy Keane will be giving a lecture on Saturday, which should be bracing).

The final day, Sunday 26 October, is dedicated to cycling and will feature a packed programme of chat and debate. Speakers include British Cycling's chief physio Phil Burt on optimising performance on your bike, while there is the intriguing prospect of Lance Armstrong's Irish masseuse Emma O'Reilly dishing the dirt on her time with the disgraced Texan.

Perhaps the highlight though is an evening session with Olympic gold medallist Nicole Cooke, who caused a stir with her hard-hitting retirement statement in January last year in which she attacked corruption and inequality between men's and women's cycling.

Acclaimed cycling author Herbie Sykes will be present once again, discussing his latest book, The Race Against the Stasi together with Dieter Wiedemann, the cyclist who defected to the West and whose incredible story Sykes was inspired to tell. There will also be a chance to hear from Christophe Bassons, the French cyclist whose refusal to dope forced him to walk away from the sport he loved.

The day concludes with a panel discussion featuring cycling authors Tim Moore, Max Leonard and Richard Moore (Max may even be persuaded to explain the rationale behind his recent Everesting attempt on a small hill in Sussex...). Sky's Orla Chennaoui hosts the debate.

Tickets for individual sessions are available from the event website priced £10 (£7.50 for under-16s), or you can buy an all-day ticket for £60 that allows entry to all seven sessions. And all this in the opulent splendour of the home of cricket, with almost no chance of having the conversation interrupted by an untimely snot rocket from the person in front of you.

For full programme details and to purchase tickets, visit the Lords ticketing website.

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