WillBut cycle touring is expensive… Or is it? I mean sure, it can be expensive, but does it have to be expensive? All the marketing tells you to buy expedition-grade kit. To be fair, price is often (but not always) an indicator of quality, and higher quality kit usually lasts longer. With that in mind, there’s a … Read more
What is a S24O? Adventure is to be found where you look for it. In a hectic, modern life, it can be so easy to lose sight of that though. We are under constant pressure at work, and often at home, too. So how do you find time for adventure? Sub 24-hours Overnighter A Sub … Read more
I want it, Daddy, and I want it NOW! If you ever watched the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (the Johnny Depp remake isn’t worth watching!) then you will be familiar with that phrase, uttered by Veruca Salt. It’s so easy to dismiss her character as an obvious exaggeration, from a humorous children’s … Read more
We have a winner! When I started the WillCycle Adventure Fund, I was naïve enough to think it would be far more popular than it turned out to be. I was quite mistaken, but at least we have one lucky winner. Given how unpopular this was, there won’t be another one, but that’s neither bad news, … Read more
The Cheshire Ring If you’re a regular visitor to WillCycle, you’d know that I’m quite a fan of cycling the very many canals in the UK. The reasons are simple, and very obvious: canal routes are often extremely stunning, are almost entirely traffic-free and are relics from the Industrial Revolution. I freely admit to being … Read more
Food, glorious food I have a confession to make: I’m not a foodie. In fact, sometimes I’m quite envious of people who seem to find far more pleasure in food than I ever would. To me, food is primarily fuel. As a result, I’m not a good source for recipes. However, the people I interact … Read more
The WillCycle Adventure Journal I’m excited to announce the WillCycle Adventure Journal. What’s an Adventure Journal, you ask? It’s a small book that you are meant to take with you on adventures, to make notes in. Some of my best thinking’s been done on the bike, and I expect that may be true for you, … Read more
Here are the entries to the WillCycle Adventure Fund. For obvious reasons, I’ve removed people’s names from the entries. Voting is now open, and on the 9th of May I’ll announce the winner. I will never repeat the WillCycle Adventure Fund, as entry numbers were disappointingly low. Still, we have a total of £95 raised … Read more
Cycle touring the UK – a post just for Americans The USA is an extremely varied country, and in that respect, Americans are so spoilt for choice when they go cycle touring. The average American cycle tourer can effectively choose the climate they want to go cycle touring in, because the country is so large. And … Read more
The battle of getting tight tyres onto a rim It’s easy to see where the TyreKey got it’s name from – it looks much like a large key. There are two versions of the TyreKey, and I was given the newer version to try, which was redesigned to cope better with fatter tyres and wider … Read more
Top ten reasons to go cycle touring Everyone likes a List Of 10, right? Well, here are 10 Good Reasons To Go Cycle Touring The freedom! You get to experience the landscape in a far better way It’s very good for your physical and mental health It’s good for the planet It’s good for the … Read more
The Slow Road To Teheran, by Rebecca Lowe I’ll freely admit I absolutely love books that tell the tale of daring, long-distance cycling adventures. A good book like that tells the story of a fantastic cycling adventure. A great book like that tells the story in such a way that cycling, though central to the story … Read more
Excitement! The night before you set off on your first ever cycle wild camping trip on your own, you will probably be nervous. And more than a little excited! It’s a big thing you’re doing – stepping out of your comfort zone, and into the unknown. Of course, when we’re nervous, we’re most likely to … Read more
Trangia copy? Yes, mine’s not an official Trangia, but a very well-made copy that you probably wouldn’t be able to tell apart from the original. Why did I get a copy? Easy – I wanted just the stove, and didn’t want to spend much, as this will be my backup stove. Why a backup stove? … Read more
Warmth – an essential element Many people tell me they won’t go camping unless the weather is very hot, as they don’t want to be cold overnight. If done right, even in surprisingly cold weather, you should be able to stay toastie-warm. The tips I listed below should help you remain warm. Active or passive … Read more