Will
We can’t all be on adventures all the time. Even the world’s most persistent cycle tourer, Heinz Stücke, eventually settled down. However, what we can do is start planning our next adventures! Decide on a timescale Time is the greatest limiter. You can always get more money, but you can never get more time. Your … Read more
Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Suffering from semi-frozen fingers isn’t fun, and when the cold weather hits, you need decent winter gloves. Your winter gloves must be waterproof, and equally importantly, windproof. They also need good insulation. Not my first rodeo The Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves offers … Read more
There are no shortages of cycling challenges out there – both physical and virtual. They all tend to take the same format: cycle x distance in y time, or cycle x elevation in y time. Of course, these are valid reasons for that: most cycling challenges are aimed at competitive cyclists, and by competitive cyclists … Read more
If you’re new to camping, the tips on this page are sure to make your camping trip far better! What to take There are many different styles of camping, and some of them are extremely minimalist. My focus is heavily flavoured by cycle touring, and hiking. These are activities where you transport all your camping … Read more
Forest of Dean Colliers Trail cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Forest of Dean lies on the edge of the border between England and Wales, and is stunningly beautiful. There are many cycle routes in the forest, but this … Read more
How To Cycle Canada The Wrong Way is a book about cycle touring across Canada, written by Lorraine Lambert, who also has a blog here, and I suggest you go read that. The Wrong Way? Like just about anywhere on earth, Canada has prevailing winds, and those mostly blow from west to east. Lambert cycled … Read more
Provisional* overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sleeping mats are not all the same, and the difference in price between entry-level and top-end sleeping mats can be eye-watering. Generally, sleeping mats fall into three categories:1) Inflatable mats,2) Self-inflating mats, and3) Closed-cell foam mats *A provisional rating, as I’ve yet to test this mat in sub-zero conditions. Sleeping mat … Read more
“Use your head” typically is the same as saying “Think it through”, but there’s far more to this. Like any muscle, your brain responds very well to sustained aerobic exercise. Physical exercise for my brain? Yes, absolutely! Look, doing puzzles, like sudoku or similar, is a good workout for your brain, but doing physical exercise … Read more
Micronew shifters overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My bike has a 3 x 9 drive. It started out with a double chainring, but as it’s used as a touring bike, I changed to a triple chainring setup. As it happened, I had two older Shimano Sora shifters for dropped bars that I fitted, and it all worked … Read more
No matter what kind of cyclist you are, you will love these 24 routes! 24 routes in 12 months obviously averages to two routes per month. Your challenge is to go cycle as many of these as you possibly can. There’s a free cycling cap as prize to the first person who can prove they … Read more
Roman Road cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) This 12.8 mile route mostly follows the course of an old Roman road, hence the name. Starting in Cambridge, the route is initially on (normally) quiet roads, with a stretch on a … Read more
I went on a gentle adventure, with my youngest daughter, and it was so good! Why? Well, to answer that you’ll need to settle in, but it’s worth your time. Multi-modal I’ve long been a fan of taking my bicycle on the train, and that was the plan for this adventure, right from the start. … Read more
Time pauses for nobody, and before you know it – if you’re not already there, or beyond it – you too will be middle-aged. That does have implications for your cycling, but it certainly doesn’t mean it’s the end of your cycling! Over the years, I discovered a few tricks that work for me. Your … Read more
Right, here’s your mission (and don’t give me any of that “I don’t accept it” nonsense): go camping in November! I don’t care where you go camping, how you get there, or who you’re going with. However, there are rules attached! A digital detox Yup, that very much means no phone usage. Sure, you can … Read more
