After a long day of gorgeous cycling, you had a hearty meal, then settled down in your tent for a well-deserved night’s sleep. But what about your bike? Lying there with wide open eyes all night long is not conducive to good cycle touring, but then again, neither is waking up in the morning to discover … Read more
Adventure is found where you look for it. Don’t believe me? If you live in a city, go exploring locally, taking photos of graffiti that catches your eye.Try to decipher the message the graffiti is attempting to share. Try and identify the signature (called a tag) used by one graffiti artist, then see if you … Read more
The difference between a cycling route and a GOOD cycling route Anyone can design a cycling route, but to design a good route requires a bit of thought. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be focusing on longer, ideally multi-day routes. You cannot design a route without a map. The only question is where that … Read more
This Easter weekend, I went and tested my Somerset Circle route. COVID restrictions remain in place, but as from the 29th of March, effective relaxation of the restrictions meant I could wild camp, without falling foul of those restrictions. My day started early, and I was on the road, cycling the 11 miles to Plymouth … Read more
It’s no secret that Devon and Cornwall are astoundingly beautiful counties. Similar in many ways, yet also quite distinct from each other, with the ever-present Cream Tea War looming in the background. Both counties are full of real people – salt-of-the-earth types – who are friendly and welcoming. Cornwall has a very strong national identity – … Read more
If you looked at an accurate world map, or better yet, a globe, you’ll say that the UK isn’t big at all. In fact, especially when compared to a continent like Africa, you could say the UK is tiny. And you’d be correct. Until you decided to cycle the coastline of the UK. If you … Read more
Tarka Trail cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Tarka Trail in North Devon follows a disused railway that once linked Barnstaple to Hatherleigh, and onwards. It’s a very well-known traffic-free route, set in a stunning natural environment. The trail … Read more
The beauty of cycle touring is the freedom is gives you, and that freedom includes how you tour. Some may choose foreign destinations, while others stay more local. Some may ride with everything but the kitchen sink, while others ride from hotel to hotel, carrying almost nothing on the bike. Broadly speaking, there simply is … Read more
20 miles there and back, mostly gravel This route incorporates a significant amount of gravel riding. Not quite extreme off-road, but certainly not easy riding all the way. Gravel riding, especially when carrying luggage on the bike, is considerably slower than riding on tar, and although the Redlake route isn’t particularly long, it’s equally suited … Read more
Mark Beaumont set a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world by bicycle in 2008, and this book tells the tale of that event. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? “Oh, he cycled around the world, and?”. Let’s put that in perspective: have you ever cycled 100+ miles in one day? If so, how … Read more
144 miles in total, mostly flat, with surfaces ranging from excellent to dire The Industrial Revolution laid the groundwork for the world we live in today, and the UK gave birth to the Industrial Revolution. Nothing in that sentence is contentious. What you may find surprising is that the canal network, and in particular the … Read more
I’m not much of a foodie, and doing a post on food isn’t exactly how I envisioned myself spending a number of hours. Having said that, the fact remains that – regardless of how much, or how little you enjoy food – your body will need fuel to power each pedal stroke of your cycle … Read more
Have you ever cycled in complete darkness? Night cycling is a totally different experience, and judging by rides such as the Dunwich Dynamo, it’s popular, too. And yet, so many people have never gone night cycling. There’s something magical about cycling at night. No, I’m not referring to urban night cycling, along roads with streetlights. … Read more
We live in the Information Age. Most people don’t seem to realise that information consumes time. In fact, it has a voracious appetite for devouring whatever time you may have. In this Information Age, we’ve become accustomed, even addicted, to living in an always-on, always-connected world. Don’t believe me? Try leaving your phone switched off … Read more
I reviewed many cycle travel books, and like all good cycle travel books, the story isn’t about the cycling. I’d go as far as to say that cycling is only relevant, because it allows you to travel at a human pace. That simply means you experience the world you’re travelling through in a far more … Read more