I love the serene cycling to be found when cycling along pretty much any of the UK’s many canals. Scenic views, plenty of Industrial Revolution heritage (and I’m a sucker for all that), quaint lock-keeper cottages, Victorian ingenuity and traffic-free bliss all make for a very heady combination. It’s that allure that made me do … Read more
A labour of love WillCycle has always been a labour of love for me, but running this site costs me money. Sure, I have some income from T-shirt sales, sales of cycling caps and from multi-day GoCycle route guides. However, all the money I ever received for route guides doesn’t cover just my web hosting costs. … Read more
Interactive Map This is a growing collection of traffic-free cycling routes in the UK. To find a route guide, simply click on the various coloured lines on the interactive map. IMPORTANT: This is VERY far from complete, and your help would be wonderful. If there are any routes I’ve not yet listed, please simply add a comment … Read more
Every month I’m doing a Coffee Ride, and every month the coffee spot will be in a different place. If you’re in the area, you’d be most welcome to join me.If you do join me, just remember to bring your own kit to brew a coffee. What’s a Coffee Ride? That’s easy: a Coffee Ride … Read more
No bikes, for a change This week, my mate Caspar and I went hiking on Dartmoor. For those that don’t know, Dartmoor is the last wilderness left in England. Situated entirely within the county of Devon, it is also the only place in England where wild-camping is perfectly legal. In search of history… The part … Read more
Isn’t WillCycle all about cycle touring? WillCycle has a strong focus on cycle camping and cycle touring, but the site isn’t limited to just those two subjects. Many posts deal with related topics, such as navigation, while others deal with climate change. Traffic-free cycling is blissful cycling I’ve cycled on roads in London, and several … Read more
So, you love the wild places? I can see why? Who doesn’t like travelling to exotic places, to experience it for themselves. Who doesn’t want to go explore Machu Picchu, go cycle the Ho Chi Minh Trail, or scale Everest? Not to mention visiting Patagonia, or Lake Baikal in Siberia? After all, it’s a beautiful, … Read more
Admit it – you love coffee almost as much as you love cycling. That simply makes coffee and cycling a perfect match! Your very own Coffee Ride Oh, bike rides with a café stop are great, and we all love them, but that’s not what a real Coffee Ride is about. Oh no! A Coffee … Read more
The melancholy of autumn While autumn is unquestionably a beautiful season, each autumn I get a sense of melancholy, a sense of almost sadness. I’m not referring to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – though winter certainly isn’t my favourite part of the year, I’m fortunate enough not to suffer from SAD. Perhaps it’s the passing … Read more
Cycling Penzance to Plymouth I spent three days cycling from Penzance to Plymouth, wild camping along the way. I wanted to do this route for ages, but kept postponing to go cycling elsewhere in the UK instead. The reason for that’s simple: I know Cornwall reasonably well, but there are large swatches of the UK … Read more
Penzance – Plymouth Pootle I’ve wanted to cycle from Penzance to Plymouth for ages now, hugging the coastline. It’s an absolutely stunning part of the world, though as anyone would tell you, Cornwall is hilly. What makes things worse is hugging the coast inevitably means going up and down even more. Now to be fair, … Read more
Don’t go cycle touring as you might die Ever heard anyone say something along those lines? Ever put off going on an adventure because of such worries? I have news for you: you are going going to die. This may sound morbid, but every single one of us will die. The choice you need to make … Read more
Why stealth camping? Stealth camping is wild camping done in such a way that nobody knows that you’re there. There are various reasons why you may want to do some stealth camping, but usually it’s because you may not have explicit permission to camp in a particular spot. What does the law say? With the … Read more
The Wild Atlantic Way? The Wild Atlantic Way is a long-distance, incredibly scenic route along the west coast of Ireland. At 2 500 km (1 600 miles) in length, it’s the world’s longest defined coastal route. Officially, it runs from Kinsale, in County Cork, up to Derry, on the Inishowen Peninsula. Obviously, the name is … Read more
How much cycle touring route detail is enough? Some people love to have total freedom when cycle touring, including the route. I know of at least one person – who does very long tours – that regularly decides the day’s route just before setting off that morning. On the other hand, some people want every … Read more