Bay to Bay Multi-use path

Penzance to Marazion cycle path The Bay To Bay Multi-Use path runs from Penzance station to the edge of Marazion, some 2.3 miles away. The path was built in 2022, using smashed concrete from the Penzance promenade as sub-base. The path runs along the coastal flood defences, and is sandwiched between the railway line, and … Read more

Tarka Trail – Barnstaple to Braunton

The Tarka Trail is simply stunning, and this section is exceptional, in so many ways. With glorious views over the incredible Taw and Torridge estuary, the route offers waterside tranquillity, mixed with rural, traffic-free bliss, along a disused railway. There are a number of cafés along the route, from the start at the Barnstaple train … Read more

Tarka Trail – Ilfracombe to Willingcott

The Tarka Trail offers some of the very best traffic-free cycling available in the UK. This 3.5 mile segment is disconnected from the rest of the Tarka Trail though. Starting adjacent to the site of the old Ilfracombe railway station, the route follows the track of the old Ilfracombe branch of the London & South … Read more

Treasure Hunt: A Cycling Adventure You Can’t Plan For

Somewhere along some of WillCycle’s traffic-free routes, there are stickers hidden. Those were been placed there deliberately, in a spot that requires effort to reach. It won’t appear on any map. Nobody is going to tell you where it is. And the first WillCycler to find it and send proof will have their first name … Read more

Wye Valley Greenway

The Wye Valley Greenway is a stunning, 5 mile route that is not only useable by trikes, cargo bikes and more, but is also wheelchair-friendly. Do note though that the kilometre-long Tidenham tunnel is only open between the 1st of April to the 30th of September, and closed at night. There is a signed, on-road … Read more

Great Central Way – Leicester to Cossington

This route guide actually covers more than just the Great Central Way, and includes some towpaths, and other traffic-free paths, to extend the route to 11.7 miles, ending in Cossington. It makes for a gorgeous, almost entirely traffic-free day out. Great Central Way cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some … Read more

Chiseldon to Marlborough Railway Path

This scenic 7.7 mile path mostly follows the track of the old Midland and Southwestern Junction Railway, linking Chiseldon and Marlborough. It’s a shared path, and also a bridleway, so expect to encounter horses at times. Chiseldon to Marlborough Railway Path cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and … Read more

Why one map is never enough

We’ve all been there: you planned a glorious route for a bike ride. You checked OS Maps and confirmed it’s a bridleway that you may legally use. You planned a 50 mile loop, using that bridleway to avoid a nasty, busy A-road. Then you arrive, and that “legal right of way” is a chest-high sea … Read more

Lanterne Rouge Ride

In the Tour de France, the Lanterne Rouge is the rider who finishes dead last. They are the survivor, the tail-light in the dark, and if we’re being honest, the person who probably had the most interesting day. While the hardcore roadies are busy staring at their power meters and sweating through their Lycra to … Read more

The Breakfast Club

Those of you who (like me) are of a certain age, will probably fondly remember the film The Breakfast Club. Released in 1985, it brilliantly tells the story of a bunch of teenagers doing after-school detention. This post is entirely unrelated to that movie, except for a gratuitous intro paragraph, and the same name. Cycling … Read more

A Time Of Birds, by Helen Moat

The TL:DR version of this book is Moats and her 18yo son cycled across Europe, to Asia, unsupported. And to be fair, that alone should give you plenty of reason to read this book. After all, how many long-distance cycling tales of a mother and son combo have you heard of, let alone read? A … Read more

The Great North Road, by Steve Silk

I recently reviewed another cycle touring book by Steve Silk, and that reminded me I never got round to doing a review for The Great North Road, despite having purchased my copy quite a while ago. Harper Silk is a great fan of the writings of Charles G Harper, who in 1903 published a book … Read more

Surviving the storm

Your camping gear will be a game changer at home Climate change means the United kingdom will be experiencing more, and more severe winter storms. Frequently, winter storms, or related flooding, cause power outages. Some of those last for days. I’d like you to think about that for a moment – how would you cope … Read more

Bigger, better, faster, MORE

I have a confession to make: I don’t like all those Red Bull extreme cycling videos. The reason for that is really simple: real people get hurt doing ever more extreme things, as marketing for a company. Arms race Think about it for a minute. You’re watching a Red Bull video showing someone doing a … Read more

Bugle Trail

Bugle Trail overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Bugle Trail runs for just over 5 miles from near St Blaizey, past the Eden Project, to the village of Bugle, in Cornwall. It’s part of the Cornish Clay Trails, and offers a … Read more

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