The Cambridge Dictionary defines “getting cold feet” as “to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married”. This post is not about that kind of cold feet. This post is all about keeping your feet warm on a bitterly cold winter’s ride. After all, […]
The impact of climate change on cycle touring
Did I get the title sequence wrong? Quite obviously, what we should be most concerned about is the impact of our activities on climate change. Climate change is man-made, real, speeding up and is frankly terrifying. Still, for the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on the impacts of climate change on cycle touring. Is […]
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System
Water: the source of life I needed a personal water filtration system, and picked the Sawyer Mini for good reasons. You consist of 55% to 60% water, and your blood is around 90% water. You need to drink water every day (even if it’s contained in other drinks, such as coffee). Though there doesn’t seem […]
Making a good Op Snap report
What is Op Snap? In most of the UK cyclists can report bad or dangerous driving captured on their helmet cam to police, via an Op Snap portal. Not all UK police forces allow this, though. In Scotland, police remain determined to lag decades behind the times with regards to helmet cam video submissions. Why […]
The Shropshire Union Canal cycle route
Shropshire Union Canal cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The part of the Shropshire Union Canal covered by this guide isn’t in Shropshire at all, but in Cheshire. This route stretches from Nantwich to Ellesmere Port, a distance of 30 miles. Cycling on canal towpaths can be blissfully serene, but comes with challenges. The rewards should […]
Know your place!
Wild camping on Dartmoor Dartmoor is the last remaining wilderness in England, and the only place in all of England and Wales where wild camping is legal. Or rather, was legal! The Darwall Effect Alexander Darwall is a hedge fund manager and wealthy landowner, who owns a large estate in Scotland, and a huge tract […]
Whitehaven to Workington & Camerton Railway Path
Whitehaven to Workington & Camerton Railway Path cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Another routes built on a disused railway, the Whitehaven to Workington & Camerton Railway Path cycle route is 12 miles of scenic bliss. The route starts off on smooth tar, with spectacular sea views.Soon, the route will veer away from the sea. You […]
Ultimate Guide to Planning Your 1st Cycle Tour
Are you planning your first cycle tour and feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Cycle touring can be a fantastic way to see the world and have unique travel experiences, but it’s normal to have questions and concerns about how to plan your trip. To help you get started, here is the ultimate guide […]
Lanchester Valley Railway Path
Lanchester Valley Railway Path cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Lanchester Valley Railway path runs for 12 miles between Consett in the west and Broompark, near Durham in the east. Like most longer distant paths in County Durham, it follows the route of an old rail line. The westernmost few miles are a very gradual […]
South Tyne Trail cycle route
South Tyne Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐ Let me start this guide with an important notice: overall, the South Tyne Trail is not a family-friendly, easy route, though parts of it (notably between Haltwhistle and Slaggyford) can be family-friendly. This can best be described as a gravel route (with parts on tar) containing some […]
The Ugly Truth About Cycle Touring
The Ugly Truth? If you visit this site regularly, you’d know that I’m a big fan of cycle touring, and for good reason, too! I wrote many times about the sense of freedom you can get while cycle touring. Yes, even from very short tours. Especially when wild camping – as I prefer to do […]
Chester Millennium Greenway
Chester Millenium Greenway cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Chester Millennium Greenway is a 10.7 mile almost completely traffic-free cycle route, built mainly on a disused railway line. As the name suggests, it runs right through the heart of Chester.Because it’s built on a disused railway, the route can feel very disconnected from its surroundings, […]
We don’t want no cycle paths here
Say hello to Cycling Judy Judy is a cyclist and a song-writer, and I suspect you will enjoy her work. She has an entire YouTube channel, but I thought I’d introduce her work with this son, We don’t want no cycle paths here.Judy’s on Twitter, and on Mastodon, so give her a follow!Enjoy!
Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal cycle route
Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ This 25-mile, almost completely traffic-free cycle route links Stourport with Wolverhampton, using the towpath of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. The Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal towpath had some TLC, and the towpath is mostly easy to ride. Nevertheless, it remains a towpath, with all the challenges […]
The Exe Estuary cycle route to Exmouth
Exe Estuary cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Exe Estuary trail is stunning, and mostly traffic-free, with some on-road sections. This 13-mile, mostly traffic-free cycle route is on the northern side of the estuary, leading to Exmouth. Especially in summer this route can get very busy, so if you’re planning on cycling it, you may […]
Why YOU should use RideWithGPS
All the maps on WillCycle are done with RideWithGPS, and that’s for very good reason. I have tried practically every mapping site out there, and find RideWithGPS the most feature-rich, and most straightforward to use. Best of all, you can use most of the functionality with a free account, and they have an excellent app […]
The Rail-Hike-Camp map
A map aimed at hikers? Well yeah, the Rail-Hike-Camp map was created specifically with hikers in mind. The idea is simple: a map showing camp sites within a day’s hike from a train station. Obviously, that allows hikers to greatly expand where they go adventuring, by using trains. The benefit to cycle tourers The Rail-Hike-Camp […]
So this is Christmas…
and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun. Those are the opening lines of my all-time, most-favourite Christmas song, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), by John Lennon. Around this time of year I always do a Christmas roundup post. More of a friendly chat with friends, really, and I […]
Brunel Trail
Brunel Trail overall route rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Brunel Trail is a 9-mile, almost entirely traffic-free cycle route. The route links Neyland with Haverfordwest, mostly via a disused railway line. The full route includes sections on the shared pavement, next to roads. In Haverfordwest, those roads can be busy, and you will need to be very careful […]
Alton Water cycle route
Alton Water overall route rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Alton Water itself is a reservoir in Suffolk, just south of Ipswitch. This traffic-free cycle route guide is for the route that encircles the reservoir. Depending on the season, and the maintenance schedule, parts of the route may be somewhat overgrown. An initial art of the route is along […]
