Will 
Speed. It’s exhilarating. Addictive, even. Exciting. Dangerous, too, of course, but that only makes it more exciting. I know. I’ve been there. My personal speed record on a bicycle (with 700c x 25 skinny wheels, while dressed only in Lycra) is 53mph (85kph), during a descent off Peak Hill, when riding a sportive called the … Read more
This won’t be a a very deep post, and certainly not a spiritual one. Oh, and there’s a very valid reason why this post has a pic of Lemmy! (Pic of Lemmy is from Wikipedia, under Creative Commons licence) I believe the meaning of life is far simpler than what most people realise. As a … Read more
Old Man Ride This past weekend, I went on a leisurely adventure, with three others. Caspar I’ve met before, and I know him from cycling advocacy especially in Devon, but also nationally. Simon’s a journalist at Road.cc and cycled the first part of my last Grand Union Canal ride. Tommy’s someone I know from Twitter, … Read more
If you want some free entertainment, walk up to a group of cyclists and say one type of clip-in pedals are better than the others, then sit back and watch the debate get surprisingly heated. People often ask which clip-in system is the best, and the only correct answer is this: it depends. I freely … Read more
I distinctly remember going off into the African bush as a teenager, carrying an ex-army canvas backpack, containing water, food, and a few other bits and bobs, dressed in T-shirt, shorts and trainers. I had a sleeping bag, but usually didn’t bother taking it with, and I didn’t have a tent. Before nightfall, I’d find … Read more
I got back into cycling because of my kids. When my eldest two were old enough, we got them bikes and I taught them to ride. They would ride up and down the pavement, and regularly I’d take them to the local park, a block or two away, but soon enough they were getting bored, … Read more
You’re being played for a fool, and that’s simply unacceptable! You have rights, you treat people right and you expect the same in return, and now they’re doing this!!? No, this is simply indefensible, and yet, they keep doing it, and they keep getting away with it! At what point will it end? Having said … Read more
Hot weather can be lethal This is not a doom & gloom post. Instead, I’m looking at realistic options. Man-made climate change is real, with indisputable evidence backing it up. In real-world terms, we see the effects all around us, in unusual weather patterns, increased flash flooding, and yes, heat waves. As the planet warms, … Read more
Bikes are great! They’re the most efficient form of transport ever invented by humanity, they’re good for the environment, they’re good for your health, and they put a smile on your face. Bikes are simple machines, and that’s one of their strongest benefits. However, the sodding bicycle industry seems totally determined to overcomplicate things as … Read more
Most of the time, you’ll go on a bicycle adventure with a smile on your face and the wind in your hair, and that smile will remain on your face all the way. Sometimes, though, the opposite happens, and things go wrong. Most of the time, being prepared for the possibility of things going wrong … Read more
To be a real adventurer, you have to do things like solo trekking through the Amazon basin, scaling the ten tallest mountains of the world (dressed only in beach gear) or wrestling with crocodiles, right? In graphic terms, that belief – sadly quite widely held – is a steaming pile of bovine excrement, and I’ll … Read more
Mastery of fire was arguably the single most important human achievement. It vastly increased our species’ ability to survive and prosper, and to this day we are ultra-reliant on fire. It’s entirely possible that the device you’re using to read this was powered by electricity generated by either coal, or gas-powered power stations, and those … Read more
Some things just belong together: Sampson & Dellilah, Cleopatra & Anthony, bread & butter, and of course, cycling & coffee. Cycling and coffee are a match made in heaven, as the number of cycling cafés can attest. In a perfect world, there will always be a great café, serving excellent coffee, right when you need … Read more
I’ve reviewed one of Andrew P Sykes’ books before – the first book he published, but for some reason or another didn’t get around to reading any of his other books. Since my last review, he’s published several more books. He’s on Twitter as @CyclingEurope, and he has a podcast, with full details available at … Read more
Yes, another SheCycles post! In case you still don’t know, SheCycles is a series of posts about completely different women, each one amazing in her own way, telling us in their own words about how cycling fits into their lives, and what it means to them. Read all the other SheCycles posts, by clicking this link. … Read more