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
Club rides are good I get it – there’s a certain thrill to be had from being head-down, riding as fast as you can go in a tight pack. Road bikes are sleek speed machines, and for a short while, you become an inextricable component of something bigger, while you focus on keeping the gap … Read more
Eurovelo routes Eurovelo routes are a series of often amazing, long-distance cycle touring routes, criss-crossing the continent of Europe. Some of these you may already know (or at least have heard of) like the Danube Route, or the Rhine Route. Those two follow two big rivers in Europe. The Eurovelo network is brought to you … Read more
So Will, how do I plan my first bicycle tour? Unless you are one of the idle rich, retired, or have absolutely nobody who depends on you in any way, chances are that you will have limited free time. Many people believe that money is the biggest limiter. That’s not the case – it’s time. … Read more
Brighton Bimble The Brighton Bimble is the latest in my growing series of GoCycle route guides, and will soon be published. This is the story of when I went to cycle it the first time. Gentle Adventure I’m a huge fan of what I call Gentle Adventures. These are multi-day rides, though usually only around 100 … Read more
Brighton Bimble? A have a slowly-expanding list of highly-detailed cycle touring route guides, called GoCycle guides. GoCycle bike touring route guides don’t simply show you the way. No, my bicycle touring guides act like a tour leader, and tells you about the landscape through which you’re cycling. A GoCycle guide will keep you on track, … Read more
Where are you legally allowed to wild camp in the UK? In most of Scotland, you’re allowed to wild camp, but there are limitations. In England and Wales, with the exception of almost half of Dartmoor National Park, wild camping anywhere is against the law. Immediately, that sounds dreadful, like you’ll be led away in … Read more