Some cycle tourers I greatly admire, including Dervla Murphy and John Devoy, are very clear in their derision of taking tech along when cycle touring.That’s OK – what makes the world such a fantastic place is the fact that we’re all different, with different views and opinions. I’m just about a digital native, having been … Read more
In 1963, Europe had one of the coldest winters, and 1963, during winter, was when Dervla Murphy set off to cycle from her native Ireland to faraway India. Along the way, she kept a diary, and this book is the result of that diary. The world was a totally different place in 1963, as you’d … Read more
It’s the light that wakes you. Well, sometimes the birds, sometimes the weather and in my case, once a greenkeeper who started very early, but usually the light. Waking up under canvas is different to waking up at home. There’s no sense of urgency, no rush, no dread for what the day may hold. The … Read more
Your ancestors walked great distances. They hunted or foraged for food, and mainly slept on the ground. Unless under shelter, if it rained, they got wet. When it snowed, they continued with life. They faced great danger on a regular basis, ranging from marauders, to wild animals, to infection from a simple cut. And mostly, … Read more
You open your eyes, not quite sure what time it is, and not bothered by it, either. You know it’s still early, so you lie there for a bit, looking at the tent above you, and listening to the sounds outside. The light breeze whispering through the nearby trees, the verbal battles fought by songbirds. … 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
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
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
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
Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! You are hereby formally invited to the ACAPS – DS event! ACAPS, as you should know, is the abbreviation for the Adventure Cycling And Philatelic Society, while DS is the abbreviation for the ACAPS Dining Society. IMPORTANT: There is a dress code for all ACAPS DS events, and that … Read more
The Travelling What? In South Africa, a slang (and somewhat derogatory) Afrikaans word for a man significantly older than yourself is “ouballie”, which is pronounced “oh – bully”, with “bully” to rhyme with “Scully”. Obviously, there was a rather excellent band, called The Travelling Wilburys. Given that I’m South African, like the music of The … Read more
In the summer of 2019, I was cycling along Drake’s Trail. It was a beautiful day, I had time on my hands, and just a rough idea to cycle out to Okehampton, and back, also riding on the Granite Way. Just as I passed through Yelverton, there are a set of double gates on the … Read more
“Oh no! You can’t go camping with that! You need to buy reliable kit, with a tent costing at least…” Ever heard someone go off like that? I have. Here’s the thing: you need an £800, expedition-grade 1-person tent only if you’re going on an expedition where your life could depend on your tent not failing. … Read more