“You’ve been getting increasingly nervous as the sun starts getting lower in the sky, knowing that tonight will be your very first time ever wild-camping, on your own. With a determined expression on your face, you pedal on, relieved that your tired legs will soon get a break from powering your loaded bike up hills, … Read more
The Vango Compact Gas Stove is really rather good, with only three negatives. First though, what makes it so good: for starters, it’s tiny. It comes in a hard plastic case, and screws directly onto a gas cannister. The three supports for whatever you place on the stove fold up, to fit inside the plastic … Read more
After a long day of gorgeous cycling, you had a hearty meal, then settled down in your tent for a well-deserved night’s sleep. But what about your bike? Lying there with wide open eyes all night long is not conducive to good cycle touring, but then again, neither is waking up in the morning to discover … Read more
This Easter weekend, I went and tested my Somerset Circle route. COVID restrictions remain in place, but as from the 29th of March, effective relaxation of the restrictions meant I could wild camp, without falling foul of those restrictions. My day started early, and I was on the road, cycling the 11 miles to Plymouth … Read more
20 miles there and back, mostly gravel As ever, thank you for being one of the kind and supportive few people, who click the Donate button to the left, to buy me a coffee. I spend a lot of time, and incur considerable costs, making these guides, and it’s appreciated when people help offset … Read more
I’m not much of a foodie, and doing a post on food isn’t exactly how I envisioned myself spending a number of hours. Having said that, the fact remains that – regardless of how much, or how little you enjoy food – your body will need fuel to power each pedal stroke of your cycle … Read more
No, this post is not an insult to your intelligence, and I won’t follow it up with “How to pack your suitcase” or “How to pack your groceries into a carrier bag”. As you’ll soon learn, packing panniers is different, for a number of reasons, starting with weight distribution. If riding with just two panniers, … Read more
I’ve done lots of wild-camping in my life. Interestingly, wild-camping is a term I only learned after moving to the UK. In South Africa wild-camping is what you mean when you say you’re going camping. My wild-camping experiences include only carrying a small daypack, with water and food and almost nothing else, and simply sleeping … Read more
When was the last time you did something for the first time? Just think about that for a few minutes. Also the next question: why was it so long ago? Do you remember, when you were a child, watching ants march in and out of their underground homes, sometimes spending ages, in pure fascination? Do … Read more
Tips for going cycle camping Recently, I was asked what cooking gear I use when I go cycle camping, and that made me think about a general post about cycle camping. I’m a very big fan of cycle touring, and to me, cycle touring means cycle camping. Ernest Hemingway said it best: “It is by … Read more