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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
7 signs that you should go cycle touring
Did you think cycle touring is not for you? Many people think cycle touring is only for people who are happy to go cycling for weeks without access to showers, and sleeping on the ground each night. To be fair, many thousands of people do exactly that each year, but it certainly isn’t the only […]
More route functionality
RideWithGPS For years now I’ve been quite vocal in my preference for RideWithGPS. It is, in my opinion, simply the very best route creation platform out there, and all the routes listed on WillCycle.com were created using RideWithGPS. App RideWithGPS has an app for both Android, and iOS. The app itself is free, and requires […]
Does Your Wild Camping Pass The Test? 7 Things You Can Improve On Today
What are the 7 common mistakes people make when wild camping? Wild camping is great. Just you, and nature all around you. Sheer bliss! However, there are mistakes that many people make when wild camping. Do you do any of these? Remember, strictly speaking, and with the exception of around half of Dartmoor (and even that’s […]
The Wild Atlantic Way prep
Unsupported long-distance cycle touring With the end on 2023 rapidly approaching, I’m slowly preparing for cycling the bottom 700 miles of the Wild Atlantic Way in May ’23. The Wild Atlantic Way apparently is the longest signposted coastal route in the world (a record that’s simply begging to be beaten) and it gets its name […]
Cycle camping
What is cycle camping all about then? The clue, as they say, is in the name. Cycle camping is when you go camping, and you cycle to your camping spot, carrying all your camping gear on your bike. Different types of camping I’m South African and when we say “I’m going camping” we mean what […]
The trouble with canal routes…
I love the serene cycling to be found when cycling along pretty much any of the UK’s many canals. Scenic views, plenty of Industrial Revolution heritage (and I’m a sucker for all that), quaint lock-keeper cottages, Victorian ingenuity and traffic-free bliss all make for a very heady combination. It’s that allure that made me do […]
The quest for power
Satisfying your off-grid cycle touring power needs Off-grid cycle touring is exactly what the name suggests. Just you and your bike, going places, wild camping along the way. There’s no access to mains power, so you either have to carry sufficient battery capacity with you, or find a way to generate power along the way. […]
Four Ferries & Freedom
Cycling Penzance to Plymouth This past week I spent three days cycling from Penzance to Plymouth, wild camping along the way. It’s a ride I wanted to do 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 […]
Penzance – Plymouth Pootle – a Travelling Ouballies Ride
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, […]
But you might die…
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 […]
Stealth camping in the UK
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 […]
The Wild Atlantic Way calls
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 […]
Planning that cycle touring route
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 […]
Digital navigation revisited
Digital navigation while cycle touring Quite some time ago I made a conscious decision regarding digital navigation and how I use it. Yes, I’m aware some people prefer paper maps, but much as I love paper maps, the world has moved on, and I moved with it. Digital navigation simply offers far more benefits to […]
Beginner’s Guide To Planning A Cycling Tour
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. […]
Brighton Bimble – a Travelling Ouballies ride
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 […]
