I had a sort of enforced rest day. With only 80km (50 miles) left to cycle to Galway, I’m well ahead of schedule. The only constant is change Unfortunately, the person who kindly offered to host me in Galway on Saturday night fell ill and I had to somewhat change my plans. Originally, I’d have … Read more
The changes I was forced to make to the route, after my bike started breaking, meant that I ended up well ahead of schedule. That, in turn, means that the last few days of my ride were going to be very short days. As I write this, I’m only 50 miles from Galway – that’s … Read more
As I’m still well ahead of schedule, today was only ever going to be a short day. Mike the Pies Originally I planned to end yesterday’s ride in Listowel, which seems a very nice town. I charged up my phone in a pub called Mike The Pies (yes, that’s its name!) When I asked about … Read more
Yesterday’s post ended with me having reached Tralee. Before I continue the tale, I really need to point out that my journey is a snapshot in time, filtered through my personal views. A personal journey If I passed though a place 30 minutes earlier, or 30 minutes later, my experiences and perceptions may have been … Read more
I’m still adjusting to suddenly having such short cycling days! I started my day slowly, and that was intentional, knowing the ride from Killarney to Tralee was short an easy. A short, easy day To the west lies the Dingle peninsula, with its mountains. While I had no mountains ro cross, it still wasn’t a … Read more
I took today off. To be honest, that’s a decision taken the day before, while still in Kenmare. Essentially, I didn’t know whether or not O’Sullivan’s in Killarney would have been able to fix my bike, nor how soon. Worst yet, I didn’t know if it’d last to Killarney. If you read yesterday’s post, you’d … Read more
I will admit to feeling a bit despondent yesterday, what with the bike shop in Kenmare being unwilling/unable to look at my bike. At first I thought about booking into a camp site, but the nearest one was 14km back the way I came. Because I didn’t feel like cycling back the 14km, I just … Read more
Ireland was back to what I’ve come to accept as normal today, and the people I met along the way were all very friendly. Good morning! At some point, as I was cycling past a field with cows, as I often do, I shouted out “Good morning!” Yes, I’m one of those odd people who … Read more
I make a conscious effort to try and avoid being negative, but the town of Bantry doesn’t rate well at all in my opinion. Bantry – best avoided When I arrived in the town, I saw a pizza place and decided to order food from there. It was well before 5pm, but I was bluntly … Read more
Today’s update also carries more news from yesterday. After waking, and packing up, I took up the offer of coffee made by the two YouTubing couples. Video killed the radio star Now I’ve always known that obviously there needs to be direction of some sort when making a video, but I gained some first-hand insights … Read more
Today was different: for the first time on this ride, I had nobody to meet. Like cycle touring normally is (for me, at least) I was on my own. I could stop whenever I wanted, and go as fast (or slow) as I wanted. That’s liberating. Having said that, meeting John Devoy and his wife, … Read more
Just an update on my 4th day of cycling Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Remember, if you haven’t been doing so, you can follow my (glacial) progress in real-time (provided I have a data signal!) by viewing the Where’s Will Now page. On that page there’s a map that shows where I am at that moment, … Read more
Today was a mixed bag! It rained last night, and there was soft drizzle when I woke. After packing up, I made my way back to the road, then set off cycling. I spent a good evening in the company of John and Sara Devoy, who kindly invited me to stay over at their home. … Read more
Today was all about getting to Dublin. Cork city, in County Cork. However, things didn’t go to plan. I belatedly discovered that there were rail strikes on for today, and that meant my very early train to Birmingham was cancelled. I quickly discovered that my only real option was to travel the day before. To … Read more
There are people who love to slag off the UK, pointing at miserable weather, bland food, and numerous sea-side resorts that are well past their sell-by date. Don’t listen to them! Sure, the UK does get a lot of rain, but that’s why it’s so lush, green and filled with rivers. If you think British … Read more
Remember all those holidays you had in Cornwall? Remember how stunning the county is? There’s a reason why around five million people flock to Cornwall each year! Green rolling hills, quaint seaside villages and stunning beaches are just some of the many attractions Cornwall offers. Your Cornish adventure This year, I’d like you to experience … Read more
This posts focuses on trying to find the most sustainable, least harmful way of getting to the start of my Wild Atlantic Way cycling adventure. Man-made climate change is real and undeniable. Only cranks and shills disagree with the astounding amount of verifiable scientific evidence. I’m very aware of my personal CO2 footprint, and am … Read more
Cycle touring is growing in popularity, and for good reason. After all, it remains the very best way to explore a landscape. In fact, Ernest Hemmingway put it best, when he said: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills … Read more
164 miles – Workington to Tynemouth The Reivers Route gets it’s name from the gangs of marauders that used to roam the border between England and Scotland for several centuries. At 164 miles, it’s not a short route. More importantly, it passes through some of the most isolated and sparsely-populated parts of England. In simple … Read more
137 miles, Whitehaven to Sunderland C2C is the original coast to coast route, and is the UK’s most-popular long-distance cycle route. The name is actually not short for coast to coast, but rather sea to sea – it runs from the Irish Sea to the North Sea (or vice versa). Of all the coast to … Read more