In a Now world, learn the value of slow

by
I want  it, Daddy, and  I want  it NOW! If you ever watched the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (the Johnny Depp remake isn’t worth watching!) then you will be familiar with that phrase, uttered by Veruca Salt. It’s so easy to dismiss her character as an obvious exaggeration, from a humorous children’s ... Read more

WillCycle Adventure Fund Winner

by
We  have  a  winner! When I started the WillCycle Adventure Fund, I was naïve enough to think it would  be far more popular than it turned out to be. I was quite mistaken, but at least we have one lucky winner. Given how unpopular this was, there won’t be another one, but that’s neither bad news, ... Read more

The Cheshire Ring – a Travelling Ouballies Ride

by
My laden touring bicycle
The  Cheshire  Ring If you’re a regular visitor to WillCycle, you’d know that I’m quite a fan of cycling the very many canals in the UK. The reasons are simple, and very obvious: canal routes are often extremely stunning, are almost entirely traffic-free and are relics from the Industrial Revolution. I freely admit to being ... Read more

Scrummy recipes for delicious camping meals

by
Food,  glorious  food I have a confession to make: I’m not a foodie. In fact, sometimes I’m quite envious of people who seem to find far more pleasure in food than I ever would. To me, food is primarily fuel. As a result, I’m not a good source for recipes. However, the people I interact ... Read more

Adventure Journal

by
The  WillCycle  Adventure  Journal I’m excited to announce the WillCycle Adventure Journal. What’s an Adventure Journal, you ask? It’s a small book that you are meant to take with you on adventures, to make notes in. Some of my best thinking’s been done on the bike, and I expect that may be true for you, ... Read more

WillCycle Adventure Fund Entries

by
Here are the entries to the WillCycle Adventure Fund. For obvious reasons, I’ve removed people’s names from the entries. Voting is now open, and on the 9th of May I’ll announce the winner. I will never repeat the WillCycle Adventure Fund, as entry numbers were disappointingly low. Still, we have a total of £95 raised ... Read more

The American Dream

by
Camping overnight, on a mountainside
Cycle touring the UK – a post just for Americans The USA is an extremely varied country, and in that respect, Americans are so spoilt for choice when they go cycle touring. The average American cycle tourer can effectively choose the climate they want to go cycle touring in, because the country is so large. And ... Read more

Kit Review – TyreKey

by
A TyreKey being used to get a tyre back onto a rim
The battle of getting tight tyres onto a rim It’s easy to see where the TyreKey got it’s name from – it looks much like a large key. There are two versions of the TyreKey, and I was given the newer version to try, which was redesigned to cope better with fatter tyres and wider ... Read more

10 good reasons to go cycle touring

by
Top  ten  reasons to  go  cycle  touring Everyone likes a List Of 10, right? Well, here are 10 Good Reasons To Go Cycle Touring  The freedom!   You get to experience the landscape in a far better way  It’s very good for your physical and mental health  It’s good for the planet  It’s good for the ... Read more

Book review: The Slow Road To Teheran

by
A WillCycle book review of The Slow Road To Teheran, by Rebecca Lowe
The  Slow  Road  To  Teheran,  by  Rebecca  Lowe I’ll freely admit I absolutely love books that tell the tale of daring, long-distance cycling adventures. A good book like that tells the story of a fantastic cycling adventure. A great book like that tells the story in such a way that cycling, though central to the story ... Read more

Your first cycle camping trip

by
Cycle camping at Redlake, as part of a mini cycle tour
Excitement! The night before you set off on your first ever cycle wild camping trip on your own, you will probably be nervous. And more than a little excited! It’s a big thing you’re doing – stepping out of your comfort zone, and into the unknown. Of course, when we’re nervous, we’re most likely to ... Read more

Kit Review: A Trangia-copy spirit stove

by
Trangia  copy? Yes, mine’s not an official Trangia, but a very well-made copy that you probably wouldn’t be able to tell apart from the original. Why did I get a copy? Easy – I wanted just the stove, and didn’t want to spend much, as this will be my backup stove. Why  a  backup  stove? ... Read more

Tips for staying warm while camping

by
Warmth – an  essential  element Many people tell me they won’t go camping unless the weather is very hot, as they don’t want to be cold overnight. If done right, even in surprisingly cold weather, you should be able to stay toastie-warm. The tips I listed below should help you remain warm. Active  or passive ... Read more

Fear regrets, not failures

by
We all live in fear The difference is what you fear. Some people fear the dark, some unfortunate souls fear open spaces. Many of us fight Imposter Syndrome on a daily basis, and fear being found out. Some fear being inadequate. Most fear death. A surprising amount even fear success. Almost everyone fears failure. And that ... Read more

Disaster on the Grand Union Canal

by
The Grand Union Canal I long wanted to cycle the full 144 miles of the Grand Union Canal. The plan was to set off from Paddington Basin, right next to Paddington station, then follow the Paddington branch of the Grand Union Canal (GUC for short). The reasoning was simple: though a branch of the GUC, ... Read more