The Age Of Wonder

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There is a whole wealth of debate to be had about the benefits (and there were at least a few) versus the evils (of which there were many) of the age of colonialism. This post is NOT that debate. However, I will point out that one of the things that always stuck me about that ... Read more

Giveaway – Quondam, by John Devoy

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I’ve partnered up with John Devoy, the author of Quondam – Travels In A Once World, to give away a signed copy of the book. In case you’ve not previously heard of it, I’ve done a review of it here, and it remains one of the very best travel books I have ever read. I ... Read more

Snowdrops

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Near where I live the daffodils – harbingers of spring to many people – often start blooming in mid-December, so they are clearly not a (locally) reliable indicator of when spring has started. And talking of spring, there are several different ways to interpret the seasons, including spring, of course, but I tend to go ... Read more

February 2022 Giveaway

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We all like a freebie, don’t we? Well, during 2022, I’m doing 12 freebies! That’s right – I’m doing ONE T-shirt giveaway per month. How to enter Entering is simple, but requires a Twitter account. Just follow WillCycle on Twitter, then browse through the T-shirt designs available and pick your favourite. Next, click the link ... Read more

Cycle Touring – A Guide For Beginners

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A picture of a person on a laden touring bike, while cycle touring
A beginner’s guide to cycle touring? I have a lot of posts about cycle touring, but thought it’d be helpful to have a Beginner’s Guide To Cycle Touring. Specifically, a sensible guide, that ordinary people (like me) can follow to help them start bicycle touring. Bike touring is for everyone, and I’d be delighted if my guide ... Read more

Bikes On Trains – UK 2026

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Can you take your bike on trains in the UK?
Can I take my bike on trains in the UK? The short answer is simple: yes, you can take your bike on trains in the UK. As ever the devil is in the detail. Most intercity trains will take a maximum of three non-folding, full-sized bicycles. Almost all trains will refuse to carry tandems, and ... Read more

What do you want?

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Think  carefully  about  what  you  really  want I get it – you’re busy. You go to work, perhaps have family commitments and more. There’s always something demanding your time and attention, right? I do have some questions for you though, beginning with just this: what exactly is it that you want from life? Do you want a ... Read more

Just One Day Less

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Cutting your transport costs by 14% (on average) sounds great, doesn’t it? So, what do you need to do to achieve this? That’s easier than you think! Simply don’t use any kind of car transport for one day per week. Literally, just a single day less! I’m not asking you to radically change your life, ... Read more

Top Ten UK Bike Rides

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The C2C starting point, in Whitehaven
Top ten lists are opinions, and you’ll never find a top ten list on any subject that everyone agrees with. This list is my opinion – you may have a different opinion, and that’s OK. In fact, I sincerely hope you’ll tell me about other rides that you consider to be better, in the comments. ... Read more

What is a touring bicycle?

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The cycling industry isn’t all noble, despite what the marketing might try and convince you of. Bicycle manufacturers are mainly large corporations, trading for profit, with dividend-hungry shareholders lining up, and it’s in their best interest (but not yours and mine) to have as many different, cross-incompatible products as possible available. And yes, that extends ... Read more

The WillCycle Manifesto

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All good organisations need a manifesto! Here’s mine! Life is short. Dreams fade. Reality intrudes. Everyday drudgery saps the very essence from your soul. Your 9 to 5 life is not living, as such – it’s merely existing. You wake up, get ready for work, go to work, work, go home, do some chores, watch ... Read more

Book Review – Signs Of Life, by Stephen Fabes

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Signs Of Life tells the story of when Stephen Fabes quit his job as a medical doctor to cycle around the world. Like any good travel journal, Fabes doesn’t simply give a blow-by-blow account of the journey, which took him six years to complete. In fact, there are entire countries he cycled through that almost don’t ... Read more

Is cycle touring dangerous?

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Will I die if I go cycle touring? Will I be run over, or murdered as I’m sleeping in my tent? Will I be attacked, robbed and possibly beaten? Is cycle touring dangerous? Let me start answering those questions by asking you how you define dangerous. Some things are obvious: walking up to a pride of hungry ... Read more

January 2022 Giveaway

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We all like a freebie, don’t we? Well, during 2022, I’m doing 12 freebies! That’s right – I’m doing ONE T-shirt giveaway per month. How to enter Entering is simple, but requires a Twitter account. Just follow WillCycle on Twitter, then browse through the T-shirt designs available and pick your favourite. Next, click the link ... Read more

New year, new you? Bollocks to that!

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Don’t you find it ridiculous how you’re expected to make New Year’s resolutions, as if the difference between 31st of December and 1st of January is enormous? Regular gym users groan, as during January the gyms will be filled with people who all signed up for lengthy gym contracts, yet stop going to gym after a ... Read more