Kit Review: uleFone Armor 25T Pro

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My requirements for mobile phones are different to those of most people, and that’s because of cycle touring and camping. For starters, I need a phone that is waterproof. Next, it needs to be rugged, and thirdly, it needs a large capacity battery. The Armor 25T Pro ticks all these boxes, plus a lot more. ... Read more

Cycling with kids: How to make rides fun and safe

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Kids are amazing. They’re full of energy and inquisitive about the world around the. Until suddenly they’re not. Every parent knows that tired kids can rapidly become grumpy kids. Add into the mix that the same can happen when kids are hungry, and things can start going sideways in a hurry. Kids love to cycle! ... Read more

Back to basics – my winter camping gear

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Winter camping in the UK is radically different to summer camping, and not only because of the temperature difference. In the UK, it rains during winter. That means not only cycling, and quite likely pitching your tent in the rain (or sleet) but sleeping on soggy ground. Through trial and error, I fine-tuned my winter ... Read more

Finding the wild

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Scientists tell us that behaviourally modern humans existed for around 50 000 to 65 000 years. For the vast majority of that time, most humans lived in wild surroundings. Though some cities existed a few thousand years ago, by today’s standards, they were small, and most humans lived in a more rural setting. Then along ... Read more

AI can’t ride a bicycle

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I’m absolutely sick to the back teeth about yet another company “upgrading” their product to be “enhanced” by AI! The Luddites In the UK there’s a description often incorrectly used to portray someone as anti-progress, or anti-machine. That’s done by calling them a Luddite, but the Luddites weren’t any of those things. Instead, the Luddites, ... Read more

Round The World On A wheel

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Round The World On A Wheel is the story of when John Foster Fraser, along with two others, cycled around the world. They set off in 1896, when the British Empire was at its height (Empire features much in this book) and the world was a very different place than it is today. Record-breaking ride ... Read more

Avoiding freezing

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cyclist on footpath in forest in winter
Now autumn’s here (in the northern hemisphere, anyway) it’s not long before the really cold weather will be here. Obviously, cycling in cold weather is significantly different. For starters, you need a strategy for dealing with the cold. You may need to alter your routes, to avoid the risk of black ice. As for dealing ... Read more

Longendale Trail

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The Longendale Trail is located in the Peak District National Park. It follows the track bed of the old Great Central Railway, starting in Hadfield, to finish almost 9 miles later in Salter’s Brook. From the start, the trail starts heading uphill, but it’s a gentle incline. However, after 7 miles, there’s a steep uphill. ... Read more

12 months – 12 commutes

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parked bicycle
This challenge is aimed at people who don’t cycle commute, and the principle is very simple: commute to work at least once per month, every month. Habits Science tells us it takes most people 66 days to form a new habit, though some can do it in as little as 21 days. Clearly, cycle commuting ... Read more

The Lighthouse Trail

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The Lighthouse Trail cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Lighthouse Trail is a stunning 13 mile ride along the very scenic North East coast, passing a total of seven lighthouses, as it follows the coast south. Almost all the ... Read more

eBike touring

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eBikes are cool, and anyone who claims that ebikes are somehow “cheating” are simply jealous. On my commute, there’s a mile-long climb of mainly a steady 11%, and I know I’m always envious of the ebike riders who breeze past me up there. However, for all their advantages (and there are a great many) ebikes ... Read more

Somerset Circle – revamped and updated!

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Of all my GoCycle multi-day routes, my Somerset Circle is one of my personal favourites. This route has it all: vibrant cityscapes (yet with traffic-free paths), absolutely flat roads, some challenging climbs, rural idyll, gravel routes, several tunnels, modern and 1000-year old buildings, more history (ancient and more recent) and miles and miles of traffic-free ... Read more

Cycling sustainability

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I’m often puzzled by the reaction of cyclists when it comes to sustainability in the bicycle industry. While there are signs that things are very slowly starting to change, the global cycling industry remains overall stuck in a business model of designed obsolescence. Designed obsolescence? Absolutely! And Shimano is one of the biggest culprits here, ... Read more

8 biggest Op Snap report mistakes

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Op Snap is the system available in England and Wales, where cyclists can report bad driving by uploading video from their helmet cam. However, not all Op Snap reports are equal – do read this post about making a better Op Snap report, as well as this post about improving it even further. 1. Not ... Read more

The Book of Trespass

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The Book Of Trespass, by Nick Hayes
Right from the outset, you need to know that this book isn’t (directly) related to cycle touring. Alongside that, you need to understand that The Book Of Trespass, by Nick Hayes, is probably the most important book in the UK. That’s a very bold claim, but once you read the book (and you really, really ... Read more