Improving your chances of a successful Op Snap report

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Most people don’t cycle. That’s simply a statement of fact. Why is this simple fact so important? Because it’s extremely likely that your Op Snap reports will be reviewed by someone who doesn’t cycle, and therefore has no idea how terrifying a close pass can feel. Even if police decide to act against the driver, ... Read more

One Man And His Bike – Mike Carter

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When Mike Carter was cycling to work in London, following the bank of the Thames, he had a thought. What if he simply kept going, keeping the water to his right? He’d end up cycling to the coast, then follow the coast all around Britain, to eventually end up back in London. From that simple ... Read more

Clarks CMD-24 cable disk brakes

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Clarks CMD-24 mechanical disk brake set
Everyone loves a bargain, right? At around £40 for a set of these – front and rear callipers, with an extra set of brake pads thrown in – you certainly will get a bargain, so let’s delve a bit deeper. Like most mechanical disk brakes, these have a piston on one side only. That’s not ... Read more

Summer holidays adventures with kids

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If you’re a parent, you don’t need reminding how expensive kids can be, or how difficult it can be to incorporate healthy activity and adventure into family outings. Fortunately, there are options that won’t break the bank, and if you can get to the start by train, you can save CO2, save on parking, and ... Read more

Life Cycles – Julian Sayarer

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When Mark Beaumont set a new round-the-world cycling record, he managed to get corporate sponsorship to finance his record attempt. One London cycling courier saw that as an affront, and was determined to set a new world record on a self-financed, shoe-string budget. That courier is Julian Sayarer, and Life Cycles is the book that ... Read more

The Strawberry Line debacle

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Let me start off by saying that overall, the Strawberry Line has the potential to be phenomenally good, and the people behind it have achieved so much, with limited resources. The Strawberry Line, in case you didn’t know, is a (mostly) traffic-free route linking Yatton with Cheddar. There are aspirations to link it up with ... Read more

A Bike Ride, by Anne Mustoe

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In 1983, the head teacher of a posh girl’s school in Suffolk was on holiday in India. Out the window of the tour bus, she saw a cyclist, and instantly decided that she wanted to cycle not only across India, but around the world. This was Anne Mustoe. In 1988, she finally quit her job, ... Read more

The Swiss Valley Trail

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UPDATE: Due to a landslip just before Tumble (roughly 10.5 miles into the route) the Swiss Valley Trail is partially closed. You can still cycle the 10 miles to the closure, but to continue beyond that will require some on-road cycling. This is a long-term closure. Mostly following the old Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Mineral ... Read more

How to waterproof anything

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Psst!! Cm’ere! Want to learn how to properly waterproof anything? Obviously not anything – you can’t waterproof dust, or air, or things like that, but cycling coats, cycling shoes, panniers, tarps, tents, or even jeans? Those you certainly can waterproof! So, you ready to learn how? And if you didn’t believe me about the jeans, scroll down ... Read more

A 1986-style Devon Coast To Coast

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selective focus photography of black cassette tape
1986 was a great year – Duran Duran were a supergroup, and it was my last year of school, in South Africa. In 1986, computers existed – I owned a Sinclair ZX Spectrum – but it was largely the pre-digital era. Mobile phones weren’t a thing, so you couldn’t phone people as such, only places, ... Read more

The WillCam mount options

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Some people seem to have had a little difficulty in figuring out how to use the different mount options that comes with each WillCam, so I put these instructions together to help. The bike mount options First up, we’ll look at the options for mounting the WillCam to your bicycle (not your helmet). Your new ... Read more

Potholes and Pavements, by Laura Laker

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Potholes and Pavements: A bumpy ride on Britain's National Cycle Network, by Laura Laker
I must confess a few things I thought before reading this book:1) Laker is a journalist, and British journalism is probably at it’s lowest, and least trustworthy, ever. As a result, not knowing Laker’s work very well, I was seriously apprehensive.2) I’ve written about Sustrans and the NCN before, so thought there wouldn’t be much ... Read more

Le Grand Tour – by Andrew P Sykes

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I’ve a confession to make, right from the outset: I’ve read all of Sykes’ books, and I’m a big fan of his work. Why am I starting a book review with this disclosure? Simple: this will be a positive review. However, it’s a positive review because it’s a great book, and not because of his ... Read more

#RideForGaza

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WillCycle isn’t meant to be political, as in, I have deliberately and intentionally kept politics off this site. I’m not about to change that. This is not a political post. Instead, it’s a call for basic human decency, and human rights, alongside a call to accept the rule of law. Have you ever heard someone ... Read more

And they called it puppy love

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I have a new love in my life: he’s called Alfie, and he’s the most adorable ball of fluff I’ve seen in a while. Alfie’s a Shih Zu puppy, though I’m convinced there’s another breed in there somewhere, too. I’m not a Kennel Club snob, and while I have nothing against “pure breed” dogs, I ... Read more