GoCycle Expert Guide – Somerset Circle

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A touring bicycle on the Somerset levels, during a cycle tour of the Somerset Circle route
Go  exploring  along  the  gorgeous  Somerset  Circle! The UK has many disused railways, and many of these have been converted into shared paths. In fact, Sustrans’ very first path was the Bristol And Bath Rail Path, which follows the course of an old, disused railway, and forms part of the Somerset Circle. The Camel Trail in ... Read more

Best-value helmet cam

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So, you’re looking for a decent-quality cycling helmet camera? You want a battery life of around three hours, decent video quality (4K), digital image stabilisation, AND WiFi connectivity, right? The WillCycle Sportcam OK, I don’t manufacture these, but as I do sell them, I get to name my product. From the outset I will tell ... Read more

Upgrade is the new N+1

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Upgrade is the new N+1
My bike is, as I’m writing this, eight years old, and has carried me over many thousands of miles. As you’d expect, it took a battering over that time, including a few crashes. Most cyclists know the supposed formula of N+1 to determine the ideal number of bikes to own. In that formula, N equals ... Read more

Peace of mind when solo cycle touring

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A 70 year old reader of my newsletter, The Spirit Of Adventure (you are signed up, aren’t you?) emailed me, explaining health issues he overcame, and asked the following: “So the question I have is, while venturing out alone, whether cycle camping or touring, what would your top ten tips be for planning a trip ... Read more

Book review – Wild Camping the Wild Atlantic Way

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Wild Camping the Wild Atlantic Way - a book about cycle touring the Wild Atlantic Way
Every traveller’s journey is unique to them, and is a snapshot in time. This book tells the story of when I cycled the bottom half of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. If I had to cycle exactly the same route today, I’d end up with a completely new, and different experience. This is my adventure, and ... Read more

Just be

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For most of your life, you were told to become this, or become that, or to strive to be better, be different, or simply be something else. Far too many cyclists – on a daily basis, and as a normal part of their ride – try to be faster. Many try to be the fastest ... Read more

Top ten worst things about cycle touring

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Obviously, I remain an enormous fan of cycle touring, and often wish I was financially able to go cycle touring for half the year, every year. And why not? After all, you get to experience so many wonderful things, see stunning sights, and meet interesting people along the way. However, cycle touring isn’t just moonshine ... Read more

Dart Valley Cycleway

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The view along the Dart Valley Cycleway
Dart Valley Cycleway cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐ This 6.3 mile route is gorgeous, and will make a great day out, but is quite a mix. From the outset, you need to understand that the entire route isn’t traffic-free. Surface on the Dart Valley Cycleway Most of the route has a good tarred surface, but ... Read more

10 Cycle touring mistakes

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ten mistakes when cycle touring
We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. Here’s a list of mistakes that are easy to make when cycle touring, and easy to avoid. 1 – Not taking your time My advice for planning a tour is simple: take your leisurely cycling speed, on a laden bike and similar terrain, then work out what ... Read more

Keeping your cool

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How to keep cool when cycle touring on hot days
With climate change comes the reality of hotter days. When cycle touring, that has real-world implications for you, in multiple ways. You No matter how advanced we may think of ourselves as a species, the fact remains that we’re still only mammals. That means our bodies like to remain with a core temperature of around ... Read more

Kit review – Time ATAC XC4 pedals

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Time ATAC XC4 pedal review
Time ATAC XC4 pedals overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A kit review for pedals? Yes! Because ATAC XC4 aren’t your normal bicycle pedals. In a world dominated by Shimano pedals, ATAC XC4 pedals offers numerous advantages. Knee problems can be solved by pedals? During an Audax ride I did in 2023, I was chatting with a rider ... Read more

Wet-weather camping

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Strategies for camping in the rain
If you do cycle touring in the UK, and you usually camp along the way, sooner or later you’ll end up camping in the rain. After all, the UK is luscious and green because of the rain we get, so you can’t really complain. Of course, not all wet-weather camping is the same. It depends ... Read more

Kit Review – West Biking Panniers

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Kit review of West Biking 25 litre panniers
West Biking 25 litres panniers overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Panniers are essential cycle touring pieces of kit, as well as extremely useful for commuting. Generally speaking, price tends to be an indicator of quality, and you get what you pay for. However, there are exceptions! Around seven months ago, I decided it was time to replace ... Read more

This Road I Ride – Juliana Buhring

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This Road I Ride, by Juliana Buhring
In this world, very few people truly get to be trailblazers. Juliana Buhring is one of those few people. This Road I Ride tells the story of Buhring’s record-breaking round-the-world bike ride. If you’re a man, you may not like me saying this, but Buhring is an exceptionally tough person – likely far tougher than ... Read more

Next adventures

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We can’t all be on adventures all the time. Even the world’s most persistent cycle tourer, Heinz Stücke, eventually settled down. However, what we can do is start planning our next adventures! Decide on a timescale Time is the greatest limiter. You can always get more money, but you can never get more time. Your ... Read more

Free

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Few people get to experience what it is really like to be free. Free from all responsibilities. Free from being a slave to a clock. Free from so much of what society expects of you. Free to choose where to go, and when to do so. Reality intrudes Oh, believe me, I get it! You ... Read more

Kit review: Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter gloves

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A full review of the Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves
Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Suffering from semi-frozen fingers isn’t fun, and when the cold weather hits, you need decent winter gloves. Your winter gloves must be waterproof, and equally importantly, windproof. They also need good insulation. Not my first rodeo The Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves offers ... Read more

#NoMoreIn24 – a new challenge

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#NoMoreIn24
There are no shortages of cycling challenges out there – both physical and virtual. They all tend to take the same format: cycle x distance in y time, or cycle x elevation in y time. Of course, these are valid reasons for that: most cycling challenges are aimed at competitive cyclists, and by competitive cyclists ... Read more

Top Camping tips

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If you’re new to camping, the tips on this page are sure to make your camping trip far better! What to take There are many different styles of camping, and some of them are extremely minimalist. My focus is heavily flavoured by cycle touring, and hiking. These are activities where you transport all your camping ... Read more

Forest of Dean Colliers Trail

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Forest of Dean Colliers Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Forest of Dean lies on the edge of the border between England and Wales, and is stunningly beautiful. There are many cycle routes in the forest, but this one is particularly family-friendly, and is entirely traffic-free along its 6.6 mile length. As a there-and-back, ... Read more

Book review – How To Cycle Canada The Wrong Way

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How To Cycle Canada The Wrong Way - by Lorraine Lambert
How To Cycle Canada The Wrong Way is a book about cycle touring across Canada, written by Lorraine Lambert, who also has a blog here, and I suggest you go read that. The Wrong Way? Like just about anywhere on earth, Canada has prevailing winds, and those mostly blow from west to east. Lambert cycled ... Read more