Monthly challenge: February

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I thought I’d spice things up a bit for you, by setting you a monthly challenge, starting this month. These challenges will vary considerable – some will involve cycling, and some will involve walking. Most would involve being outside, but certainly not all. Why should you do it? Simple: to add some fun to your ... Read more

Is cycle touring right for you?

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Do you remember the sense of freedom you had when you were a child, and you could hop on your bicycle and pedal off on adventures with your friends? Have you wondered if you can ever experience that same sense of freedom and enjoyment again? Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to ... Read more

Can you hear the road is calling…

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cycle touring
…and we must answer As I’m sat here, writing this, the weather is grim outside, with rain and 50 mph winds. Raindrops streak like tears down my office window, and all the birds have gone into hiding. Originally, I was planning on riding out to Dartmoor and camp overnight, but after a very fortunate escape ... Read more

Dynamo lights, again

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I used to ride with battery lights, and built the battery pack myself, using 18650 cells I harvested from old laptop batteries. My main light was a 5 x Cree T6 monster. Now, a single Cree T6 chip outputs between 700 and 1200 lumen, depending on a number of factors, including the chip itself, external ... Read more

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