SheCycles – Sara

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This SheCycles post introduces you to Sara
Time for another SheCycles post! This time, I get to introduce you to the incredible Sara – she’s on Twitter as @SezRamos and on Instagram under the same name, so make sure you follow her. In case you still didn’t know, SheCycles is a growing series of posts that highlight a bunch of completely different, ... Read more

There’s a long, long trail a-winding…

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A  simple  question:  Which  is  the  UK’s  longest  traffic-free  cycle  path? The UK has quite a collection of traffic-free cycle paths. Some are better known than others, and some are far longer than others. Some have smooth tarred surfaces, while others have unsealed, and often muddy surfaces. Some are simply obviously better than others, but ... Read more

LEJOGLE Relay

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LEJOG is a British cycle touring rite of passage. It is short for Land’s End – John O’Groats, and refers to cycling between the two destinations. Prevailing winds mean most people start at the bottom and cycle up, but a fair number cycle it in the opposite direction, when it’s referred to as JOGLE. The ... Read more

Idle ramblings

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I have a very busy mind – it’s chaotic at times – and I’ve long known that cycling calms my mind, especially longer bike rides. It is for this reason I prefer to cycle outside – I ride for the pure enjoyment of it first, then for transport or leisure, and lastly for training. There’s ... Read more

Book review: Along The Med On A Bike Called Reggie, by Andrew P Sykes

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I’ve reviewed two other books by the same author before – his 1st book, and his last book. This review is for his second book, which I only fairly recently purchased and read. Sykes is on Twitter as @CyclingEurope, so give him a follow and he has a podcast, with full details available at his ... Read more

Crash card

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Nobody ever wants to crash, especially when that crash involves being hit by a driver. In fact, most of us don’t even want to think about that! What I’ve learned from painful personal experience is that shock will impact on your behaviour, and decisions after a crash. You are extremely likely to make poor decisions, and to ... Read more

GoCycle Guide – Kennet and Avon Canal cycle route

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A picture of my laden bicycle, taken on a bridge, while cycling the Kennet And Avon Canal cycle route
Cycle the Kennet and Avon Canal Ah, the romance of cycling along canals, wind in your hair, sun on your face, and birds swooping around! You’ll smile and exchange pleasantries with boaters as you pass each other by along the Kennet and Avon Canal cycle route. Canal cycling is gorgeous, usually flat, incredibly scenic, and a wonderful introduction to cycle ... Read more

SheCycles – Nadine

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Nadine on her bicycle
In this latest SheCycles post, we hear from Nadine Ansorg – she’s Nadine_Ansorg on Twitter, and you should definitely follow her. Nadine offers insight of being a woman who cycles, both in the UK and in Europe, especially Germany, where she’s originally from. SheCycles is a growing series of posts in which a wide array ... Read more

A suggested cycle touring pack list

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Happy cycle camping! A hand holding up a tin mug, with Happy Camper printed on it
Why  do  you  even  need  a  cycle  touring  pack  list? If you’ve read anything else on here, you will realise by now that I’m very enthusiastic about cycle touring. So much so, I have an entire category dedicated to cycle touring, and another dedicated to cycle camping. Of course not everyone who goes cycle touring ... Read more

Cycloffee

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Cycloffee is a challenge that will benefit both cyclists, and coffee shops. As is commonly known, cycling and coffee is a match made in heaven! The idea is to visit as many of the coffee shops as possible, and get your Caffeine Card stamped. Rules are simple: a visit to a coffee shop only counts if you cycled there, and obviously you can only get a single stamp per café.

To overcome the monster…

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Hills – love them, or hate them, you cannot alter the reality that they exist. You can try and avoid them – move to the Somerset Levels, or the Cambridge Fens, or most of Lincolnshire, for that matter, but sooner or later you will have to cycle up some hills. Some refer to monster hills, but ... Read more

Facts and perceptions

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There’s a massive difference between fact and perception, but as a species, we mostly operate on perceptions. Add to the mix the fact that psychology teaches us that humans tend to first form an opinion, then look for reasons to support that opinion, and things can rapidly get messy. For many thousands of years, humans ... Read more

Preparing for a cycle tour

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How do you prepare for a cycle tour? How do you prepare yourself, so your cycle tour is pleasure, not punishment? No, this post will not turn into a detailed, structured training plan (though it does contain a link to a simplified training plan). If you were preparing to tackle the Hour record, I’d expect ... Read more

Back to basics – Let there be light

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I’m a huge fan of cycling in the dark, which is just as well, as almost half the year most cycle commuters cycle in the dark both ways. There’s something completely different about cycling in your personal bubble of light, along otherwise totally dark roads, and I rather strongly feel this is something everyone should ... Read more

Frazer’s Tour – Part 3

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This is the last instalment of Frazer Goodwin’s guest posts, in which he recounts his adventurous 1 400km ride from Belgium to Sweden, and his return to Belgium. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you read Part first, then read Part 2. Part 3 This summer I managed to cycle from Brussels to ... Read more