UPDATE: You may wish to read a more up-to-date post about Gem Bridge here: http://willcycle.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-on-gem-bridge.html On Friday, 22 April 2011, I went cycling, specifically to see what progress was being made with the new viaduct over the Walkham valley, at Grenofen. We’ve been having some gorgeous weather lately, and Friday was no exception despite being ... Read more

I’ve had a thing for maps since I was a boy, and I remember with great fondness my first compass and topographical map.Although a lot of water has run into the sea since then, I still like maps, especially old maps.Now as a self-confessed geek, I’ve been carrying navigational aids around with me for many ... Read more

UPDATE on 21 May: The ride IS going ahead tonight. Some drizzle is expected, but no torrential downpours. Right, the date for the Dark Side Ride is (enter drum-roll here) 21/22 May 2011! What’s that? What’s a Dark Side Ride, you ask? Well, a Dark Side Ride is a leisurely bicycle ride on Dartmoor, at ... Read more

This image was linked  to in a tweet by @Copenhagenize and was originally here: http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.27507612.jpg.I just had to blog it!

This is part of a ride that I filmed using my new helmet cam. The video shows several things: What video quality the camera is capable of (do remember I reduced the video resolution by a great deal after filming, thereby reducing the video from 380 MB down to 77 MB. However, I sacrificed quite ... Read more

For some time now, I’ve been thinking about getting a helmet cam, but choosing a helmet cam isn’t as straightforward as you may think.You need to consider the megapixel rating, the resolution it films at, the frames-per-second filming speed, the battery life, etc., etc. The list simply goes on and on! And then you get to ... Read more

News reports recently have been overshadowed by the terrible events in Japan, and in Libya, with Bahrain getting a mention now and then. Japan was a catastrophic natural disaster that probably put several nails into the coffin of the “nuclear energy is clean” argument, and with just reason too. After all, in a nation renowned ... Read more

I had this idea in the back of my head that perhaps I ought to do a detailed route map of the Plym Valley trail and Drake’s Trail, with photos and info on handy places to stop for a rest (and perhaps a picnic). Throw in references of good shops along the way (like Sonya’s ... Read more

A while ago I e-mailed Devon County Council for an update on the Walkham viaduct. I waited patiently and received only a thundering silence as response.Fortunately we have the Freedom of Information Act, which means if I asked the same questions as a Freedom of Information request they had to respond, and respond with a reasonable time ... Read more

My bike’s rear tyre was geting badly worn, and I have been meaning to replace it, but life seemed to be getting in the way all the time. In the famous words of John Lennon, Life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans. Today I finally got round to buying a replacement tyre, ... Read more

In January 2010, Paul Chambers tweeted a message he would live to regret. Snow had closed the Robin Hood airport, and he needed to fly to Ireland. In frustration, he tweeted “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky ... Read more

Together with two of my kids, I attended a Critical Mass ride in Plymouth today, and I must admit it was a bit of an eye-opener. No, not the ride itself, but rather what happens (cycling-related) in Plymouth. Recently-ish a new cycling forum was established in Plymouth. According to the minutes of their first meeting, ... Read more

Following my usual route to work this morning, I cycled up Tothill road. I saw another cyclist up ahead and tried to catch up.Fortune smiled on me as the other cyclist was slightly delayed by the traffic lights at the intersection where Tothill road becomes Greenbank road. As I got close I realised it was ... Read more

In Plymouth, we have some cycling infrastructure that, although not brilliant and certainly not up to Dutch standards, still remains actually quite good. An example would be Billacombe road, heading out of the city. Have a look at the following pic: Billacombe road used to be two lanes in each direction, but was reduced to ... Read more

For those of you not fortunate enough to live in a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the coast and Dartmoor, with NCN route 27 passing less than half a mile from your front door, the Walkham is a river that gave it’s name to the village of Walkhampton. Apart from that bit of otherwise ... Read more