My bike, somewhere along the Macclesfield canal

The Spirit Of Adventure

Hey there,

Some changes to the newsletter again. I'm still new to this, and trying to find a format that works well, especially for you. What would really help is if you let me know what you like, what you don't like, and what changes you'd like to see.

This newsletter is called The Spirit Of Adventure and so should be more focused on adventure, or things related to adventure. Expect to see some more Just Because You Can type challenges coming up from time to time, and I hope you'll be participating.

The first of those will be the WillCycle Mass Campout, and yes, I'd like you be there. Where, you ask? Simple - your garden, a nearby park, your favourite camp site, or anywhere else. It will be a real campout, but the gathering will be virtual and distributed. Sure, you can go camping with others, but you can also go camping on your own, and virtually participate.

I need to work out some details, such as do we have an audio-only sharing session, or perhaps full video conferencing? You'll need to camp somewhere with mobile signal! I'm leaning towards video conferencing, as participants can show us their camping setups, or ask questions. Will you be up for it?

In the last edition, I said I'm on the new Road.cc podcast, after having been told it would be out then. Obviously it wasn't, but it's out now, so go have a listen.

Now over to you. In every newsletter, I ask for updates about what you have been up to, but it seems you're a shy bunch. That's OK - I'll keep asking. Sooner or later I'll hear back :-)

Take it easy,

Will

Will you be brave enough to click the Blast From The Past button, and see what old WillCycle post it takes you to?

Blast From The Past

The Good News

Climate change is real, accelerating and absolutely terrifying.
Many European cities are taking big steps to reduce car usage, and increase green transport choices (including cycling, of course).

Did You Know...?

The fastest speed record ever set by a cyclist was set by Denise Mueller-Korenek, who reached 183.9 miles per hour on the Bonneville salt flats in Utah, USA!
As you'd expect, she was following a pacing car, which had a special fairing that created a huge wind-shadow for her to ride in. Also, her gearing was so high that she had to be towed to 100mph, before she was able to pedal on her own, but it remains an astounding speed.

What Did You Miss On WillCycle?

The making of a GoCycle route guide

GoCycle - route guides you can trust You may have wondered what goes into the making of a GoCycle route guide, so I'll explain the process here. GoCycle guides are multi-day leisure/touring route guides. If you're a regular visitor to WillCycle, then you would know I'm a huge fan of cycle touring and cycle camping. Alongside that, I try hard to …

Cycle commuting for beginners

Thinking of starting to cycle commute? Well, warmer weather is starting, and the bikes are coming out of sheds and being dusted off. Those two points are valid reasons enough for starting to cycle commute, but when you throw the massively increases in fuel prices into the mix, it's clear that cycle commuting is a rock-solid choice to make! Hang …

Chunky B*tch On A Bike - Ladies V Neck T-Shirt

Inspired by the Neanderthal who called the awesome Carla Francome a "chunky b*tch", we decided to turn that into a positive slogan. This particular T-shirt is a ladies' cut, but there are unisex versions available too.

I'm Not Old, I'm Simply A Classic

A T-shirt for those of us of a certain age!

Random Internet Link

I usually read books before I recommend them, but this one simply seems too good to keep a secret. Called The Frayed Atlantic Edge, it tells the story of David Gange's jaw-dropping kayaking from the Shetlands to the English Channel.
I suspect you'll be as impressed by that as I am. Go have a look: https://frayedatlanticedge.wordpress.com/the-book/

Will's Unexpected Bike Hack

Well, more a camping hack than a bike hack this time round. Have you ever tried tying a tarp down, especially one that doesn't have proper eyelets? There's no shame in admitting it if you resorted to cutting a hole in the tarp, and ending up with the cord ripping the tarp.
There's a far better way: next time, pick up a pebble, hold it underneath the tarp, then push the tarp-covered pebble through a loop in the cord, then tighten the loop. You will now have an anchor point that is far, far stronger than cutting a hole in the tarp, and as a bonus, you won't damage it, either!

Do you have any hacks to share? Well then, don't be shy! Simply reply to this email.

And Finally...

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