• What Is The Best Bike For City Riding?

    October 19, 2013

    When I am cycling round in London, I see many different types of bikes but which is the best for riding in the city? Single Speeder Many people go for a single speed option. Single speed bikes, like the name suggests, have no gears. Pros: Easy to maintain Simple and relaxed ride experience Strong and durable (thicker chain, no rear mechanism) Cons: Tough on the hills; spinning out on the flats or downhills Can be bad for your knees if you aren’t used to it Not so good for long distances and touring (e.

    Tags: Single speedDutch bikeCityBike

    Read more...

  • Weave of the Ride Officially Launched (so Now You Can Get Your Copy)

    August 4, 2013

    On Saturday 3rd of August 2013, ‘Weave of the Ride’ was officially launched on a sunny Hampstead Heath. People turned up from all directions. We shared a picnic, stories and desires for adventure, and there was a presentation and Q&A. Some questions that were asked included; How did I raise funds for my journey? The answer was that I worked before I left, raised about £3500 and that covered the journey to Georgia.

    Tags: LaunchWeave of the rideEuropeTravelBookWritingAdventureCycling

    Read more...

  • Weave of the Ride: A tale told from two points of view

    August 4, 2013

    I was happy to have two blog posts written about Weave of the Ride. Tom Allen from tomsbiketrip.com and Alastair Humphreys (National Geographic Adventurer of the Year) wrote about the book and cite the value of a story that is shared from multiple perspectives. I quote from Alastair’s blog: This is all background to why I have really enjoyed reading two telling of the same tale. Tom Allen and Andy Welch set out together to try to cycle round the world.

    Tags: Weave of the rideCycle touringTravelBookWritingAdventure

    Read more...

  • Tales of Adventure - An evening of animating stories of exploration

    June 25, 2013

    ‘The George’ pub founded in 1723 as a coffee house and gets its name either from the proprieter whose name was George or from Georgia III who is depicted on the pub sign (known for his bouts of madness). It is an ideal venue for share stories of unusual journeys and explorations, set against the backdrop of beer-swilling lawyers and other suited workers. There is a special sense of irony in telling such tales of escape in the heart of one of London’s busiest and ‘steeped-in-tradition’ areas near Aldwych in Holborn.

    Tags: Night outSpeakingTalkTales of adventureLeon maccarronTravelAdventure

    Read more...

  • Tales of Adventure Talk - 20th June - London

    June 12, 2013

    I will be giving a talk about Weave of the Ride and the importance of taking journeys at The George Pub, 213 The Strand, London on 20th June. The event opens at 7pm and I will be talking at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 on the door. There will be a raffle for the book, books available for sale and book signing. The events are usually sold out and are first come, first served.

    Tags: SpeakingTalkTales of adventureLondon

    Read more...

  • 10 Things Writing a Book Means to Me

    May 13, 2013

    Writing a book can be quite daunting but once you’ve finished it is a significant achievement. Here are some of the reasons why writing a book is important to me. I have done something interesting enough to write about and written about it. Achieved a significant goal and produced a finished product. It means a great deal to share a story to inspire others. I have learnt what it takes to construct a book and publish it independently.

    Tags: ReflectingMeaningTipsWriting

    Read more...

  • Tips for Beginning the Writing Process to Avoid Writers Block

    May 13, 2013

    This post is from 2009 when I had just started writing Weave of the Ride. My writing is going well. It is a new challenge and I’m enjoying it. I feel my writing has become less stylised. I am hopefully writing something that will have a wider appeal than my travelogue-style blog posts. So far I have written an introduction which covers where the idea for the journey came from and the memorable, important, and notable events from the build up to leaving.

    Tags: Become a writerSuccessLearnBeginnerTipsAdviceWriting

    Read more...

  • How I Created A Writing Manifesto to Get My Writing Process in Shape

    May 6, 2013

    Get up early in the morning to write. I usually write between 6.30am to 8.30am. I tried writing late at night and got into a counter-productive routine of falling asleep at 10.30 pm, waking up at 2 am and working for a couple of hours. Maybe that’s your ideal time to write but I’ve found the morning best for me. Give yourself the chance to write the ‘rubbish first draft’.

    Tags: TipsManifestoWriting

    Read more...

  • Weave of the Ride Book Launch Speech

    March 31, 2013

    Weave of the Ride is close to me as it speaks about my personal encounters and conversations with different cultures on my journeys. My travels can be split into 3 major journeys between 2007 and 2010; Europe to Georgia, Georgia to India and Mongolia. I currently work as an open source software developer and write books and work on design projects. I live in London but I was brought up in a small Leicestershire village running around the fields having adventures.

    Tags: Weave of the rideEuropeCycle touring

    Read more...

  • Weave of the Ride - A Book About Cycling Across Europe with No Idea and No Budget

    March 31, 2013

    Having graduated from university, I was lucky to get a job, but I felt life had more to offer than the daily commute and hours on the computer. I hatched a plan to hit a trail of adventure by combining my passion for cycling with a thirst for adventure. Having enlisted the help of an old school friend, we set about preparing the most audacious trip we could think of - to mountain bike around the world.

    Tags: Weave of the rideEuropeCycle touring

    Read more...

  • 3 handpicked moments from the Weave of The Ride

    March 31, 2013

    From ‘Frozen Lands’ Chapter 60 We departed at sunrise the following day. The bitterly cold air became gradually less polluted as we cycled along the Mtkvari river and out of the city. The snow and ice-laden ground reminded me that we still didn’t have winter sleeping bags. I hoped we would find a warm place to stay. From ‘A Typical Turkish Town’ Chapter 38 A baker gestured us to stop at his bakery and we watched him baking bread.

    Tags: Weave of the rideBookWritingCycling

    Read more...

  • Why Write a Book About a Defining Time in Life and Why You Should Too

    March 31, 2013

    I have, in my hands, a book that contains stories of a myriad people and places, woven together to animate and illuminate a section of life-lived. I can open the book and read about my own sense of idealism and energy. I am excited again by the place names that are familiar yet exotic. Each line I read evokes a new response to that event. “Those were the days”, “Hmmm…. maybe I don’t see it like that so much any more.

    Tags: KindleAmazonWeave of the rideEuropeEbook

    Read more...