I turned 50 this year and was determined to make the most of all chances to celebrate. With my brother living just outside Munich and having recently bought a Brother Cycles Big Bro, it seemed like joining the BITW Munich weekend was an opportunity that needed grasping.

In the end my own bro hosted us and offered logistics, while I road-tripped and pedaled with my son Henry and friends Kristian and Roo.

That’s only the start of the story though. To find out more you can read my article on bikepacking.com .

‘If this new route, the Rebellion Way, is suitable for adaptive bikes, that means I could do it with CeCe’. That is literally the thought that popped into my head on the day Cycling UK launched the Rebellion Way in Norfolk. Of course, what they consider to be accessible and what is realistic for a 47-year-old Mum and a 17-year-old girl with learning and physical difficulties is two different things, but it felt like a challenge I couldn’t ignore.

Flying with your bike isn’t always straight forward but the joy of riding your own bike in a different place often outweighs the negatives. This blog will help you navigate flying with your bike: from booking to packing and negotiating unexpected airport issues.

We were staying at a beautiful campsite in La Turballe, equidistant between Piriac to the North and Le Croisic to the South and had anticipated heading out on extensive journeys but as the pace of life slowed our priorities changed. No longer was there a burning desire to travel extensive kilometres in a bid to ‘make the most of the area’; instead we wanted to feel as carefree as the local French holidaymakers rattling around on their old bikes, replete with baguettes and Breton-striped tees.

If you’re new to Mechanics the thought of it may stir fear in your body rather than bring a sense of zen and calm, but addressing these 3 steps will help turn that around.

British winter weather is as fickle as its summer weather - some glorious crisp and sunny days but an equal measure of grey, damp, bitter days when the cloud cover barely rises above the tree line.

It’s easy on those days to pine for the return of summer or even a glorious Alpine winter, but with a few tweaks you can create a pocket of adventure that is fun, rewarding and returns you to the moral high ground of showing winter that you’re not giving up!