50 Classic Cycle Climbs: The Bristol-Bath Region

Joseph Wheeler's love for bicycles and bicycling began in the mid-1980s when he saw his first mountain bike in a cycle shop in Cheltenham while studying for a Fine Art degree. He bought it and spent his weekends for the rest of his studies riding and exploring the nearby Cotswold hills.In 1988 he travelled to London where he worked as a cycle courier, clocking up 60 miles a day on a second-hand Raleigh road bike. Two years later, Joseph moved with his partner, Jenny, to Bath where he worked as a bicycle mechanic for a few years. Then, along with a bit of amateur racing for local teams, he began a full-time career as an artist and illustrator. Now with a young son he continues to ride, fettle and occasionally race his bikes around the countryside and hills of his adopted home in Somerset.