Hearing how tile hunting has totally changed riders’ approach to cycling is very rewarding, as it is often a gateway to inspiring new adventures. In British tile hunter Matt Fletcher’s case when he realised the limitations of road cycling, and the squares he was missing out on due to accessibility, it encouraged him to start gravel riding. His switch to off-road has allowed him to achieve a 47×47 explorer square, with plans to grow this even further in 2025.
Read how Matt introduced a new cycling discipline to his ride outs, and how this increased his rate of tile collecting.
What prompted your interest in tiling?
I’d seen some VeloViewer posts and saw that I had covered a lot of ground with plenty of squares not covered, but easy to get! I was just getting into road bikes, and going to more new places with some club rides. My Sundays also became easier round home life to put 5-6 hours of riding in, and this allowed me to push into new squares. Tiles sometimes take a tad longer on a ride if it’s a complex hunt, but if it’s a ‘ride straight through’ then it’s more straight forward.
How much time do you dedicate to tiling in a week/month?
In 2024 I dropped a few rides due to weather and work issues, so the motivation wasn’t there. I now have a job at Alpkit (an outdoor/cycling retailer), so I have use of their gravel bikes to allow access to some of the squares that are not road bike friendly, and this also cuts out road and distance by getting off road, so 2025 onwards I feel I have the opportunity to do more tile hunting.
Most challenging situation
I really can’t put a finger on one single moment , but when planning my previous hunts it was making sure the surface would allow me to use a road bike. 28mm tyres on gravel is fine as long as it’s dry, but soggy typical British days meant I couldn’t access certain tiles without hunting. Access to an off-road bike has definitely changed this for me and made tile hunting more rewarding as I can collect more.
What are your kit essentials for tile hunting?
Garmin 1030 plus has been epic as the screen is big enough for seeing the map, of course good bike and clothing, but the main thing is good head space and motivation! At times it’s not a loop, it’s an out and back, and when the weather affects you on a 40 miler out, sometimes into a headwind and loop round a section, and then 40 miles back along the same roads/route, this can mess with some peoples way of riding and head space. Google Maps and Streetview and using the Strava heatmaps/segments (ride/run and walk) are also key to seeing if tiles are passable, and ensure you’re not having a wasted journey.
How would you recommend others get into tiling?
If you like riding and like exploring but struggle to have motivation to do it, tiling becomes addictive, and once you get rolling and the numbers add up and it is great.