FLV wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:58 pm

In Reverse wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:46 pm [*]A big overseas ride with other people would be nice too. Veneto Trail might happen at last...

I may be up for that one if the dates work

Well that would be splendid.

Granguanche still on the radar too perhaps?

Continue the BAM for as long as I can.

Manage to get entry to the BB200 (and not be the last person back).

Ride the Yorkshire500 as well as the West Yorkshire Cycle route (170ish miles).

Way of the Roses coast to coast on the longest day.

Get my 7 year old out on a few overnighters with me...

Hope your missus (and you) get through it Colin, May God make it easy...

FLV wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:58 pm

In Reverse wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:46 pm [*]A big overseas ride with other people would be nice too. Veneto Trail might happen at last...

I may be up for that one if the dates work

+1 for potentially being up for this if it's at the sociable rather than race-paced end of the spectrum.

2022 plans eh???

1. Stay flexible and don't book anything that isn't completely refundable.

2. Ride my bike a metric crap-ton more than this/last year.

3. Continue my new and (seemingly so at this point) improved approach to health and fitness (leading to something approaching a healthy weight and reduction of weight-related medical shenanigans).

As for actually events/trips:

Tuscany Trail (8th year in a row), some/all of the Veneto Gravel (6th time in 5 years - never with the actual event), I'd like to do the Tour of Mont Blanc again as not done it for a few years now and (assuming travel to see family/friends returns to something approaching normal) the BB200 as it's been too long since I took a proper beating.

2022, I'm planning to have more muddy fun on bikes round my local, especially on my fat bike, and mix it with local overnight camping as often as possible. And I want to share experiences with my BB mates. Gonna throw out a few japes and I want to develop the Chilterns Spring Thing a bit more (and maybe even ride it this year).

Otherwise, I'd love to get back to the WRT next year, and will do if I can gather a group of like-minded souls who are more interested in the fun of it all and carry chairs. Maybe a parents' ride? Dunno.

But I'm genuinely excited and positive about the year ahead. And I've not felt like this for a while.

My last (possibly ever!) day of work is Thursday with us relocating to mainland Scotland (Angus) on Sunday with my wife's job. I may find part-time work eventually, but working has been a mental and physical struggle for quite sometime despite an ace job.

So 2022....

Be a house elf for the family in lieu of earning a crust.

Lose the fekking weight I put back on since my knee replacement 3 years ago. Got down to 90kg prior to it which was ace. 85kg would be ideal.

Get riding off road again ! just had 20month over due steroid injections in my wrists and currently on the ferry back to Shetland as I type, so I should be good to go in a week.

Explore my new home on foot, bike and swimming.

Do the Turra Coo and my first 200mile day ride.

Get back bikepacking again.

2022 - moving away from SE at last, back to SW. It's meant buying a car recently, we've not owned one in 12 years. Not too happy about car ownership but it doesn't need to be used too much. Has a big boot for bikes. Living close to the Severn Bridge with a car means main thing for 2022 will be to ride in Wales and FoD more, would be good to ride new places with others. Genuinely fired up to have a new playground on my doorstep. And will stick stubbornly to riding SS in the Stroud valleys for a while, hoping it works out.

Hoping to go up to the RSR in spring with a couple of others, a good social ride in Scotland with a few beers along the way would be so welcome these days.

A ride or train to Portsmouth and some touring in France would be too. Maybe head down to the Vercors then get a train back up north. I miss patisseries and 1 euro coffees and little villages one after another where nothing seems to happen until you ride through one that's having a hog roast party that you can stop at for dinner.

Given a bit more time I'd take a ferry to Spain and a ride from the NW corner across the Pyrenees. MTB. Ride or train back to the ferry home. If travel worked out, to ride the Montanas Vacias routes. That would be the dream trip.

Given a bit more time I'd take a ferry to Spain and a ride from the NW corner across the Pyrenees. MTB. Ride or train back to the ferry home. If travel worked out, to ride the Montanas Vacias routes. That would be the dream trip.

If you can get yourself to Deltebre by the 20th of May, you're welcome to join us on the Spanish Divide, and ride the pretty way back to Bilbao over 9: days Inc 3 in the Montañasvacias, looks like the group will be 10-12 this year.

barney wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 12:14 am My main plan is not to make any plans... for the past couple of years irrespective of Covid I've made plans for everything including completing Bikepacking events, walking and cycling challenges on my Garmin app, BAM and even losing weight etc.

Next year I'm going to have a different approach of just doing things at my own pace. I can always remember a few years ago after 10 BAM in a row I didn't do November because the weather was crap. It felt such a relief making the decision that meant I bivvy'd because I wanted to and not to "tick a box"

Appreciate i may be in the minority but I'm fine with that.

Pretty much with Barney, I’ll have a couple of ideas and we’ll see what happens.

Can’t be arsed planning anything with Covid to them go and spoil it.

I lost two friends/family members to Cancer this year, one just 10 days ago, wanting to do something to raise money for Caner research, thinking Devon Coast to Coast, great way to motivate me and get some money for a fine cause, no other plans yet.

Loki wrote: ↑Wed Dec 15, 2021 4:22 pm I lost two friends/family members to Cancer this year, one just 10 days ago, wanting to do something to raise money for Caner research, thinking Devon Coast to Coast, great way to motivate me and get some money for a fine cause, no other plans yet.

If I won't slow you down, and you fancy company, let me know. I'd be honoured to join.

I’m always up for a coast to coast as well

I'll just be very grateful to get as far as the Winter Event the way we're going at the moment.

slarge wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:08 am
Giving up work at the end of Jan to rebalance work and home life
More time with OH and dogs
Tour Divide in June

Enjoy Steve, time is precious, will look forward to following tour TD exploits, still on the "one day" list for me.

Starting April sometime I'm going to ride round the full coast of GB with several islands thrown in. No rush, hugging the coasts tracks and trails and adding a bit of charity whilst hoping to visit/meet anyone I've crossed paths with on the way. 5000+ miles being a cycling hobo.

- I failed at BAM this year after smashing up my knee in September. So main plan for next year is BAM
- Have also been off the bike for a few months so just getting riding again would be great. Mainly just social riding
- Would like to do the KAW seeing as I live just off it. Legs defo not strong enough for that right now though
- Probably WRT and JennRide as I really enjoyed those this year
- New car (in kit form) arriving next Autumn to planning to build that over the winter with my son so it's ready for Spring 2023

I'm cycling to/from work at the mo. next year to carry on doing that and get out on weekend camps more often

numplumz wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:17 pm

slarge wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:08 am
Giving up work at the end of Jan to rebalance work and home life
More time with OH and dogs
Tour Divide in June

Enjoy Steve, time is precious, will look forward to following tour TD exploits, still on the "one day" list for me.

Starting April sometime I'm going to ride round the full coast of GB with several islands thrown in. No rush, hugging the coasts tracks and trails and adding a bit of charity whilst hoping to visit/meet anyone I've crossed paths with on the way. 5000+ miles being a cycling hobo.

Make sure you get down our way. A bed awaits

Definately will Dave if timing works for you, will be in touch

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:04 am Celebrate my wife defeating cancer.

and may the annual 'all clear' results continue.

The very best of luck to ScotRoutes' wife in her fight to beat cancer.

1. Fix dodgy shoulder. Off to the quacks tomorrow, fingers crossed.
2. Paddle more (WW packraft) plus some courses to build the skills I didn't get in the years between paddling Lincolnshire irrigation ditches as a schoolkid and now. Depends slightly on (1).
3. Second Dan, before I'm too old and buggered, also depends on (1).
4. Recover mojo and enthusiasm for riding and bivi's. They've been too few and far between for ages now but the urge and desire is low, low, low.
5. If (4) happens resume learning Spanish in order to ....
6. Ride that remote route in Spain that Piston etc did.
7. Give sea kayaking a go.
7. Generally stay fit, healthy, sane and lighter to make all of the above easier.

As with many others, not making any big plans this year... but here's a few...

Bob Graham round, running rather than on the bike but similar traits required.

Get back to climbing/bouldering at a decent level again - went last night and really enjoyed the smooth, flow feeling on a couple of tough problems that I was amazed to climb.

More commuting miles on the bike, less in the car.

Attempt to stay sane during my son's latest round of chemotherapy which started last week.

Some kind of silly ride to raise cash to help with the above... My wife (a very occasional, very "leisure" cyclist) was also muttering about trying a Hadrian's wall based ride for this, so I would be in the support/logistics/cheerleader camp.

Try to get out for a few riding or running overnights

lol... first of my 2022 plans down. Cycling trip to Mallorca now cancelled.

Richard G wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:37 pm lol... first of my 2022 plans down. Cycling trip to Mallorca now cancelled.

that's.. err disappointing... Do make sure you go at a later point. there lots of patched lanes /old donkey tracks aswell as the roadie circuits.

Several years ago, I took a day out of a family holiday & hired/ rented a road bike and cycled to Formentor from Porto Pollensa brilliant ride go early-all asphalt, the road is closed for cars until say 10 am. There a tunnel bring some lights* cummuter light will do. The cafe at the top of the last climb, after ascending through all the pine forest (quite heady), is most welcome. as was of cycling down from to the watch-tower to Porto Pollensa. I guess it was a 25 mile circuit. (your Milage may vary )
* I cycled through comin up-with out lights, no problem. On the way back a long hour later descending through it, I was still inthe middle after say 50 yards. since outward leg, the sun had risen and now wasn't illuminating it from one end. I knew I was still in the middle near the white line. but as it fade. my mind saw that line move about to my left and right. I was about to use my phone torch, ( I eventually followed car through). Quite a surreal experience.

I also plan on doing some bikeraftingpacking but haven't quite figured out a good circuit yet.

Might be cool to join up with some of youse for it

For me it is about building the little I did last year. I could have done more towards the end of the year but for one reason or another didn't manage it. Now at the New Year, there are a few DIY jobs that will get in the way of, for example, BAMs but we'll see.

Start with some over-nighters locally. Seek out some local spots. Some short but a few need to be longer mileage. Throw in a 2 nighter before May.
Scotland in May and late summer for 2 x 2 night trips. Probably Trossachs again for the first. The second I'm leaving open for now.
Hopefully, by the second half of the year, I'll be in the swing of it.

It's also my 50th. What I was hoping for is unlikely to happen. Whatever. I'll make the most of what I can.