Once again can I thank you for your long and detailed replies. Love the crossed wires about journey to the centre of the earth 😄. Might have to read the Jules Verne novel now just to see what it's like. So plans for this winter. (I'm a gardener so winter is when I have more opportunity to ditch work...

Another search reveals that The Lost World was first published in 1912. I've read that and enjoyed it. Stands up well against more modern tales.

I've not read it. A quick Google says it was written in 1864. That's well old!

My wife read it whilst on holiday as she'd finished all her books and she really enjoyed it. She then bought me Walking home from Mongolia for my birthday last week
Speaking of which Rosie Swale Pope's story of running round the world is another great tale of adventure and people.

When I was younger I used to do mad things to prove myself. I wasn't happy but did have a troubled childhood which goes some way to explain it. Counselling, a wonderful wife, then a lovely daughter plus half a lifetime without bad things happening has allowed me to make peace with who I am. I have n...

Two books, I have them both (amongst many others):

The Man who cycled the world by Mark Beaumont.
Cycling home from Siberia by Rob Lilwall.

Rob's adventure was my favourite by a million miles.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. It's good to have a proper think sometimes. Analysing the point I made about meeting like minded people, perhaps I've missed the point? Last year I did a 9 day trip to, round, and back from the Brecon Beacons. My most cherished memories were a long conve...

That's a smashing answer!

I reckon I need to just get stuck in. I'm overthinking it. Maybe stop reading about the latest superhero who can go 7 days without sleep too! I get really grumpy after one night's poor kip.

Yes. I saw that Second city divide plan too and it really appealed.

Morning all. I've got to the point now where I've got the 'how' fairly sorted. Can head out for a few days without any concern. What I have been struggling with is my 'why?' I love riding for hours, I adore nature and the countryside, am perfectly happy in my own company yet also love sharing it wit...

I guess the truth of it is that as you get to a certain level of experience, you know that adding any new items to your setup will increase your burden. Once you've got a bed and shelter that you trust, waterproofs that keep you dry, a bike that works and a way of carrying everything that is satisfa...

Thanks. I've messaged you.
I agree that riding up through Wales has to be the best plan.
Might get a train to Winchester to knock a day off my end.

Might well get the chance to ride to meet a friend somewhere in Snowdonia next month. Have been thinking about routes and would welcome ideas. Previously I've done North Downs Way - KAW anticlockwise - Kennet & Avon canal, which has got me to the Severn crossing, so can rule that one out. Idea 1...

Hopefully doing a week long tour of Wales at the beginning of October. No idea what our route will be yet but I'm keen to see Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia.
1st running marathon on the South Downs at the end of October plus we're putting on a cx race the week before.
BB200 in Nov (gulp!)

Lake MX303 boots Feel a bit of a fraud listing them as I'm considering replacing them (the inside lining is torn and the boa dials have been replaced by cable ties), but these boots have done a decade of hard service. They've kept my feet warm in sustained minus 6 - I sized up a whole shoe size and...

Friday night kinda post, if you know what I mean? 🍺 WhatsApped a mate about a mini trip next weekend. Wrote down the route (about 24hrs of riding) then listed off the resupply points and water taps. Hard won knowledge; cafe caravan in the woods, public toilet in the town, church with water tap... I ...

When I rode the YD300 last winter, me and my mate had to behave like circus gymnasts to get through some of the gates down by the reservoir without soaking our boots. My favourite was a shimmy along the gate, unlatch it, swing out to dry land, dismount and then edge my way along a ledge on a dry sto...

Cheers guys. On the specs issue, I've found a solution btw. I wear contacts with my dominant eye set for distance vision and my non dominant eye set for distance AND near vision in concentric rings! Somehow my brain sorts all this information out into a workable solution. It's not perfect but it does.

Can I ask a question? The thing that causes the most faffage for me is fiddling about with my garmin screen, trying to see the route, when the path isn't obvious. How do you deal with the oft mentioned tussocky bog sections? Do you have the screen zoomed out a bit and just head in roughly the right ...

I rode the YD300 last February with a mate over 3 days. I was really struggling mentally with the scale of it on the first day until at a lunch break he pulled out a printed map with elevation profile. From then on we chunked up the route; big climb then descent into village etc, and I started enjoy...

It's nice to see this thread. I'll be training for my first BB200 and yes I'll take it seriously and yes I'll be 'racing' to beat the clock. (I realised the futility of trying to beat my fellow man over the last decade of xc and cx racing). Personally I respond really well to lots of hours in the sa...

I do say race in inverted commas. I've quit actual racing because it all felt rather pointless. I want to try a few bikepacking events where I ride with purpose. Normally I bimble about and faff a lot but sometimes I love the feeling of the focus that comes with trucking along like a two wheeled Ter...

Thanks very much slarge, you b********! Due to your awesomeness on the TD, I felt emboldened to enter the bb November edition. That was after 2 beers last night though. Was having breakfast this morning when I remembered my idea. Dang! It was still a good idea. I'm trembling slightly at the prospect...