Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

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slarge
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Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by slarge »

So I am working from home, have been for 8 weeks now and always seem to be sat in the spare room, in online meetings or phone calls for 8-10 hours/day. All the events and plans I had for the year are cancelled or postponed, biking time is a fraction of previous years, and motivation is increasingly difficult. Now I realise I actually have it good (I have a job, health, my family is healthy and have jobs), but it doesn't make it any easier.

So, needing some inspiration. What rides / events / things are you looking forward to when lockdown is "removed" and society starts accepting strangers in their locality?

I think I have a Welsh Coast to Coast planned (The Cambrian Trail), plus I would love to have a crack at the Cairngorms Loop, but time and weather might put paid to that. Plus going to the pub with OH on a Friday night. And commuting (by bike) again.

What dreams are keeping you going at the moment?
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RIP
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by RIP »

Nice thread. Same boat as you Steve, grateful for my situation. Easy to look forward to some massive event, challenge or whatever, but straight off I'm going to nail my colours to the "keep it small" flag. I'm already having a couple of beers on Cheery Fridays so no change there. I shall look forward to doing a BaM in the dilapidated shed just outside town that I spotted just before lockdown, that'll do me please.
Last edited by RIP on Thu May 21, 2020 3:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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benp1
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by benp1 »

Also had lots of plans that have all been cancelled. But I'm also in a very fortunate position, family all happy and healthy, easy to work from home, nice to have some family time

Booked a couple of cancellable family holidays later this year, hoping they'll go ahead

No cycle commuting for me right now but it does mean all my cycling is for fun, which is nice. I went for a ride with a friend on Sunday and plan to do that again tomorrow night. Makes a nice change from the last few weeks, looking forward to it. I'm enjoying being on the bike, even if it's only a couple of times a week
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Dave Barter
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by Dave Barter »

I'm going to do another LEJOG
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PaulB2
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by PaulB2 »

I'm looking forward to going for a ride of more than 10k.
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UnderTheRadars
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by UnderTheRadars »

Just a nice bimble out to a country pub with a quiet beer garden for a couple of pints of HPA in the sun. I’m a simple man
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mikehowarth
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by mikehowarth »

Top thread - got to admit I'm feeling much the same and been under a lot of pressure work wise adapting to COVID19 related impact to our business.

For me, a lot of the travel plans we've got have been scratched already.

Likewise riding time has been a fraction of what I'd normally be doing, but the riding I've been doing has been great, myself and my girlfriend have just been exploring the local lanes piecing together bits together that we'd not previously ridden.

For me this year, is just going to be about keeping things simple, more localish rides with mates trying to support local businesses where we can, and enjoy good company.

We'll probably tick our way through more Lost Lanes rides, and I'm going to try and get my running fitness back and maybe try and come up with a decent big loop out of Chester which I hope to publish later in the year.

Thats about it.
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psling
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by psling »

I'm looking forward to a social ride with friends over a couple of days somewhere 'nice' - good weather, good scenery, good company :cool:

I have a slightly unconventional lifestyle but am currently working as normal, commuting by bike when I want and, other than travel restrictions, not a lot has changed for me. I am currently surrounded by 12 acres of 'garden' set on the edge of a forest so socially isolating isn't difficult. I count myself as being very fortunate really.

I've stopped listening to Radio Five Live though; I was beginning to get a real complex / feeling of inadequacy because I'm not actually a "key worker" :???:
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by jameso »

Wales. Lanes touring there with a bivi bag (a risky/'should be interesting' plan) on a Lost Lanes and TINAT 600 inspired route. Early starts, late finishes and some time for whatever comes up along the way in between. Will take a book and set up a bivi before it goes dark, that kind of ride.
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psling
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by psling »

jameso wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:03 pm Will take a book and set up a bivi before it goes dark, that kind of ride.
I like that, good descriptive line :-bd
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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RIP
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by RIP »

psling wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:05 pm
jameso wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:03 pm Will take a book and set up a bivi before it goes dark, that kind of ride.
I like that, good descriptive line :-bd
Beat me to it Peter. Can we have a bottle as well as the book please?
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
ScotRoutes
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Mostly just going for a ride with mates and enjoying a few post-ride pints.
benconnolli
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by benconnolli »

My dream box is bursting with ideas, planned to depths never before reached, all locked firmly within this island we live on.

First trip will be Shropshire way on retro mountain bikes with a friend.

The ones that make me smile the most are bivi at the top of a mountain and write a poem so that I do not become a madman as is the legend of Cadair Idris, and spend a week workpacking where I do not go home after work and instead ride my bike. Wash my body and clothes in the rivers I have discovered about and see if I can get away without anyone noticing.
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by pistonbroke »

I realise this may sound a bit gloaty (if that's a word) but looking back over the last 10 weeks which is the period of lockdown we've had here, it's given us an opportunity to really knock our 7 acres of almond and olive trees into shape.
In previous years we've just been treading water doing the minimum to ensure we get an almond crop and attacking the low hanging fruit of the olive trees when we've decided to build up our stock of logs for the fire. Most of the time from January onwards has usually revolved around preparing for my spring Coast to Coast trip, both training and logistics. This year's itinerary was C2C in April, Badlands event in Andalucia in May and the Eroica España in June. The Badlands is postponed to September and Eroica October, I think crossing the Tabernas desert in early Sept could be an experience, and not in a good way.
The current regs allow for riding within your locallity which means I can squeeze a 30km loop around the border from my place which is a damn site better than multiple loops of the 2km circuit of my land that we made with the brush cutter in March.
I'm not confident of running the C2C this year but if travel eases, it will be back with a bang in 2021.
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fatbikephil
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by fatbikephil »

I think I might stick with gardening as I've grown to enjoy it :mrgreen:
Visit the folks is the top priority then go to the pub with mates is the next. Got some bikepacking stuff floating around in my mind but likely just load up and head away from the house vaguely northish.
Lazarus
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by Lazarus »

we have all still ridden so mainly I am missing other people and hoping they will still all be alive when we get through this
As my mates wife said to him - its ok for you this but i cannot go and get pissed with my mates and get my hair done you can still do everything you wanted to anyway
I dont think cyclist have had it that bad personally though it has been sub optimal but not banned like many other things

Would like to get an ITT in but doubt it will happen unless i do the lakes [ again]
jameso
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by jameso »

RIP wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:07 pm
psling wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:05 pm
jameso wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:03 pm Will take a book and set up a bivi before it goes dark, that kind of ride.
I like that, good descriptive line :-bd
Beat me to it Peter. Can we have a bottle as well as the book please?
Goes without saying but I didn't want to create the impression of 'riding to drink' :grin:
I used my first few weeks of lockdown to figure out a seat pack that also looks like it'll carry a bottle of red quite well, but that's excessive for me alone. I have also found that an M+S cooler bag (99p) fits the base of my new bar bag/box perfectly so cold beer it will be.
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Chicken Legs
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by Chicken Legs »

I am not holding out any hope of any riding abroad, even if we could fly I have concerns regarding
medical insurance.
So I have been concentrating on routes in the UK and as soon as the regulations allow I will be having
a go at the GBDuro route, not fast but just enjoying being out there on a multi day ride.
"What is man but the sum of his memories"
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Surprising very little or at least only the little things. I spent last year at qiute a low ebb but this year felt like it was going to be different. i'd made quite a few plans but as they've gone by the by then some motivation has gone along with them. Now, I'm simply looking forward to some exploring, bimbling and a reduction in the guilty feeling you get thrust upon you for daring to be outside (within guidelines obviously).
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faustus
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by faustus »

For cycling, mainly a chance for a longer overnighter at some point would be nice. I fancy a decent hipster cup of coffee in a cafe too.

Main thing is being able to see my family again, and for them to meet my 4 week old son. Video calls don't cut it really... and they don't change nappies for you either! :grin:
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ballibeg
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by ballibeg »

My fifteen year old daughter wants to do the John Muir way with me. I just need to keep it to 30 miles a day, go at her pace and not put her off! I was going to go on the walking route but the cycle route will get more comfy for her. It's amazing how lock down can change perspective on what a holiday is.

:-bd

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trob6
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by trob6 »

Going to Wales and riding all those lovely trails and I want to do the Trans Cambrian way again also I've made a Scottish c2c that I would love to do but if I cant I'm sure in will be there next year.
All the events I was going to do have been cancelled bar one that's postponed for now but I'm not holding my breath.
I'm still at work as I work alone so count myself and family very fortunate.
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ton
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by ton »

some scandinavian touring with my wife.

and some good beer in a good pub.
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by MendipMuddler »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 3:58 pm ... Now, I'm simply looking forward to some exploring, bimbling and a reduction in the guilty feeling you get thrust upon you for daring to be outside (within guidelines obviously).
Well said! This feels like when I started running and riding after our first born, the constant guilty feeling kind of ruins it
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Looking ahead - what are you looking forward to?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Meh. No guilt here.
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