A theoretical Q ... TD Content.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Just imagine all the planets aligned and this meant that you had the following things.

1/ The ability to take a month off 'work'.

2/ Lots of time to train.

3/ A suitable bike.

4/ Someone to join you if you wanted.

5/ Time to save some cash.

6/ All the equipment required.

7/ No fear of bears ... well only a rational one.

What (if anything) would stop you racing the TD? ... I use the word 'race' quite loosly

[Singlespeedpunk]

Well I had 1,2,3,5 and 6 sorted this year but what stopped me was wanting to do stuff like ride across France to the SSEC2011 with friends etc...

So I guess it was the mental thing: £XXXX, time and holiday to ride lonely dirt roads on the other side of the planet.

Maybe one day...

SSP

[valleydaddy]

Nothing Stuart I would have a crack at it for sure, an adventure of a lifetime in the offering!!

Why have your planets aligned???

[Chew]

I think we'll find out after next weekend.

Either love it so much it fuels the imagination more to complete something like the TD, or that kind of adventure isnt for us, and we'll revert back to bikepacking, just happy to bimble around with no definitive route or destination in mind.

[Anthony]

A) Time away from young family.

B) It wouldn't stop me but I wouldn't like it - Going on aeroplane, I hate them!

In a few more years it's a possibilty, I'm getting the bug.

[Ian]

Time away from family is the biggest consideration for me/ us.
Bears don't bother me but I'm not keen on spiders, especially the big hairy ones that frequent the southern parts

[Blackhound]

I didn't see any bears or spiders. Its the DOGS you want to be worried about!

Don't quite understand no 4, you don't need anybody to 'do it' with. Self sufficiency is better and more in the spirit anyway. I enjoyed the long periods of solitude, but it was also nice to meet people at odd points during the day.

JFDI.

[Taylor]

4 and 7 were my two stumbling blocks for this year's and now Nelly is at school.
I'm now on school runs/parties/feeding time at the zoo/etc. it's pretty much out of the window for quite a while now.