As this years thread has reappeared I thought it was worth starting one for next year.

I'll start. Will likely end up riding more than this but the main things for next year are:

Will be revisiting the HT550 in May. Can't not go really.

Will do a big ride of some sort in the build up. Have options but not decided yet.

Do fancy the French Divide as a step up in number of days but not sure how that would be relieved at home. Well, am pretty sure actually

A good go at the cairngorm loop in September should see me avoiding the 3 peaks cx nicely...

Dare say a trip to mid Wales in October will be on the cards too.

As it stands...

January: BB Winter Event.
April: Cambrian Trail done as fast as I can possibly manage.
April: Welsh Ride Thing, this time hopefully with a much better route!.
May: #JennRide with a bikepacking newbie. Maybe bring him into the fold from his wayward roadie roots.
July: Velothon Wales. Don't ask me why, but I figured I had to try at least one roadie event. I'm quite nervous!
August: Leadville 100. This is the biggy for me. I really hope I can get in on the lottery, but I'll consider buying my way in if not.
October: BB200. Sub 24 hour finish again, and hopefully a bit less of a gap to whoever is fastest.

More generally... probably aiming for 300k feet of elevation over the year. Also (and this'll sound strange)... I'd really love to spend time learning how to do a half decent proper (i.e. non clipped in / pull up) bunny hop. At least to completely clear something about 6 inches tall I reckon

One single objective. Take my wife wild camping. About time she shared in some of the fun

Dave Barter wrote:One single objective. Take my wife wild camping. About time she shared in some of the fun

Ha, that would be a very quick route to divorce for me.

Nothing like opening yer gob to make sure you follow through eh? :)

Suspect I'm going to struggle to get the time off for all the events I'd like to do, but ideally...

Winter Event (payed for)
WRT
PB's Spanish jaunt
TD (third time is a charm, right? This one is heavily budget dependant)
TNR
BB200 (disappointed to miss this years event).

Most likely going to be a coin toss...2 Euro rides or one big US event.

[Edit: forgot Braunton150 and Jennride...both should be on my list]

Greetz

S.

Very modest/embarrassing plans.

Personally, to get a new mountain bike then fit in some trips in to pick off Munros. The remaining ones are more remote so will be overnighters on the bike. The #Jennride looks really appealing. n

As a dad, my 9 year old is desperate to do more trips so thinking about the Great Glen Way, the first bit of HT550 to Rannoch and/or last bit of CT from Peebles. Fraser keen to go back to Mull so another bike and bothy on the cards.

2017 is looking good...

Definitely:
January - Morocco.
May - Great Glen Way and East Highland Way
June - next leg of my coastal ride - Newcastle to Hull.
September - European weekend of some kind.

Hopeful:

SDW
Ridgeway
Anything else I can fit in...

In no particular order. A bit like Ian, upping the distances a little.

Rovaniemi 150 (gulp!)
Lakeland Loop 200
Cairngorms Loop (rollover from last year)
Cambrian Trail
Borders 350

Won't be able to make the BB200 this year (prior engagement)

Maybe learning some of those technique thingies

Not much different from any other year really.

1/ Try not to do anything life endingly stupid.

2/ Smile.

3/ Regret nothing.

Rovaniemi and that's errmm, everything! My goal there is to finish

No other plans, should try to get out more but we'll see how that pans out.

Would like to follow the River Findhorn from the coast into the hills in Autumn as the colours would be stunning but can't see that happening

Work is good, holidays are crap, so my hope is to have a go at the following

Carry on with my bivi a month all year
January: BB Winter Event
April: Welsh Ride Thing
May: #JennRide
July: Iceland with Summittoppler (if I can get the wife to give me a 5 to 7 day pass)
October: BB200. Grow an pair and do this for the first time, but not to race and to ensure I bivi out

I hope to tour not race the Tour Divide in 2018 my 50th year, but a 30 day pass will take some work from work and the wife

If I get made redundant early enough:

May - paint the outside of the house
June - a tour with wifey
Late July - Great Divide

Fingers crossed I'll be out the door by the end of April with a years salary but I won't know until the end of January.

My new years resolution will be the same as always; don't make any new years resolutions!!

Having said that, my JTD Pledge is to do some foreign bikepacking (and I don't mean Wales).

I've a list of Scottish Islands I need to visit (Coll & Tiree, Orkneys and Shetlands).

Other, smaller, targets will be to increase by Eddington number - hoping for 75 - and my VV Explorer Square - hoping for 18x18. This latter will involve lots of walking over untrammelled hills. I guess it would be good practice for another BB200.

No plans as yet really but I think I'll be staying closer to 'home'.

So possible routes on the cards are:
SDW
Some form of Ridgeway (Wessex and/or standard)
Slow revisit to the TCW (with g/f if she can borrow a suitable bike)
Fast revisit to the TCW (if I can be bothered? )
Perhaps a trip to Ireland
Perhaps something in Scotland/the North.
Finally making it to a BB event?

Having achieved this years goal I'll go for:
Ride my bike alot.

I've spent most of the year concentrating on getting my career back on track after being made redundant this time last year, it's been a slog but I'm finally happy where I am and ready to pay more attention to the bike again.

The West Highland Way beat me this year due to a mechanical so I'll definitely be back to finish that next year, I'd also like to do the Capital Trail and Cairngorms Loop if I can find the time. I'm on track for 12/12 bivvies this year so I'd like to keep that going through next year as well.

Pretty modest really (but pushing the boat out for me):

The Cairngorm Loop (I did the inner loop 3-4 weeks ago, it's 'on the doorstep' and I fancy it. I reckon I've probably done about 50% of it in various guises over the years, be good to do it). Might kick off with doing north and south loops separately as warm ups...

Highland Trail (tour it ala Bikepacking.com route, never attempted anything as gruelling or as long/conserted as that before. One started I'd be pretty much committed...)

Start commuting to work two/three times a week come spring. I had intending doing this this year but personal circumstances ruled that out as impractical. Now that's 'resolved' I've no excuses...

The Deeside Trail I can start from the house, so I need to think about trying that too (in touring mode)

And generally just get out there. I've spent a fair bit on the kit, I need to get the 'cost per trip' down to below £100, especially if I shell out on a new tent...

At least 12 bivi's next year is also my aim (excluding the HT 'tour').

For a whole host of reasons this year has been pants for me in terms of walking/riding bivying and just general riding

Next year I just want to start enjoying myself and get out

Do some Cotswold Way with the other half and a bivvy out (her first)
Finish the HT550
A few ITTs
24 hour solo

Fit new windows on the house (that have been sat in the garage for a year
Finish the butchers bike
Get the frame repaired and build up my old Bill Nickson steel road bike.

2500 mile MTB ride from home (Manchester) to the top of mainland Europe (Nord Kapp, Norway) in March!

Other than that I'm doing the following:
Strathpuffer
Jenn Ride
Lejog with the wife
'Ard Rock Enduro
BB200
Possibly Cairngorm loop in September

Should be an interesting year

slarge wrote:Do some Cotswold Way with the other half and a bivvy out (her first)
Finish the HT550
A few ITTs
24 hour solo

Fit new windows on the house (that have been sat in the garage for a year
Finish the butchers bike
Get the frame repaired and build up my old Bill Nickson steel road bike.

Are you planning on walking or riding the Cotswold Way Steve?

My goals vary a little to most here.

Though it is all just riding my bike.

I am hitting 50 in 2017 so will be a young Grand Vet, so I figured I'd have a go at a complete race series of the Enduro kind. If I can avoid injury etc I am hoping to get on the podium but that would be the icing on the cake rather than the cake itself.

Then there are a couple of trips away, a week in Les Arcs and a week in Tuscany, these will be very much descent orientated. Plus the usual trips to Wales (very much my spiritual home) that I fit in whenever possible.

In the bikepacking line I am hoping to give the bivy a month a good go.

One or two BB events and I have to say that the Spanish coast to coast ride Mr Piston has posted up is calling me.

But the main goal is to stay healthy and happy.

Not done a whole lot of riding this year due to an increase in lower back problems so next year I just want less pain and more riding.

Finally making it to a BB event?

This ..

and just riding really. Less work time in Asia allowing me to get fit again via miles enjoyed would be my only real 'aim'.
Trips-wise, a few shorter rides that look likely, Spain in May would be good, TNR in Sept for sure and a longer trip somewhere further afield I hope. About as fixed-plan as ever there : )

Ride bike.
Run legs.
Don't be a dick.

No further plans.