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Dark nights are and frosty mornings have arrived, along with shorter weekend rides, so after the night rides and weekend jaunts we have already started planning 2020
Abigales final year at Uni so she has had to limit the competing and so only 5 Enduros in the calendar so far, 2 Tweedloves and 3 PMBAs means some good riding to be had whilst she is out on the trails.
After a disastrous start to our Autumn holidays due to the gearbox failing on the camper its been rescheduled for the same time next year, I cant wait for Sospel, San Remo and Finale.
The tunnel allowed us to move the tickets on till next year however they need to be used by the 12th July so hopefully will be travelling through Switzerland, Italy and the French Alps for a couple of weeks lift assisted riding.
In between going to try and get some riding in Wales as its been neglected for quite some time.
What have you got in the pipeline.
Already booked a weekend in North Wales to do Snowdon again with the local riding group at the end of April and me & the Mrs are both doing the Ard Rock.
Also planning a Boarders/Lakes trip in May for our anniversary and a week in the Alps again with White Room. They'll also be numerous weekends away in the tent. Roll on Spring!
I shall be doing one or more of Charlie's Dirt Dashes - probably the Wales one is favourite so far. That's probably it for organised events.
I want to ride my Brompton to Paris, and get the train home.
I have an inkling of an idea to ride the Great North Trail, but I have a feeling it won't be all of it and I need to work out the logistics.
Mrs Dubs is not officiating on any school trips this year, so we might head back to the Alps for a bit of lift assisted and a bit of mountain air. But, she's also got to have knee surgery again so we might just be sitting on a beach...
Back to Basque in the Spring/Easter is my next plan for holidays.
Currently putting in the hours on the rollers as it's so wet where I am I can't face it at the minute! Hoping that a few dry weeks will drain the worst of it away before I venture out again!
It'll be 40yrs since I last rode 150 miles in a day, hoping to better that in 2020. Hoping to surpass the century on our tandem at some point too, had hoped to do that on a gravel dash but not sure if Mrs dB is quite up for that.
Tour Of Flanders Sportive on Saturday 4th April is my only definite at the moment. That should motivate me to keep some kind of fitness over winter. I have been toying with taking a few days off work in June to drive up to Scotland and ride all of the 7 Stanes. But like most of my vague plans, life will probably get in the way.
Not much really, frankly the rest of my life is so frantic at the moment the idea of adding more into the mix does't appeal much.
That said, I'm doing number 286 in the series I like to called "stuff I said I'd never, ever, ever do again" and riding Passportes next summer. To be honest it's more of an excuse for a Lads trips to the Alps than anything else, but I do intend to finish this year, last time was 2012 I think, we started in Morzine and headed on the big loop, got back to Morzine half a day later considered the options at hand ride to Les Gets and back and finish the event that isn't timed and no one records what you rode or didn't or get tucked into some beers and burgers. We chose the latter and I regret nothing.
Other than that it's going to be a case of getting involved in more group rides, there seems to be loads of groups on Twitter, YT and FB, I've been to a couple some good, some less so, but it wasn't really the fault of the group per-se, but I'd avoid numbers over about 15 if I can.
Lanzarote 4 stage race in Jan all booked and training underway.
I did around 14 XC races last year so will do pretty much the same but in different series and then should be in Spain early Oct for another stage race.
Training, solo trip to Wales in Jan, training, all the Scott Marathons, the National 12hr and maybe Big Dog again.
Really want to do some Audaxes and longer gravel rides. Would love to do Charlies events, but realistically they're £££ and I'm on £ budget so will be doing the Moors 100 and some of the racing collective events instead.
Fancy giving the GBDuro a go, liked the look of it but haven't done anything similar so it's a bit of an unknown. Organised an off road ride for the roadie club and turns out I now know Angus who came 2nd last year so I'm in good company! Would also like to do the HT550 as a possible reccy to doing it in 2021.
Also now have my first proper mountain bike for ages, since the Pitch in fact! So planning on taking that on a few good trips around the country too.
I think I'm going to give the Cairngorm ITT a bash, and try and ride a few enduros.
Edit - and hopefully a few more cheeky bivvies and bothy trips 🙂
Cycling the Hebridean Way in june for my birthday with Mrs Blackflag.
Three Peaks CX, so everything else I do will be preparation.
Couple of CX races over the winter (Macclesfield and Monster Cross).
Couple of the Scott MTB Marathons.
Some long "gravel" events.
Lots of "felljogging" (not quick enough to be called running).
Lots of carrying my bike 🙁
Maybe no alcohol since this is my 90th day without a drink and I'm tempted continue. Weight loss can only help the crawl up Simons Fell.
More bivvies/longer 2/3 day rides and trying to get better at slow tech.
Belgium at the end of march for Sportive.
BPW at least 3-4 times
Jedi for my boy for the day
Morzine in August.
260 miles on three wheels in 12 hours. There. I've said it. That won't make it any easier though.
I just envy all of those who can make plans for events next year. I just find it really difficult to do that (an anxiety thing). However, I've been talked into trying a (short/easy/fun) triathlon in the summer so my immediate plan is to learn to front crawl.
260 miles on three wheels in 12 hours. There. I’ve said it. That won’t make it any easier though.
Seems as good a place to ask as any, but why is 3-wheeled TTing a thing?
Going to try bike packing. Starting along the Icknield Way riders route to Thetford and back, then extending that to include the Peddars Way to Hunstanton and back. Might look at doing the South Downs Way too.
I also fancied doing the Dirty Reiver 200, but it clashes with my big goal for next year, the Guildford 12 (swim a mile, once an hour, every hour, for 12 hours).
Peddars Way as I've never done it.
SDW in a day. Stay at dawn and finish method midnight hopefully. That will be epic if I can do it.😳
SDW over 3 days because it's too beautiful just to rush through it. Wild camp the 2 nights on the Way.
Ridgeway as it looks great but slightly put off as a lot of it will be road?
Zwift is key to the above, doing lots of Zwifting and intend to do even more....
Not missing real riding in this weather at all.😃
All the things I didn't get done this year due to ride leading the first few months and then getting injured.
So, no ride leading while I concentrate on getting fit again, getting back up to 200k audax, nice long weekend riding with a mate to celebrate our 51st birthdays, few local events on and off road, maybe get my track accreditation.
Edinburgh for a stag do. Posh house in Lakes for a week with a chef booked in for a night instead of back of the van. Moore’s 100. Cairngorns bike packing route. Week biking in Spain with some company not decided yet. Trip to Kyrgyzstan or India biking, still dithering on that one. Moving house after lots of building work so many weekends away.
VeloBrum (booked)
Dunwich Dynamo (probably)
Big Boys Rufty Tufty Mountain Biking Weekend 2020 (when we get our arses into gear to agree a date and location. Involves considerably more drinking, talking bollocks and eating bacon sandwiches than actually riding bikes)
Will be doing the 'lads' MTB weekends again - we did April and October this year. Deggers and Gwydir in April and Coed y Brenin and Deggers in October (I had a stinking cold and suffered). Might aim for a Clywdian Range ride and maybe Snowdon, but Snowdon is weather dependant. We got away with the weather this year.
I have a caravan in North Wales, so it was a cheap weekend for everyone. Drank too much booze having a good chin wag !
Plan more socials (rides) with some local mates and more Friday's booked off to ride, can't beat getting up at normal time, realising no work, then jump on bike for 4-6 hours.
Month in Spain in May,week with Seirra cycling doing a tour of White villages, long weekend with Ride Sierra Nevada and then slowly making our way back to the Uk.
Ard rock enduro in August,and thats it so far
Hit the north, PMBA gisburn, week in the lakes in May, then go on a, belated, honeymoon to Whistler.
2 x Jennride for me and then the main focus is mountain mayhem in June. Will be the first ever race event for me. Already prepping with training on trainer road!
Had a crap year this year, less than half the riding of the year before and only one race, due to a really crap work/life balance and some personal issues. Hoping to hit reset for 2020 and am planning:
Scott Marathon series (or at least some of them), Southern Enduro QECP and Head Down ‘mash up’ events as I prefer the format and the dates are convenient.
Also planning on a SDW double towards the end of the year but will be doing a couple of ‘1/2 double’ rides through the year to see if I’m up to it, so Winch-Amberley-Winch and Amberley-Eastbourne-Amberley, at least one of which will be overnight to help with nav practice for the double.
Ridgeway as it looks great but slightly put off as a lot of it will be road?
Not a lot
Week in Aviemore in April and 2 weeks in Les Arcs in the summer. Both with family/young kids but still plenty of biking opportunities during each both solo rides and family rides.
No events for me - I don't race, unless it's to the pub/chippy.
Hmmm, what I'd like to do and what I will do are two vastly different things. no particular order:
Pass my MTB L2 Assessment
Lakes 3 Peaks IAD (High Street, Helvelyn, Skiddaw)
Four Passes Lakes
Peaks 100
C2C in 3 days
quad century (road)
Sub 24:00 5K (hours not minutes, vertical not horizontal)
Survive a club run on my full suss without getting dropped
Do my MTB L3
Snowdon with the wean.
Get the elder son back into biking.
Return to the alps with the family and do some good stuff
La Varda
Lots of training as well as Kielder chiller, dirty reiver and SDW double then will hopefully be ready for the tour divide in June going to be a big year.
Just booked place on"5 forests MTB" event for 5 th Jan.
Get out and do my first solo bike packing trip on Exmoor and actually manage to stay the night. I'll plan it for a weekend with decent weather forecast this time.
A few more impromptu trips up the M5 to Cwmcarn...once i have sold my daily driver T4. I always am relieved when it starts every morning!
Tour of the peak sportive to keep grim winter weather motivation. And to see what a few years and knee op have done to my performance since the last time.
Fort Bill World Cup (spectating obvs), but will try and attempt the red xc from the top. And ride Bealach na Ba while I'm up there.
I had no plans this year but it's been fun.Managed 20 consecutive days of riding/touring in the van/tent and staying at friends in Wales this June-met lots of cool peeps along the way so maybe hope to do more of the same next year a bit further North or maybe a lot further North .
Having spent the last 4 plus weeks in a shoulder brace after crashing 10 minutes into first ride on my new bike, I am hoping to get it off in the next month and have enough movement and ability to do enough physio to get on the bike again in 2020..
Just to get my fitness back to where it was before I had 2 years on the bounce that turned to crap. The gauge is to do the SDW again but in a faster time. Managed it in 13.6 hrs but got my pacing wrong so aiming for a sub 12 HR this time.
Training starts in December with gym work and base miles then ramps up a bit after new year. Hope to get a decent level of fitness to build off after Easter with hopefully an attempt in May/June time depending on the weather. Will need to get a few things sorted bike-wise too so plenty to aim at.
Does that mean no summer tour for 2020 Iain?
scotroutes, I hope I will be up for it, especially as its all booked, with a big 4 day clockwise loop starting at Glencoe village, usual squad, overnights in Oban, Strontian, Fort Bill, Loch Ossian... I may have to take ebike and a charger 😂
Finger crossed for you Iain!
Now I have a car that doesn't cost £80 to go 250 miles, I'm planning lots of short UK trips.
I'll do a week or so in Spain around Feb/Mar to ward off the winter blues, then some 2/3/4 day trips to north Wales, Yorkshire, peak district (cut gate!), lake district, maybe some of scotland too. Basically as much of the best riding in the UK as humanly possible! Camping/AirB&B with the odd guided trip.
Sounds like the SDW is going to get a hammering in 2020 from us lot.😀
Good luck with everyone's personal journeys into next year. Literally and metaphorically.
Seems as good a place to ask as any, but why is 3-wheeled TTing a thing?
Trikes have a long and venerable history in cycling and racing. They require handling skills that defy conventional bike riding. And errrr because you can#. When racing to age standards, a tricycle gets you an additional 20 year handicap. So I’m racing as a 72 year old. But 260 miles is the target. Managed 231 without really trying (or training) this year.
#259 is the current all time greatest. I’m not going to break any two wheeled records, but discovered by chance I am rather good at 12hr TTs. So I thought “why not?”. Then I bought one. And then I raced it over 12 hrs and found I was still good. So a winter of training at tempo.
Foot-bike (kick-scooter) the streets and pavements by night to fight fatness, gain fitness and build core so I can hopefully get past injury and begin introducing MTBing and touring again in the spring. 4 years of being forced off bikes stuck indoors is doing my head in I’m really going mad as can’t run or even walk far. Imagunakickit back into shape. Then maybe next year finally get to try some bikepacking, planned SW Ireland/Cork-Kerry.
Meanwhile
(wot no pedals?)
Gran Canaria, 31 dec to jan 7. Booked yesterday. 🙂
I’m planning on doing more racing and away day stuff. So far have 5’big events in the diary and will no doubt enter the smaller local enduros as well. Hoping to have a couple of pilgrimages up to tweed valley. I was planning on an alps trip, but had some crap news yesterday which will involve a pretty hefty bill to renew a roof. So that’s depressingly out the window now.
Thank you @IHN for the reminder about Dunwich Dynamo. I've wanted to do that for a couple of years but it's been on a weekend I have my daughter. 2020's ride is on a non-daughter weekend so I might actually ride it.
My year is constrained by a big project which I am trying to get dates finalized as soon as possible so I can book something in the gaps. Looking at some 4 day stage races on the MTB, or a longer road bike event, but can't firm things up until I have dates.
More commuting ,I've said I would do a Fred Whitton i.t.t. with a "friend". So over winter I'll be doing loads of steep climbs ,slowly. 😉
The "friend" has moved to Massif de Bauges region of France - I'm definitely going cycling there again. I fancy the Dunwich Dynamo too, plus a sdw in a day just to keep my eye in. 🙂
Retiring and moving to Scotland. Lots more walking, climbing, cycling, camping, skiing, ski touring, swimming, rowing, paddling, island hopping, bike fettling, growing stuff, making things in my heated workshop, brewing beer.... and no more spending 3 hours a day stuck in traffic jams.
- as much riding I can do on NZ’s North Island in three weeks
- few days in Northern California, Tahoe etc
- something like the Torino-Nice rally
- and probably the SDW in a day
Ridgeway as it looks great but slightly put off as a lot of it will be road?
Not an unusual ammount, I think the cycling route detours off the footpath but its mostly on quiet lanes and byways, very little of it is on roads where youd expect to see a car.
Does the new offroad section on zwift include a pedalling through mud and sketchy green chalk section?
Summer solstice is on a Saturday next year, so definitely 'something' on that day, but I haven't quite decided what yet! A loose idea of a circular MTB ride starting heading north east then circling slowly around so that I'm chasing the sun in the afternoon.
Other than that, I've no idea yet!
Trikes have a long and venerable history in cycling and racing. They require handling skills that defy conventional bike riding. And errrrbecause you can#.When racing to age standards, a tricycle gets you an additional 20 year handicap. So I’m racing as a 72 year old. But 260 miles is the target. Managed 231 without really trying (or training) this year.
Fair enough! I was wondering if there was some actual advantage to it with the wheels in undisturbed airflow or they allowed for micro naps whilst pedaling in a 24h TT!
Nothing like sticking your neck out now to look daft 12 months down the line...
Learn to ski
3 Peaks in Sub-3:30. I need to find nine minutes.
Lakeland 200 in sub-24. A big ask given previous experience.
Moving to the alps should help with all three.
2019 has not been much of a year for biking for me due to injury and lfe getting in the way - so just to ride more!
I want to get the fatbike up into the mountains - I have hardly ridden it at all
I want to do a tour on the tandem again.
I am gong to keep on with my slide from mideaged uselessness to aging uselessness on the bike 🙂
Primarily roading. Audaxes (audii?) and sportives and stuff leading up to the Etape du Tour in July.
A weekend of eating and drinking in Padstow with family during January in lieu of Christmas presents.
Week in Val d'isere during March visiting my daughter. Don't ski but hopefully some snow will have started to melt by then so a bit of walking at lower levels, hire a fat bike and generally enjoying the apres ski without the ski bit.
First time at Glastonbury in June!!
Another one looking at SDW with the lads. Few years since last rode it.
Two weeks away with the wife - location tbc. It's been a while since we have two weeks together so looking forward to that wherever we end up and it's fun just looking at ideas.
50th birthday in Nov. Trying to decide between a weekend away in a nice house partying with some select friends and family, or try and have a party nearer to home with more people included.
And trying to build my fitness back up after 6 months or so of not really riding or running much and losing my mojo a bit. Starting to get that nagging 'need to get out on the bike' feeling again, so that's a good sign.
I also want to do an audax. Good shout.
Some of the Bristol/wales ones look ace.
(Weather permitting!
Fair enough! I was wondering if there was some actual advantage to it with the wheels in undisturbed airflow or they allowed for micro naps whilst pedaling in a 24h TT!
No they are a lot less aero with two extra wheels out the back. Mine has three HED3's, and I'd like to get as aero as I can on my TT bike, within reason, then my power (210W) for speed needs to be fast enough to get to 260. It was fine for 280 on two wheels using this testing. As for micronaps - you have to concentrate at every second, because a trike goes with the camber of the road, so if you aren't steering, you'll be in a ditch! It's an acquired taste 😉
Funniest thing is that a few years ago on the 24hr there was a STOP sign on one of the courses with a marshal, and ALL entrants had to stop and put a foot on the ground. The trike riders who did not unclip and put down a foot were originally DQ'd until a protest!
Back on topic, I'm consierdering reginaing my second Cat race license, but that is a huge road racing commitment for me (40 races in 2017 to get it, 3 in 2018 to retain it, but ill in 2019). I'd like to do more off-road riding for fun, and some riding abroad - perhaps Flanders again.
Currently looking a 3 week trip through some of the eastern USA states (Virginias, North Carolina, maybe Kentucky, Tennessee, etc) exploring some of the biking hotspots on the way (Roanoke, Pisgah, Dupont and a few others). Not a part of the states we have ever explored before.
thisisnotaspoon
Subscriber
"Ridgeway as it looks great but slightly put off as a lot of it will be road?"Not an unusual ammount, I think the cycling route detours off the footpath but its mostly on quiet lanes and byways, very little of it is on roads where youd expect to see a car.
Does the new offroad section on zwift include a pedalling through mud and sketchy green chalk section?
Ah, right, cheers. I can live with that for sure. I like riding forgotten little country lanes.
As for the off road bit on Zwift, not ridden it but I would think nothing can simulate British mud and green chalk.😆
Planned os far are the Indoor and Outdoor Swedish Nationals for skydiving and all the training that this will entail, including a week of jumping somewhere with a big plane. I should hopefully have my C license soon after the start of the season, so I may find . place that does balloon jumps somewhere warm and treat myself (and GF). There's also a big way camp in Klatovy later in the year, so I might apply for that too.
For bikes, I know I said it this year, but I might try the Cykelvasan. I'm no way fit enough for the full Vätternrund, so going for the shorter, more off-road trip to Mora seems to be a better option. I will make a point of getting my road bike out more though. Poor thing was really un-loved this year.
I'm kind of avoiding making grand plans, for the past couple of years had planned 5 or 6 events, only to end up managing a couple of them, and being a bit disappointed. This year has been similar, despite actually riding very regularly.
Just think our work-life balance doesn't really lend itself to regular weekends/day trips away as my wife works at least 1 day nearly every weekend, so it feels a bit selfish to take big chunks of time for me.
I will continue to ride lots. Commutes (often extended), some night rides, solo rides on my day off, mostly all under 3 hours local stuff.
Popped my bike-bivvying cherry last year and would like to get another weekend and possibly a couple of just overnighters in next year. Maybe an event like Dirty Reiver (missed the last two) or 3 Peaks CX. And/or a North Wales / Lakes MTB weekend away with mates. But am also considering doing a bit more running this year, toying with the idea of the 3 peaks fell race (possibly doing a 3 peaks fell/CX double this year) and/or building up to a local ultra trail run.
It won't be all of the above, probably 2 or 3 at most ... and at the moment I am dithering and being indecisive!
Oh yes.
Two other targets. One achievable, one probably not so much... I want to clean the Beast and Cut Gate from Langset.
(Both up)
Which one do we think is more achievable?
Cut Gate from Langsett.
Roadtrip in the new camper, 1st month in Ainsa, 2nd month in BSM, back for Ard rock in Aug, Peaks/Lakes either side
Gisburn enduro, Boltby bash, Ardrock are already sorted plus afew trips down to south wales for BPW ect. Plus South lakes bike fest again and whatever away weekends/days I can get in between work/local rides (no kids plus an easy going wife means I get plenty of saddletime if I can be arsed)
Just to ride as much as I can. Not been a great year this one for getting out. Probably plan to take the Van and Bike up to the highlands for a week and hopefully a week in Europe somewhere.
Looking forward to:
Swiss Alps (Graubünden)
Ard Rock
Re-aquainting myself with the breadth of riding in Scotland after waaaay too long
Getting beaten my son, uphill and down
Getting the stuck bolt out of my Hexlock SL (the biggest challenge)
Booking the Huts, car relocation and ferry tomorrow for the 'Old Ghost Road' at the end of February. Going to test some kit/bike-packing carriage options on the 'Moerangi Track' either next month or early January.
SDW double and Chase the Sun South. The SDW double attempt will be done at whatever time the weather suits so the actual date is fluid. I plan to be ready by the end of May though. Chase the sun is on solstice so if I don't get the SDW done by the first weekend in June then I will hold until July.
Both 200 mile rides, 1 on MTB and 1 on Road bike.