So last year, after the mortgage was paid off, I went into full money saving / frugal mode and spent only half what I had earned. So I gave up the 9-5 🙂

First month has been pretty good, plenty of trail building for Gisburn Forest and the PMBA Enduro series, and some riding.

I rode with Shaun Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKQXQ4EQm9A

Had a grand day out in the Lakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1GH0YoJIw

And a nice Ladybower ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGk2_15hReA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n24Le-yEXo

Lets hope the next month is as good 🙂

Props for having the balls and the attitude to do something like that, many people dream – you’re actually doing it.

Sounds great – good on you, will watch these later

This is pretty much my dream!

But it all depends on not trading up from our current 2 bed flat, and paying the mortgage off as quick as possible. The current goal we are on track for is by 35, but I have a feeling some small people might come along and scupper my plans of working part time and riding the rest of the time!

Oh and in my head I will need to run some kind of camper to support my part time/full time living of the dream- yet more money…

Thanks, yes I also have a camper-ish-van. T4 with bed and power, need a big water tank, sink/hob and a better fridge. I managed last year with camping stove and basic 12v non-compressor fridge. I’ll be spending a lot of time in the van this year.

Good on you. I’m now 6 months in to my gap year.Gave up my job and wife made redundant, so we’re taking some time out for ourselves. We also have a camper van a T5! Not sure what the future will be yet. Lots of trips planned this summer including a slightly mad bike challenge. If we can stretch the money it’ll probably be more than a year, and end up nearer 2.

Good work Kev keep it up – Full time race organisers is your destiny 8)

Sounds great Pete 🙂
Thanks Scott – if only it paid ok eh?

One day Kev 😉 just need to know the right people and make the right things happen 😉

Enjoy it. We’ve only got 4 months left of ours.

Ours didn’t start as planned when my partner broke his thumb after colliding with his mate in the Peaks. We eventually set off for Vancouver and rode our bikes down to Portland, USA. We wanted to do the Pacific Coast Highway, but as it was a bit late in the year, we decided to just drive the Oregon bit. We hired a car and drove from Portland to Astoria and then down the coast to just north of the California border. We then started cycling again, but with a constant headwind and on mountain bikes, it was a bit of a drag, so got ourselves to Marin County and did some mountain biking. We then flew to New Zealand in November where we have been since. We start flying home via San Francisco tomorrow 🙁 We are then planning on going to Europe.

Start of the racing again in a few weeks Kev, lets hope the weathers good.

Congrats on deciding to leave the rat race for a bit. Got a few years left on my mortgage, unless of course I move again and for some stupid reason borrow a shit load more money for a slightly bigger house in a slightly better area (Do fancy a pump track in a garden though) Then i’ll have kids uni fees as well. Might get a gap year when im 60 😀

Well done! We’ve done it twice(being self employed helps). Last one was in 2001/2. Got winter 2016/17 penciled in for a winter out in the sun.

I’d really like to get to New Zealand too Susie, especially for our winter and have 20 months without a winter 🙂
Nice to see there are plenty of other people out of the rat race and making it work for a bit.

Darren – not really ready for racing but I will of course, not been getting enough riding since thumb injury last July but thats going to be sorted soon of course.