Getting back into road riding after a decade of avoiding it (for personal reasons). Nothing serious like racing, just to mix things up from hammering the same local loops all the time on the mtb’s
SDW in April, either over 2 days or in one depending on the weather at the time.
Getting my jump and drop skills back in shape after gradually losing them over the last 18 months.
A few days exploring the IOW hopefully too.

Fred whitton if i can get in
Tour in belgium 5-7 days
Leeds trialthon
Ripon Triathlon
Pennine bridleway
And some nice big xc days out in the dales / north yorks

super.

Beskidy MTB Trophy 4 day in Poland in June
Lighthouses Challenge
Manx 100 in July, but maybe just the 100km
Manx End2End in September

Inspiring stuff here.

Due to a combination of 3.5 months of whooping cough, a persistent bad back, and general idleness, I’ve ridden probably less that 10 times this year. Once commuting to work, and three BMX sessions at the skatepark – so almost no MTB. I’ve done tons of walking in and around Bristol, though, and also a long walk in Spain from Montserrat to San Vicenç de Castellet.

So the upcoming year has a pretty low bar to clear. Based in Bristol so lots and lots of Exmoor and Quantocks. Across the river to Wales/Forest of Dean. Visit relatives who live on a mountaintop top in southern Spain. Next trip to my Scottish inlaws will see me taking cycling gear so I can ride Dumyat on the bike I’ve left there. This Christmas staring at that snow-dusted mountain was rather frustrating!

Ride more than this year (well down on past two years, mostly down to change of jobs and commuting opportunities).

Get round ‘Ard Rock without any issues (health or mechanical).

Finally build my bamboo road and monstercross (off the cuff hack of a second road bike frame kit) bikes.

Helvellyn (after finally doing Skiddaw this year).

Maybe back to the Alps for a flying visit.

Persuade a couple more riders to complete a team for Mountain Mayhem.

West coast of the UK MTB road trip (Fort Bill > 7 Stanes > Lakes > North Wales > South Wales) now I have the van for it.

The idea of getting back on my bike anytime soon seems a long way off. I came off my bike in September and broke my collarbone. The break was right at the end of the clavicle, not a candidate for surgery.

Finally have the space in the garage to set up the turbo, I think that that will be the extent of my riding for a little while longer.

A conference, but might still be of interest.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/mtbleadership/article/20170112-mtb-leadership-news-British-Cycling-Mountain-Bike-Leadership-Conference-0

New to the South West, so…

Get to know the Quantocks
Exmoor Explorer
Exmoor Beauty (road)
A ride on Dartmoor.
Make some new riding buddies.

Dirty Reiver
Jenn ride
Doing a bivi ride on the MTL
I’m taking 3 months off work Jun-Jul-Aug & I’m going to finally get to Cape Wrath plus Fort William for the World Cup round.
If I can fit it in I also want to do the Cairngorm Loop.
I’m also doing a trek around Mont Blanc over a couple of weeks.
Then there’s the motorbikes,Classic TT in August.

New to the South West, so…

Get to know the Quantocks

sunday again? 🙂

you aren’t doing too badly already. more than many!

i’m a little sad i started the journey a year ago and think i have little left to explore up there, and have done all the seasons 🙁

2017 mission – colour back in my heatmap for it 🙂

Exmoor Explorer
Exmoor Beauty (road)
A ride on Dartmoor.

dartmoors been on my list for a while too.. however.. its more restrictive than other locations

and we’ve talked about exmoor which is also on my list, i’ve only been riding the very eastern edge, not porlock

once i’m fully over this xmas cold thing and clocking in some elevation!

Make some new riding buddies.

well one so far! with 2 others.. hopefully you’ll meet the other two regular members of my local gang soon enough, and maybe even the other big group i ride with!

my list..

continue to try and improve climbing.

my goal this time last year was to do the holford green car park -> dead womans ditch route without stopping. i havent done it and am sometimes barely faster than i was in 2015, however. there is an improvement trend (mainly because my cadence is a little quicker, and i think i recover faster when i pause on the climb). (just made a segment for it, since one didn’t exist https://www.strava.com/segments/13998851 its a cat3 climb over 2.5 miles of 617ft)

the other climb from there goes up ladies edge, i’ve only ridden up the last section ONCE, two bikes ago on a late 90s hard trail.. i want to be faster than on whichever old bike i did it fastest on, and make the climb on my current bike! i’ve not ridden that way for ages, and will be doing it sunday for a change.

skills wise. try to find local places/trails that challenge and improve. drops/jumps so i can take on more ‘well enduro’ stuff. (i like fast flowing, natural downhills, but flowy man made stuff can be good.. i’m looking for something inbetween..

learn my way around the mendips properly. i’ve ridden there a handful of times but apart from one time (i got a bit lost) was with a local group and I have patchy knowledge of the full layout and couldnt find “yee-haw”, “wiggly woo” or “mendip magic” apart from spotting the trail on the fireroads by chance. its also a mud pit, so thats a late spring, summer excursion.

still learning my way around the dunster/minehead side of exmoor at hopcott (where southern enduro event is in april)

other local stuff

woodbury common – not been, much closer than dartmoor and supposed to be good when drier. forest of dean & ashton court.. similar story.

not sure about a a BPW trip… theres plenty free stuff to explore closer to home!

So far pencilled in for this year:
Paris-Roubaix
Greg van Avermaet Challenge
Gravel Dash 50:50
Gran Fondo Eddy Merkcx
Tuscany Road
I think I might also do some weekend raids into northern France and Belgium and a couple of S24O