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Split my list into three. Possible, aspirational & Beyond Me
Achievable
Cavedale clean.
Antur Styniog with the wean on a day when it's not an ice rink, and my bike doesn't fall apart.
Coed y Brenin with the kids. Soooo much want to do that. Oh memories.
Aspirational
100km Peak Route including Cavedale, Beast Stanage Causeway clean.
North side of Cut Gate clean
Fränkische Gebirgsweg in Bavaria.
Borrowdale Bäsh/ Ullock Pike Combo.
6 passes. (Lakes 4 passes + access and return from Langdale)
Helvellyn, High Street, Skiddaw combo
Impossible Dream
MTB Everesting
Quad Road Century
On the wish list are:
- A variation of the 2nd City Divide from home (Midlothian) to home (Chesterfield). Probably have to be in 2 stints.
- West coast (Road) tour from Lairg to Durness and down the coast to Kyle of Lochalsh. Preferably further but time permitting... That said, the whole NC500 popularity puts me off.
Rats, this is what happens when you're stuck in lockdown, your perfectly reasonable, achievable 85km loops become 116km loops because you finally figure out that the Cowal Way up and over to Curra Lochain is actually relatively passable...
This looks epic, I think I'll need to spend February and March doing as many local gravel miles as possible so I'm ready for some long days once lockdown lifts!
Edit: still tinkering, I think the detour up to Sloy Dam is a trifle un-necessary this time...
https://www.strava.com/routes/2772815777169700214
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Another week, another fantasy gravel loop in the Cairngorms.
I've ridden most of this as a sort of 'gravelised' outer Cairngorms 300 loop. I really wanted to ride up to Faindouran (someone on here had posted some pics of the track) but didn't know how to incorporate the rest. I then realised that heading up to the Fords of Avon and following the track back up and over to Ryvoan was probably relatively gravel-able and created what looks like my perfect sort of loop, 90% good gravel, 10% 'spicy'...
Lord knows when I'll get to do this, all the big ambitious plans are getting compressed into a very short summer at this rate!
https://www.strava.com/routes/2787327541259647060
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Lordy, that's tough ground to carry a gravel bike over! From the bothy up to the Fords of Avon refuge is an utter ball ache (although a lighter gravel bike might make it marginally less painful) but even then, you're less than half way through the suffering. Getting up from the shelter north onto the shoulder of Bynack Mor from there isn't easy, even with the improvements to parts of the trail east of the summit. After that, I hope you're good at hopping water bars on a fast downhill.... and have tough tyres. Not saying don't do it; am saying go into it with your eyes open (and your pump at the ready..).
Haha! Yeah, I've ridden through the area before (except Faindouran - FoA). 10km of dubious terrain vs. 90km of good terrain, I like those odds...
I have a lot of faith in the ability of the gravel bike to pick through tough terrain if you're climbing or on the flat, I've been amazed at what is rideable (e.g. the worst bits of Glen Kinglas from Etive - Orchy, Gaick Pass, Loch Builg, Glen Tilt), in fact, I'm coming to believe that it's only really at speed that you lose out to an MTB.
Descents - less so, but I don't live for the descents on the gravel bike so am happy to keep speed in check and just roll down. I run 40mm Terrenos which have proven exceptionally reliable so far, and that's running tubes (no punctures at all until Hawthorne season started). I'll be running tubeless from now on which would allow slightly less pressure as well.
As you say though, go in with the eyes open and prepare for some hike-a-bike, is worth it for the good stuff.