Cycling hopes and dreams for 2022

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Planning St Bees to Robin Hoods bay c2c then back down to Hull, 3 days camping in July.
Looking at doing some more overnight self supported camping trips this year too.
I want to crack my first ever century ride, biggest ride last year managed 85miles.
My fitness and endurance is slightly better than it was last year at this stage, even after Covid, and have been riding more than I did last year so plan is to to just keep at it.
More commuting/utility miles, filled my car up today for the first time in 3 months which is a good sign but nearly balked at the cost.
Potentially buy a gravel bike........

 

[T4tomo]

To find a horizontal tt bike with drops and DT shifters that I can modify easily just by dropping in an appropriate wheel and chain, and be able to use it on the damned hills around here...

You need an 80's (or later) touring triple. I have a old Peugeot, standard gearing is 50:40:30 with 14-28 on the back, but you could lower it even further with some chainring swaps. If you have a 52:42 double up front then looking at steep hills is futile whatever cassette / freewheel you find!

 

[Twilkes]

Due to an extended family trip in the summer, I find myself with three days and no wife or children in the house in the middle of July - so while I'm not going to try a 24 hour ride again (yet) I managed to book a little apartment in Strathcarron on a Sunday night, so I can leave Glasgow early and cycle up there via Inveraray and Connel, get some sleep, and then get up early to go over the Ba before the tourists wake up. And then back home via Loch Ossian, Loch Rannoch and Loch Tay. So about 210 miles there and 280 miles home, but as long as I sleep well the days before and eat properly it should be fine, that's what caught me out last time.

So looking back, the two day 490 mile round trip was incredibly optimistic, given I'd not been riding so much over the past month. Ended up driving to Ullapool, doing 75 miles around the back roads of Lochinver the next day, then driving to Strathcarron; then the next day going over to Applecross, the coastal path and through Torridon to Kinlochewe. There I could either turn right and back to Strathcarron via the Achnasheen roundabout, or left for a longer detour up to Poolewe and back.

I turned left but eventually ran out of puff and had to stop at an inn a few miles short of Poolewe. That road is a bit of a slog on a bike anyway, the kind where you're staring at the same mountains for 5 miles and nothing really changes, and then heading west back to Strathcarron I hit the first headwind of the day so I was pretty much done by the time I got back, 135 miles.

The Bealach was at 6am so only a couple of cars around, wouldn't want to have to deal with passing places while riding it. It was long, like a combination of the climbs I've done in other places just all strung together, and a few of the steepest bits lasting longer than usual. I really enjoyed the coastal path, and I know everyone deals with hills differently but I liked the ups and downs, helped that it was a bright day. Torridon is always great and somewhere I would like to stop and walk one day.

I think I'm maybe done with longer distance riding though, perhaps cap it at a 10 hour day - anything longer than that and I find it really hard to take in enough food and water, especially as lunch stops rarely provide me with the big carbs I need, and I make mistakes like forgetting to buy milk for the next day's breakfast or accidentally buying sparkling water instead of still - was a little fountain coming out of the water bottle for a few minutes, at least that bit of the frame is clean now. Burp!

 

[Hebe]

I was just remembering this thread and wondering what I’d wanted to do this year.

I want to switch more of my shorter journeys from car or walking to cycling or bus.
I’d like to do some longer rides with my daughter, especially when the weather starts improving.
I want to start getting her more confident with the idea of doing her own basic maintenance.

First one - absolutely done, and a good proportion of school run related journeys switched to walking too.
Second one - yes, we got some 20milers ish done for her D of E, but also lots of short ones, like cycling into town to buy brownies, which was a huge hit. She’s in her teens and not wild about cycling (she wants an ebike when she leaves home though ). I’m ok with that.
Third one - ish. She‘s been involved with cleaning and lubing her drive train, swapping pedals, inflating tubes and getting tyres on and off rims.

I’m actually thinking about next year’s goals, now that I’m on a slight high from getting something achieved on all of this year’s goals.

 

[tyred]

To get back on the bike and try not to get run over again.

Both accomplished although I'm still not as fit as I'd like to be and being run over has definitely did affect my confidence for riding on the road.

I intend to improve in 2023

 

[Mo1959]

Both accomplished although I'm still not as fit as I'd like to be and being run over has definitely did affect my confidence for riding on the road.

I intend to improve in 2023

I must make more effort too. This has been the worst year ever. Haven’t even made it to 1,000 miles.

 

[All uphill]

I made some of my wishes for 2022.

Cycle toured in the Netherlands.
Cycled a bit along the Waveney valley, but not the whole thing.
Cycled across London.
Cycled lots with Ms AU
Longest day was 76 miles.

All very enjoyable. Hoping for more enjoyment and variety in 2023.

 

[ColinJ]

I must make more effort too. This has been the worst year ever. Haven’t even made it to 1,000 miles.

I sympathise... Mine wasn't quite that bad, but I think I did less than 2,000 miles rather than the 5,000-odd that I'd hoped to ride.

I DID have my 4 planned holidays in Devon though and enjoyed exploring the area surrounding Exeter/Crediton.

I did several very enjoyable forum rides. I will aim to do even more next year.

I continued to lose weight through the year and am now down to around 81 kg (12 st 11 lbs). That has made hills a lot easier. I should lose another 2-3 kg to reach my target weight by spring 2023. I must make an effort to keep the weight off this time, and not let it creep back up the way it usually does.

I have only ridden my bike once this month. The weather is grotty here so I think it might be turbo only until the New Year. I hope that January is mild and dry so I feel tempted to get back outside again.

 

[fossyant]

Started doing a bit of road early 2021, the boss wasn't too happy, but I'm not road riding during rush hour. Biggest was 150 mile return (over 2 days) to and from Wales in September

Just updating.Did lots of road, fair amount of commuting, and some propper MTB. Mileage was double 2021 and previous years, but just fell short as November and December were a write off having caught Covid. It did give me time to refurbish my old MTB. Back on it from early Jan.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

London Edinburgh London did happen in August but it coincided with a heat wave and I didn’t complete it. I’m rubbish when it’s really hot. I did enter a 1000km event for September and managed to complete that. In addition I managed a 5 day tour in October. Caught Covid in November but fortunately no lasting impact.

 

[Hebe]

I must make more effort too. This has been the worst year ever. Haven’t even made it to 1,000 miles.

Me neither! But I don't mind because it's still more than I managed in 2021, and a lot of them are short journey miles that would probably otherwise have been done in the car.

 

[tyred]

I must make more effort too. This has been the worst year ever. Haven’t even made it to 1,000 miles.

It wasn't a complete disaster for me and I did manage a few short tours and some long 80 mile + rides. It was more a question of muscle memory and efficient use of energy than proper cycling fitness though. I had too many long periods where I couldn't motivate myself.

It depresses me in a way to look back on how fit (and thin!) I was pre-accident. I'm going to have to make a big effort whenever I get rid of this flu/chesty cough thing.

I never feel relaxed anymore either when there's cars around but I realise that I just need to keep doing it to get my confidence back.

 

[Cathryn]

I was just remembering this thread and wondering what I’d wanted to do this year.


First one - absolutely done, and a good proportion of school run related journeys switched to walking too.
Second one - yes, we got some 20milers ish done for her D of E, but also lots of short ones, like cycling into town to buy brownies, which was a huge hit. She’s in her teens and not wild about cycling (she wants an ebike when she leaves home though ). I’m ok with that.
Third one - ish. She‘s been involved with cleaning and lubing her drive train, swapping pedals, inflating tubes and getting tyres on and off rims.

I’m actually thinking about next year’s goals, now that I’m on a slight high from getting something achieved on all of this year’s goals.

Your first goal has to be riding with me, surely!

 

[Cathryn]

My only dream for the year is to cycle from Calais to Annecy. I'm likely to have heart surgery in the next few years and it's made me very aware of how precious life is and how I need to seize the day now, as I don't know what my days will be like afterwards. I've been dreaming of and planning this trip for over a year now (there's quite the spreadsheet). Originally, I wanted to go alone but my husband and son immediately said they wanted to come too so it's likely to be a family trip. We may even cycle back - my husband's surprising suggestion.

I cannot wait.

Did it!

 

[All uphill]

It wasn't a complete disaster for me and I did manage a few short tours and some long 80 mile + rides. It was more a question of muscle memory and efficient use of energy than proper cycling fitness though. I had too many long periods where I couldn't motivate myself.

It depresses me in a way to look back on how fit (and thin!) I was pre-accident. I'm going to have to make a big effort whenever I get rid of this flu/chesty cough thing.

I never feel relaxed anymore either when there's cars around but I realise that I just need to keep doing it to get my confidence back.

Very best wishes for your cycling in 2023 @tyred

Keep those wonderful photos coming!