Plans for this year. Everyone does this kind of thing, thinking about what I’ll actually get round to doing this year, despite procrastinating over these various things since I can remember. I figured that my lack of will power and ability to execute these plans thus far, could be mitigated by publishing them here. That way you get to read the list, you get to hold me to account when I haven’t achieved them… Well, that’s the theory anyway.
Firstly an easy one, lose weight AND get fitter. I’m currently heavier than I should be and not what one would call an “athlete”. So I’ve joined a gym, an expensive one too, so when I think I can’t be arsed venturing down the road for a workout I just think about how much I’m paying for my membership. That helps spur me on. I’ve also tried to drastically reduce my carb intake. Not necessarily full Keto, but I’m trying to keep my daily carbs under 30g-ish, with varying levels of success. That said I have seen a gradual reduction in my weight, so it’s working, it’s just feels glacial.
There’s a bunch of other things to add to this list… that’s a good idea… a list. And as if by magic…
- Lose 16kg in weight.
- Finally get to a WRT.
- Do the Trans Cambrian Way.
- Do King Alfred’s Way.
- Do the Hebridean Way.
- I’d like to do that Swedish event/route too, but not sure if I’d be biting off more than I can chew…
- Finish mapping out my “Ring of Iron” route.
- Be sociable and go on bikepacking trips with other people.
- Take my son on more trips.
- Be a better human.
So back to the weight loss, I’m hoping to lose 16kg and so far I’ve lost… drum roll please… 4kg, which isn’t great, but isn’t terrible. At the end of the day I’m looking for progress, not perfection. Let’s not forget my body is a temple! Old, falling apart and probably haunted. I’ve been doing a fair bit of riding recently too, Llyn Brenig at night is amazing. Check out the dodgy phone camera shot below.
So on to the trips! First up is the legendary WRT, or Welsh Ride Thing. I’m not going to go in to detail, but it’s not a race, it’s a social event organized by the BearBones crew. The idea is you don’t follow a specific route, but build your own in the local area, taking in to account the type of terrain you want to ride on, how far you want to go, how social you want to be etc, with start and return at the BearBones HQ. Entries are now open, but I’ve not yet registered as I’m still trying to ensure availability at work. For an idea of what a WRT is like, check out a few YouTube videos here; WRT 2019; WRT 2019 Video 2; WRT 2021.
The other routes I’ve listed include the Trans Cambrian Way, usually abbreviated to TCW. Starting at the English border and cutting right through mid-Wales to finish at the coast in Cardigan bay, this route just cracks 100 miles and is probably do-able, at my pace, in around three days I think. Given that it’s mid-Wales and runs through the Cambrian mountain (hence the name) I’d imagine this is best left for the height of summer, preferably in a dry spell, if such a thing exists in mid-Wales.
Next up is King Alfred’s Way which is centered around the ancient area known as Wessex. These days it passes through the counties of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Berkshire and clocks in at 220 miles. The route does pass through some military training areas by the way, so you need to pay attention to what is happening and when. I’m hoping to get this route done at some point over the summer, I’ve not given the detail much thought yet, things like direction, clockwise / anti-clockwise. I’ll just play it by ear I think…
I also fancy the Hebridean Way. This is a pretty famous route and as you’d imagine, it goes straight through the Outer Hebrides, usually from South to North. Apparently it’s a very relaxing route, being all paved, hardly any traffic and you get some amazing views and scenery. From what I’ve ready the only real issues to consider are; the weather is volatile to say the least up there, it can be glorious or it can be horrific; it can be very busy, so booking in advance is a good idea, this goes for any accommodation and ferries which are needed to get between the islands; and finally the logistics for travel as you start and end hundreds of miles apart and need to rely on trains, taxis etc to get back to the car. Again, I’ll see how it goes.
The Ring of Iron is the name given to the castles and fortresses built around North Wales by English King Edwards I. Strictly speaking the “ring” does extend in to mid Wales, but the bigger castles are in the North as far as I’m aware. I’ve been trying to put together a simple road route that takes in visits to as many of these castles as I can. I’m trying to stick to low traffic roads where I can and fortunately, along the coast, at least a few of the castles are accessible from the NCN route 5 cycle path, which means no traffic at all for big sections of the route. I think the route, in it’s entirety, will come in at around 160 miles, give or take, so for me that will be a multi day trip. To build it out properly I intend to break it in to stages, which I can ride individually, taking my time and looking for the best routes between the castles. Once it’s done, I’ll post some more information here.
Be Sociable… this is a pretty big one I think. Over the past couple of years, mainly due to lockdown, I’ve only ridden solo or with the family. It turns you in to a bit of a hermit and I think I’d like to start being a bit more sociable. The WRT will help with this for certain, as that’s the main aim of the thing. I’d imagine the Hebridean Way will too, as it’s very popular and I’d imagine I’ll bump in to lots of people with the same idea. The TCW possibly less so, as it’ much more remote, and to be honest I’ve no idea about the KAW. To further this, and the weight loss goal, I’ve also joined a gym and have met a couple of people there, but that’s different to riding and bikepacking, but every little helps.
One thing I am determined, more than anything else to do this year, is get George out bikepacking more. He’s one of those kids that likes sitting inside, in the warm and dry, playing his Xbox or drum kit, but the minute I actually get him out on his bike, in the woods, covered in mud, he absolutely loves it. So that’s that, more mud, bikes, camping, chippies, cake stops, picnics etc. The one thing I can never get enough of is spending time with the family doing the things we love.
Bikepacking on a budget 