Your touring plans for 2019 - make me jealous?

[jags]

malky sounds like a plan except for the last bit although if you sold the house and buy a nice wee pad in the beautyfull west of ireland property is rock bottom at the moment rent it out while your doing your world tour ,come back and settle down in total peace.
whatever yourplan best of luck hope it works out.

[Mistik-ka]

Considering the weather throughout the northern hemisphere this "spring" I'm not sure this will make you jealous, but I reserved holiday time from work and booked our flights in December (when it was snowy on the Canadian prairies, but not as snowy as it is now), so I guess we're committed to three and a half weeks in the saddle starting the second week in April. (Yes we've heard "Oh to be in England now that April's here" more than once on footpaths in the Pennines … during April snowstorms. ) With a number of long-distance rambles in our past (London-to-Edinburgh … via Wales was our most ambitious tramp), we've decided that Cathryn's back and my feet are no longer up to 100+ miles a week on foot, so this time we'll be travelling by tandem bicycle. We put more than a thousand miles on our custom-built da Vinci last summer, and loved it, but living in Saskatchewan as we do, we've had precious little exposure to rain and we haven't ridden up or down anything that would impress an English cyclist as being worthy of the name "hill." Nor have we put our increasingly delicate backsides on a bicycle saddle since the winter came to stay on October 23rd . However, being well past 60, we've developed the ability to endure and take our pleasures as we find them along the way.

The rough shape of the route is: Oxford (where I have family); Broadway (where we visited the Tower in a snowstorm so heavy we couldn't see the top of the tower, much less the famous view of the valley below); Upton Snodsbury ('cause how could we go through life without sampling the fleshpots of Utpon Snodsbury and making a short side-trip to North Piddle on the way); Ironbridge; Shrewsbury; Chester; around the Wirral; the Forest of Bowland; to Appleby-in-Westmoreland (where we have a firm friendship forged on a long-ago trek and renewed whenever the opportunity presents itself).

After a few days R&R around Appleby and maybe in the Lake District we head back, giving a miss to the Pennine Cycleway because we have tramped much of that route in the past and seem to recall an unavoidable element of elevation gain-and-loss. Instead we'll cross the Pennines through Swaledale (a place of great beauty and fond memories) to Ripon; York; Chesterfield; Derby (no, I don't need a Mercian, but there's no harm in just looking, is there? ) ; Coventry; Warwick (for the castle); Long Compton (for the Rollright Stones); and back to Oxford (to rest and dry off, I suspect).

After easing into the first three days we think fifty-miles-a-day is not an unreasonable pace to let us complete the trip and have lots of time to see and enjoy the country and the people we encounter on the way. (And for a trip like this we're hostel/B&B types, not campers.)

So if you encounter a couple of geezers on a blue da Vinci tandem with a custom "lady-back" frame (Cathryn's arthritis can't stop her from cycling, but it does prevent her from swinging her leg over the back wheel), give us a wave, or a bit of advice, or sympathy, or ask us about independent coasting (which we like very much).

See you in April !
~ David

[hondated]

Considering the weather throughout the northern hemisphere this "spring" I'm not sure this will make you jealous, but I reserved holiday time from work and booked our flights in December (when it was snowy on the Canadian prairies, but not as snowy as it is now), so I guess we're committed to three and a half weeks in the saddle starting the second week in April. (Yes we've heard "Oh to be in England now that April's here" more than once on footpaths in the Pennines … during April snowstorms. ) With a number of long-distance rambles in our past (London-to-Edinburgh … via Wales was our most ambitious tramp), we've decided that Cathryn's back and my feet are no longer up to 100+ miles a week on foot, so this time we'll be travelling by tandem bicycle. We put more than a thousand miles on our custom-built da Vinci last summer, and loved it, but living in Saskatchewan as we do, we've had precious little exposure to rain and we haven't ridden up or down anything that would impress an English cyclist as being worthy of the name "hill." Nor have we put our increasingly delicate backsides on a bicycle saddle since the winter came to stay on October 23rd . However, being well past 60, we've developed the ability to endure and take our pleasures as we find them along the way.

The rough shape of the route is: Oxford (where I have family); Broadway (where we visited the Tower in a snowstorm so heavy we couldn't see the top of the tower, much less the famous view of the valley below); Upton Snodsbury ('cause how could we go through life without sampling the fleshpots of Utpon Snodsbury and making a short side-trip to North Piddle on the way); Ironbridge; Shrewsbury; Chester; around the Wirral; the Forest of Bowland; to Appleby-in-Westmoreland (where we have a firm friendship forged on a long-ago trek and renewed whenever the opportunity presents itself).

After a few days R&R around Appleby and maybe in the Lake District we head back, giving a miss to the Pennine Cycleway because we have tramped much of that route in the past and seem to recall an unavoidable element of elevation gain-and-loss. Instead we'll cross the Pennines through Swaledale (a place of great beauty and fond memories) to Ripon; York; Chesterfield; Derby (no, I don't need a Mercian, but there's no harm in just looking, is there? ) ; Coventry; Warwick (for the castle); Long Compton (for the Rollright Stones); and back to Oxford (to rest and dry off, I suspect).

After easing into the first three days we think fifty-miles-a-day is not an unreasonable pace to let us complete the trip and have lots of time to see and enjoy the country and the people we encounter on the way. (And for a trip like this we're hostel/B&B types, not campers.)

So if you encounter a couple of geezers on a blue da Vinci tandem with a custom "lady-back" frame (Cathryn's arthritis can't stop her from cycling, but it does prevent her from swinging her leg over the back wheel), give us a wave, or a bit of advice, or sympathy, or ask us about independent coasting (which we like very much).

See you in April !
~ David

Good Luck David & Cathryn our Summer/Spring in 2012 was not very good so hopefully it will be better for you this year.If you get a chance please keep us informed of your progress.

[Onwards]

Not sure this will make you jealous but, we're excited ...

Off on a two night tour to Lincoln and back in a big circle.

It's my second mini tour - I did hadrians wall cycle way with the kids last year - and my OH's first tour.

I consider myself in training for a tour around Europe once the kids have flown the nest . . . As my husband won't camp not sure he considers himself in training though

Em

[Big T]

In March we did a 2 week tour of Cuba. A fantastic experience, not like anywhere else I've ever been. It has unique cultural influences in Spanish, American and Russian. Only 5% of the population has a car, so once out of Havana the roads are deserted. It's like stepping back in time 50 or 100 years.

We spent a couple of days in Havana exploring, then transferred to Trinidad on the south coast. Spent a couple of days exploring the area then cycled northwards over a huge climb (Topes de Collantes) and stayed in the national park. Next day we cycled to Santa Clara, where Che Guevarra was based. We then transferred over to the west side of the island and spent 5 days exploring the National Park there including Soroa, 3 days in Vinales and a trip to Los terazas before returning to Havana to catch the flight home.

Weather was hot, dry and sunny, 25 to 30 degrees, even though it's still winter there. We had one afternoon of rain, but we'd altready reached the hotel for that day so never had to ride in the wet. it was a major shock to return to the UK with snow and temps of zero degrees.

[shane]

After 18 months bumming around on my bike I guess I should go back to work this summer.

Aah well commuting can be fun too

[Slowroad]

Not sure this will make you jealous but, we're excited ...

Off on a two night tour to Lincoln and back in a big circle.

It's my second mini tour - I did hadrians wall cycle way with the kids last year - and my OH's first tour.

I consider myself in training for a tour around Europe once the kids have flown the nest . . . As my husband won't camp not sure he considers himself in training though

Em

I did some great touring in Lincolnshire a few years ago when I was between jobs and didn't want to go too far in case a good opportunity came up. It's not wild but there's lovely countryside, lovely old churches and you can cycle for hours without seeing a shop or cafe in some areas
Have a great time!

[Audax67]

For 2014: Just realised today that next year is the 10th anniversary of our bunch's first Mont Ventoux climb, so I'm going to chivvy them into doing it again. There's a great hotel called Les Géraniums at Le Barroux where you dine out on the terrace of an evening under vines. I fancy a week there with a shot at the hill every couple of days by a different route. Maybe we can time it the way we did last time, and catch the Dauphiné Libéré's climb at Chalet Reynard.

[Penfold]

After 18 months bumming around on my bike I guess I should go back to work this summer.

Aah well commuting can be fun too

That's a great website/blog you have compiled

[takeonafrica]

Just got my visa so it's all go for the next tour starting in May... Take On Asia
Very very excited! Think Siberia, the Steppe and the Silk Road; mountains and desert, taiga and tundra and biking frozen lakes and ice roads. Ooh and a bit of packrafting and horse-riding. Probably some very cold feet too
I want to start now... must. finish. writing. first.

[Bikebumbler]

I'm 4000km into my tour to Thailand from Canterbury, Kent. Setting off from Instanbul in two weeks. Heading through central Asia to China, down to India over kkh, bumble around a bit, then head back up, over/round through SE Asia,(Myanmar?) Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand.

[bikepacker]

On my 60th birthday in June 2003 I made a plan to cycle 100,000 miles in the next 10 years. Having done 95,818 of them as of today, my next years plans are geared to completing the target with a 70 mile ride on my 70th birthday. The rest of the year will include:
3 week cycle camping tour in France in May.
3 week Coast to Coast of France in September
Either Scotland or Switzerland in July for 3 weeks.
Plus other cycle camping trips in UK.

Didn't work out quite what I expected.

On Tuesday June 4th while decending from the Col du Tourmalet (unable to complete the climb due to pass being still closed after fresh snowfalls), I passed the 100,000 mile mark with still 11 days to go to my birthday. Still though intending to do a 70 mile ride on that day.

[Chezzer02]

As of 31st July I am relocating to China to work over there for 2 years. I'm taking two of my bikes, including tourer. As yet no definite plans but definitely using the opportunity to tour China, somehow, somewhere.
If anyone has any good routes in mind north of Hong Kong area, let me know!

[The Mechanic]

Unfortunately my plans are on hold at the moment pending treatment for prostate cancer. Not 100% decided yet but surgery looks like the favourite at the mo. That would put paid to a tour but I am told that the operation won't happen until end August to end September (the joys of NHS waiting lists) so may get my double C2C in before that. Need to factor in a holiday with my wife as well in that time so work commitments may put the blockers on the tour. Not sure I can get the time off considering I could be off for several weeks post op.

[bikepacker]

On my 60th birthday in June 2003 I made a plan to cycle 100,000 miles in the next 10 years. Having done 95,818 of them as of today, my next years plans are geared to completing the target with a 70 mile ride on my 70th birthday. The rest of the year will include:
3 week cycle camping tour in France in May.
3 week Coast to Coast of France in September
Either Scotland or Switzerland in July for 3 weeks.
Plus other cycle camping trips in UK.

Did my 70 mile yesterday on my birthday. Super ride with my wife, family joined us for the last 10 miles to home.
10 year total is 100.538 miles.