2025 - Part 1: A Malady

It's been emotional.

After coughing and spluttering my way into 2025, I've been pretty excited to crack on with this year. Last year was something else, so I've been so excited to think more positively, excited to carve out the year and create markers to look forward to. I close my eyes, see the Sa Calobra climb, Les Cingles, those smooth roads in Nice/Monaco... you get it.

It really hasn't been smooth sailing so far. Firstly, the weather. Just ghastly, impossibly windy, or impossibly cold, meaning when I (or we, the whole UK cycling scene lol) can ride, it's 2-3hrs & 4L of water on a stiff trainer to get by. Most Brits are built for the cold, but this is anti-cycling weather in all its glory.

Secondly, my first serious accident on the bike. Shot out the door after the first glimpse of good weather and... bang. Rear-ended 50+ mph by a motorcyclist - my bike a total write-off. Nothing I could've done. Two weeks off the bike, stiff and bruised and confidence shot, feeling slightly lucky I wasn't in hospital or worse. And obviously no road bike - a bike I really did/do love and have ridden thousands of miles on. Twat.

Still, things are looking up. The weather is perking, temps rising, and exciting things (one that's already arrived!) are around the corner...

1. Firstly, NEW BIKE DAY. One of the great perks of a permanent job (+ passing probation, yay) is the ability to afford a new bike (inadvertently now a replacement). And it's a good one. Never thought i'd own a 'super-bike', but I bought a Cervelo S5 on sale - a-frame cockpit, deep section wheels, electronic shifting, the works, only a marginal one grade down from bikes that Vinegaard has won a Tour de France on. It's not going to make me win anything, albeit joyous days and weeks out... (pics below).
   
   
2. A few big days out, inbound. UK for now, but the start of April is the first club ride out in the Cotswolds, a gorgeous part of the country to cycle in. Mid-April is the gravel event, traversing around Salisbury Plains, with a glimpse of Stonehenge on the bike - never ridden in Wiltshire, so excited to crunch some rocks there. 
   
   
3. June/July... More gravel events, some local (Norfolk Broads), Chase The Sun (South) & potentially the Dunwich Dynamo (if i can find a way home..). But the most exciting is - Ventoux. Originally planned trip for August (which fell through), i've deposit'd some cash to ride Les Cingles to coincide with Stage 16 of the Tour de France. Fucking. In my veins.

Lastly, photo dump of some of the better, brighter days so far in 2025. Onwards. Allez.

Onwards: 2025

The last couple of months of 2024 were a blur; a cacophony of illness, job busy-ness and shocking weather (week in week out!). All resulted in me narrowly missing my 2024 miles target - sad. On the positive side, I put an extra 2000 miles on the road/slop and increased my UK heatmap on Strava, enjoying some brilliant days out on the bike both solo and with friends.

For 2025 i'm reviewing my plans - I've booked Salisbury Plains, Norfolk X and Sherwood Pines GG. Considering Chase The Sun in June, and, depending on timings/non-cycling holidays looking at a Tenerife/Majorca cycling IN THE SUN + the Ventoux trip (fingers crossed it happens) end of August.

Regardless of trips, I've set myself a target - to cycle EVERYDAY in 2025 - long, short, outdoors, indoors - peddle every day, record something from everyday. Let's go.

~ Insert Nov-Dec JPEG below ~

Hiatus - Life Updates ~ Sept-Oct

I've been quiet.

September was a busy month - a mix of long-days out on local lanes, trips away to see friends and celebrations (anniversaries, birthdays, etc). It was also a busy, busy period of job applications, interviews and pitches, which hasn't given me a lot of time to pause and reflect.

The good news - I have a new permanent job! The type of job i've been waiting for - a great career move and the financial stability to start getting excited about new trips, upgrades to the bike(s) and potentially other life changes. Obviously, that means a reduction ride time, and perhaps a shift in what I need (ie. 6 hours a week means I hardly need loads of bikes) so i'm reviewing my initial bike upgrades in favour of more specific adventures as well as more targeted weekenders.

Given it suits me more, my (fairly light) indicative schedule leans a lot towards gravel:

• Sherwood Pines Glorious Gravel long (Jan-March)
• Scarborough / North Yorks Moors (TBC - Date)
• Norway Gravel (recce) ?? (May)
• Slovenia Glorious Gravel (June 3rd-June 8th)
• Dunwich Dynamo > Suffolk (20th July tbc)
• Provence (Ventoux) - (31st - 5th September)

I'm also hoping I can apply for a Glorious Gravel season-pass to cut the costs of the rides and jump onto one's as/when my schedule is light/I can. Otherwise, I also want to try and get a couple of Audax's under my belt, body, mind and time permitted.

For now, it's back to (probable) damp weekend club rides, indoor sessions and hopefully some slippy, sloppy gravel winter fun!

A Cotswolds Classic Round Up... Next Up, Yorkshire Shores!

May has been a scorcher! It's been a long time since I rode with the fear of sunburn and the smell of suncream all around...

Most of my riding focus for May (and April, to be honest) is on club's second training ride in the Cotswolds. I've never been to the Cotswolds (especially as a non-car driver, it's difficult to get to) so I jumped at the chance of a free trip - the weather was definitely a bonus! The route, starting outside of the Cotswolds in Burton Dassett, took us to the popular town of Broadway, before coming back up through Bourton-On-The-Water. 

What a day. Beautiful views, challenging hills, good company, great coffee - cyclist's live for these days. It was not quite the rolling country I was expecting from pictures (our local Leicestershire rides are far more undulating) or one similar to the Yorkshire Dales ride we did last year, which, despite the high elevations, felt much more relaxed. It was a scorching day, adding to the difficulty, one of my longest days on the bike, definitely my steepest, and to top that off, we ticked off two of the UK's Top 100 climbs. 

What was also great about the route put together was that it left a lot of the South and West of the Cotswolds to explore for another day, so I'll definitely be back, and hopefully with even better fitness and maybe a tent, a book and a gravel bike...

High up in the Cotswolds, with lovely greens and yellows everywhere

A good group of us, some sporting our new club jerseys!

Since the Cotswolds ride I've been giving more love to my Standert and doing some mixed-terrain rides at a slower pace. The next challenge ride (#3 of the year) is the Yorkshire Shores ride up in Scarborough, again with Glorious Gravel. I've opted for the medium route, 84k at just over 1000m of climbing - it'll be similar to the Sherwood Ride, but I aim to relax and enjoy it more - it'll most likely be a hot day! I'm still considering doing the long-version and relaxing more, but will make the call on the day.

Outside of the Scarborough ride, i've also planned a couple of multi-day bikepacking trips, but all dependent on work, money and how much freedom i've got. Happier days.

April: Week One Check In

April is the deep breath before the plunge (to quote Gandalf), a slightly odd balancing act, a lot of umm'ing and err'ing on my part with my eye on events in May and June.

After booking a non-cycling related camping two-nighter (for my partners birthday) I've dusted the tent off and started rifling through my bikepacking gear, salivating at the thought of a few wild-camps this month, with my eye on a few spots in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. 

Positively - I'm in good shape. April week one started as a tempo/threshold week, out on fast club and solo rides, which should probably be the flavour of the month - I probably do need to top up the endurance base with some extra gears, with one eye on the Cotswolds and possibly Norway in June. Those are going to be tough days, and the extra push now will likely pay off.

But - I'm tired. Mentally I'm fatigued with my career/future, and the thought of some slow cycling, phone-off, book and a spot in the woods/river would probably do me the world of good. I've got a weekend away at the Grand National with Dad this weekend, which will be a welcome (if not expensive) break from in-sanity. Decisions, decisions.