Plans for 2018

[sprintster]

I'm dropping my bike off with my friend tomorrow to fabricate a towbar for me,so another step closer to the plan of heading for the Dolomites in July with a trailer to have a bit of luxury while we're camping and also carry our hiking gear to get up close and personal with the mountains.

[Tourider]

I'm thinking of a Central European beer tour taking in breweries, gasthofs or visitor centres related to beer.
Bitburg - Reichelshofen - Plzen - Wroclaw - Zywiec - Bratislava - Ceske Budejovice - Bamberg - Warstein.

[Brenhden]

I'm thinking I'll take on all of TET UK next year. I need to keep it cheap after buying a bike this year and planning on moving house.

[beany]

ferry to santander booked a month ago for sept next year

[Simon_100]

It must be getting to the point in the year where everyone starts thinking about next years adventures, so, does anyone have any definitive plans?
I think another visit to the La Pobla HISS is called for after missing out this year, probably in a van with the Beta, but as far as my longer bike holiday goes, I'm not so sure where to go, up to now Bulgaria, Portugal, a lap of the Baltic, revisit Norway (explore more to the West) are in the mix; but there's the TAT that needs doing and now the TET too.
Aaaargh, so many places, so little time...

Well it's well beyond that point for me Steve as I announced the dates for the September HISS events way back. But thanks for posting as it's made me jump to it an announce the dates for the Spring HISS in La Pobla de Segur, that is to say, the Catalonian Pyrenees. Jumping in between the UK Spring holidays, when I guess the ferries will be more expensive, and their local equivalents, when the mountain trails and the camp site will be full of folk that leaves just one option, so:

May 14th - 18th: HISS Catalonia, La Pobla de Segur, Lleida
September 10th - 14th: HISS Catalonia, La Pobla de Segur, Lleida
September 17th - 21st: HISS Aragon, Formiche Alto, Teruel

For those who don't know, the September dates run back-to-back so that folks with trailers of vans get the most out of their expenses getting here. We can't do it in Spring as we did this year as we shook be in the throes of having our house extensively re-built and have to keep an eye on the builders ...

However I am planning to ride the TET, firstly with WillS and the Haute Pyrenees mob from Carcassonne to La Pobla and then after the HISS onwards to Portugal hopefully with John and Jayne Speight, aka 'Spadger' of this parish - if they'll have me of course!

I really hate Portugal - sorry to all who love it - so I'll peel off from there and haver a road trip home, where Mrs S will be supervising the builders - she's much more 'tough' that me! - but possible stopping off somewhere to add more checkpoints for the Horizons Unlimited HUMM event in October.

Other than that it'll be bimbling around for short trips here in the Pyrenees, by bike, by car and by husky!

Hopefully some or all of the following.
TET Part France and Spain
Vibraction RB5 But very similar in parts to the TET in the Pyrenees.
A HISS depending on location and dates.
Plus general day and overnight rides in and around the trails in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Now you have all that Will - see you in Carcassonne perhaps and then onwards to the HISS!

I realised after reading numerous ride reports on here that I really have not done the Pyrenees justice so we will be meandering around there this year and meeting the wife in Carcassonne for wine tours. Might even get to meet Simon.

It would be really great to meet you Allen, and bring the good lady to Spain for the wine tour, I wrote a guide for our guests when we let out our house for holidays - retired from that now! - and I'll mail you a copy if you like!

@ Spike, garyboy and Davecon, do drop by if you're passing my way - or come to a HISS of course and help me make some money - we'll be at La Pobla Camping pretty much all year, mostly crying as we hand over large wads of money to builders, plumbers, electricians ...

Regs

Simon

[Alan29]

Nothing as exciting as some.
We are renting a mobile home at the edge of the Vercors for a week to explore that area and the Barronies. We took our caravan there this year and for the first time ever we are going to the same area two years running! It is just superb.
A nice gentle ride to and from Zeebrugge will bring it up to a fortnight.
Thats about as long as our 69 year old joints can do on a bike!

[sven]

We’re touring the USA again next year, but sadly won’t be hiring a bike as it’s nearly £3k for 17 days So it’ll be a convertible car again, this time a 450bhp Corvette Stingray which should be fun

I’ve no other trips planned at the moment, but may head up the West Coast on my GS in September as I haven’t been up there since 2015

[SteveW]

I'm pouring cash into the Blackhole of a house-build, so days of milk and honey are on hold.
I'm also nibbling away at a stealth-campervan-bike/Mothership conversion of my Transit Van.
I've never headed North to Scandinavia and a campervan could be an economic way of travelling......bringing our own food and beer, then holding up on a campsite for a few days and exploring around on a bike.
But I've got a feeling this trip may be in 2019.
Most likely I'll just take my Multistrada on a Tarmac trip out to Bulgaria and meet the wife out there.
By saying "meet the wife out there" I don't mean go out to Bulgaria and meet "a wife" good grief! I'll be exporting my current wife out there by EasyJet, then meeting her, glad I cleared that one up!

[Redmurty]

Mrs is humming and rrr ing re japan trip because she do's not want to be nuke

Steve I would be happy to do any of the following......

Lap of the Baltic now you're talking

TAT or TET

Spain and Portugal

HISS

Sweden and Norway fjords

Have been asked about Iceland again if you are interested

Happy to go east as well

have flap jack will travel

cheers Spud

[Sideleaner]

On the bike : going to the IOM for the 4th time, after been to 2 TT's and one MGP its TT time again. Instead of heading North on the M6 i would like to go via the south to the Cotwolds and than through Wales up to Heysham and spend a few days on it. Next will be to the HISS in September with the van and light bike after missing it this year due to shoulder problems.
And than of course holiday with Mrs. , probably a week Andalusia, combining a few cities - culture and sea - maybe Cordoba and something at the coast. This will be end of April beginning of May before it gets too hot.