December can be a good time to make plans for cycling events in the New Year. Many gravel events open for registration during this time- and many are already sold out!!
What events are you planning for 2020? They don’t have to be races or big fondos, it can be a local ride you’ve been meaning to try or any adventure that is new to you. Please share yours if you would like, we might give one another ideas and even tips from events we’ve done ourselves!
Also, as you plan your year, for training purposes it helps to classify your events in order of priority so that you are still keeping on track with training. For example:
A Events - the ones you want to perform at your absolute best, so you train for them and peak/taper accordingly. These are usually no more than 3-4 a year.
B Events - the ones for which you would do a “mini taper” but they are not as important as the A events. These can be events similar to the As, but shorter and used to rehearse/get ready for the As, or to test yourself. These are typically 4-6 a year.
C Events - the ones you will train through, meaning, you won’t specifically prepare for or taper for these. They can be as simple as group rides, Zwift events, etc. You could do as many of these as you would like, but preferably no more than 2-3 per month and at least 5-7 days apart.
I haven’t really thought of what events I want to do next year. I feel still hindered by my breathing and was so disappointed last year that I think I need to reassess my “why”. I have registered for a local ride of 75 miles, which after traveling to and from the start it is 100 miles for me. I am hoping to do the 100 mile plus ride which includes riding up into Harriman state park. Something I have never done, but it has alot of climbing and I need to be able to breathe to do it.
I am looking to do a farm to fork fondo as a fun ride and I love the idea of choosing new routes and rides to do.
Since my son is off to college next year,my husband and I plan to go to the cape in late august and possibly ride to P-town.
Now I’m starting to think “what else can I do??”
I love to plan so already have a few events in the diary; I’ve signed up for a 75mile sportive one March - this will be a warm up to Etape Loch Ness which I’m doing with a friend in April - this will be my first time cycling in Scotland and the first time riding with friend; she’s based in Scotland and regularly rides very hilly routes so when she told me (after I agreed to ride) that there is a b*tch of a hill, I got very nervous. Will definitely need to get outside and start riding hills in the new year.
In June I’ll be riding Velo Birmingham again (100 mile sportive), this year I rode it in 6:06 so will be aiming to get under the 6hr mark.
I’ve also entered the ballot for Ride London in August and will wait to see if I get a space.
Hannah has suggested a few MTB events and I’m hoping to persuade her that we should ride the London to Brighton off-road sportive…it’s 85miles and will need madam to train so that’s still to be decided but I may just buy her a bike trainer for her birthday in January - I’m sure she’ll love the Zwift MTB workouts
i Have allready populated TP (ATP with my A-events: Its now four races sprinkled out the IRL race season
#1 Is in the end of May; its Norways most popular MTB marathon event. Its very technical so the distance is shorter but the time use is about 2.5 H. I have won my age class before and would like to repeat that (in the 40-class now!)
#2 Is the Norwegian Champs XCO in July
#3 is a very long mtb ultra marathon race, riding time about 7 hours. 70% singletrack
I have also put in the Zwift National Champs.
There will be more XCO/XCM races too, but they will be B-races.
I am also hoping there will be a fun Zwift series after Christmas i can commit to!
Still making plans but I do know some of the things I will be doing. There is an Earth Day climate gravel ride that I am going to do. The event details haven’t been released yet so I have no idea how long it will be, probably somewhere around 50 miles is my guess. In May I am torn between a fondo on pavement or whatever the gravel event that ends up replacing the Almanzo turns out to be. I didn’t get to do a fondo on pavement last year and I kind of missed it, so leaning towards that. In June I will do the Dirty Benjamin again to prove finally finishing it last year was not a fluke and to try and beat my time (not getting lost again will help immensely with this!). There is also a women only gravel race that takes place around the same time that I have done before and is lots of fun. Last year they scheduled it the same day at the Dirty B. I am hoping this year they do it the end of May so I can ride it. If I get to do it, the race is about 30-35 miles.
I have nothing planned for July but early August I am going to do the Powderhorn 24 again. Early September will be a fun 30-mile charity ride with the spouse. And there might be a 60 mile gravel ride in early October.
I am considering taking a beginning mountain biking class at REI in spring, not because I want to start mountain biking, but because gravel races around here like to toss in parts of the course they label BRAAP and are generally single track through woods or swamps. I usually walk these even though they are technically easy for those with the skills. I’d like to learn the skills of getting over roots and rocks so I can ride most or all of these sections. Which I guess means I will also have to go practice with my gravel bike on some easy mtb trails now and then
Sounds like everyone has some great plans for 2020!! For me, I’m planning as of now to stick stateside and do 4 of the Farm to Fork Fondos. I am going to do one Gran Fondo this year. The Medio has been my longest distance in that series. I might look for a century but have to figure out the timing as my road bike tends to visit her brothers during FtFF season.
I have signed for up a 400km in May but have stupidly signed up to the following event - Pure Peak Grit in June. I cannot confirm until January 2020 but it is a road cycling route linking together every categorised climb in the Peak District National Park (UK) The ride is 610km long with over 13,500m of ascent and includes at least 42 fearsome hills and aim to complete in 72 hrs. How do I train for that??!!!
Going to Kentucky Memorial day weekend for the Horsey Hundred. April, I am signed up for the Barry Roubaix gravel ride/race in Michigan. September, I am signed up for the Marji Gesick mtb endurance ride also in Michigan. 2020 I will be 50 so looking forward to an EPIC year. Doing several local events and a few 100 mile road rides. Still researching …love seeing what everyone else is doing.
A- in April I am going to Mallorca with my power
senior friends… They are between 70-80
years old and I would be so happy if they do
not have to wait for me
A- in August I would like to ride my first ride…
Hamburg Cyclassics only 60km…with the
Zwift Rides Germany Girls Team I hope
not to be the slowest member
Great topic! 2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year for us. My husband just ordered his Moots Routt (I got mine about a year ago), and he is nearly back to normal after 2 total hip replacements so this is definitely going to be a good year. We hope to go down to the Santa Barbara area in late March or early April to climb the iconic Gibraltar Road and maybe some easier gravel routes in that area while visiting the cafe beloved by cyclists, Pedaler’s Fork in Calabasas. In June we are hoping to drive to Colorado for some amazing gravel riding around the Moots factory while also getting to see where and how our bikes were made. On the way, we want to stop in New Mexico and a few other places for hikes and rides. The big goal now is spending the month of October on our first trip to Spain! We will meet up with friends from England for some sightseeing and walking around Seville and elsewhere in the south, then head to Girona for a week at Rocacorba (home of amazing pro cyclist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio). She and her husband and family operate a villa there with bike rentals, guided bike rides, and other supportive services so we hope to do some of the epic rides there and maybe in Andorra! We will finish the month with a week on Mallorca, riding with some people we only know through Zwift!! One couple moved there from England to take over the Mallorca Cycle Shuttle, which transports riders and their bikes to some of the iconic routes on the island. Yeah I know, you all feel VERY sorry for me right now!!! Fingers crossed we can do it all. And of course I’m new working with @Coach_Theia and excited that this will help me get into prime shape to really enjoy these big adventures. Hope everyone else has super good 2020 plans, too.
Wow, that is an EPIC goal! I’ve done a lot of walking in the Peak District, and that is challenging enough. I know a Zwift-PACK group met up for a weekend of rides last May, they did Winat’s Pass and Mam Tor. Hope you can achieve this ambitious goal, but managing any of it is an achievement!
@Stefanie That’s a super idea to take the mtb skills class! Several friends who are primarily roadies have done that, and feel so much more confident. Enjoy all of those great plans!
@Clare was looking at the pure peak grit too! Maybe 2021…
A few events lined up already for 2020, little rides: Etape Loch Ness (April), Ride the Night London (May), Sundown Ride (June).
Big rides London Wales London (May), Deloitte Ride Across Britain (September).
@Reneea2002@Coach_Theia and I were just chatting about that on Friday - i think she said there are 4-5 of us and planning IRL once the Chicago winter breaks loose would be great!! I live in the city so unless i travel, am relegated to the lake path, hence my spending hours on Zwift, i get more out of it, but I would love to do some rides with others, IRL by yourself is only fun for a bit.
that is one heck of a challenge!
I hope