I’m not doing WTC or the 113 next year 
A year of grass roots for me. Possibly the Half in Weymouth, obvs a long Audax and probably something in Cornwall and an MTB or Gravel event.
Don’t do a gravel event.
They are the epitome of MAMILs “looking for their next challenge”
Get on VeloViewer and get some squares explored - see how much you can explore your local area.
MTB - Sure fire way to broken bones and a stem to the groin 
Audax are good…there’s another 200km here I’m looking at…it’s just in October. So lots of lights and HTFU required.
What is the elevation on the 200km? And the date?
Yep, my MTB fall has caused me a few issues particularly with my shoulder, it was just before Nice and as I was heading over the bars I actually thought to myself here goes my collarbone, I was lucky I was on the soft moors and going slow and probably just got bruising or pulled ligament or something.
Jeff
I’m having a new remote garage roller door fitted on Oct 21, it will be Anthracite as well. So will our front door when we change it, which at the moment looks like it was built from an oversized Lego kit!
That’s a very cynical outlook. What’s wrong with a new challenge? I’m loving my XC mtb adventures and will definitely be entering some of the gravel events.
I’ve done a shed load of Audax, mostly in Oz.
It’s all good and I’m glad we have myriad endurance options these days.
Have you not read any of Poet’s posts before? 
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I read something about 17min 5km, then decided to look at a cat at the window. 
I’ve not noticed anything before about his posts. I’m sure I met him once at ADITL? He seemed like a good chap.
I’m just confused as to why you would dismiss a new adventure ‘just because’? At least try it, nothing ventured and all that.
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I’m a cynical person.
I’ve ridden on bridleways and trails and tracks in the past - when I had a CX bike and my “Frankenbike”
Part of my old commute was on a bridleway and cobbled farm track.
Calling it “gravel” is a reason to sell more bikes and parts and create more events, so people spend more money
It’s a great business idea, don’t get me wrong…In reality, it’s just an excuse for a second/third winter bike, to ride when the weather is too bad for the normal winter bike.
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Not me! Never did ADITL 
I always immediately dismiss things “just because” then come around to them (See: Nike 4%, Rapha, poncing around on expensive road bikes, etc. etc)
Not being a troll, I am like this in real life and am frequently proved incorrect and have my opinion changed.
(I tried a season of CX once, didn’t like it, so got ride of the bike and went back to riding to XC and back - bike stayed relatively clean and skin washes easily)
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Ah I see, thanks for sharing. I’m not sure why i thought you were at ADITL, maybe your name came up in post race drunken banter at the campsite? I remember La Marquise was there and Carlito IIRC.
I’m going to finally turn my old 26er MTB into a frankenbike. Already have the spare drop bars & stem and the rear mech. Just need to ditch the Juicy 7 levers & calipers, for STIs & mech disc calipers; oh and hopefully an 11 sp cassette should fit on the DT240 hubs 
Not going to ditch the triple yet, unless I can’t set it up with a double shifter to omit the granny ring.
When I say ‘gravel’ event what I basically mean is a CX/Road ride. There are quite a few cheap ones out there around here; plus there’s a 100km mixed-surface event down the road in May.
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Says the guy who just blew about £300 on a Half in Stafford 
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I think the problem with ‘Gravel’ in the UK is that there aren’t that many actual gravel roads and what there are can quickly turn into muddy mtb territory for large parts of the year.
IMO in the UK, a gravel bike has more applications on rural roads than it does off road. Maybe in the wilds of Wales or Scotland there are some decent gravel areas but I would imagine most can’t access that easily.
Most of the gravel events I see advertised in the UK look great, but they all seem to allow mtb.
I’m also just being facetious as @Poet seems like a fella that is up for ‘the bants’ as the yoot dem say.
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Yeah, really these type of events in the UK are ‘gravelcross’ or mixed terrain. I think the Dirty Reiver is one of the few true gravel events over here. I think only parts of Wales, Scotland and the Borders really have any sustained gravel trails; that and some forestry commission land.
The longest bit of gravel road I’ve seen is about 11kms worth and was the final stretch of the ultra I did. i think it was called ‘tramlines’ and dropped from the top of Dartmoor down into Ivybridge. I did see one guy doing it tough going up on a proper gravel bike.
Have to say, it looked perfect but that that was a lovely dry day.
Sounds like the Puffing Billy track near Western Beacon. We used to do sponsored walks there with the Cubs/Scouts.
Yeah that’s the one from the South gate of the Moor near Ivybridge up and past Western Beacon towards Red Lake/3 Barrows/Sharp Tor area