Things are finally moving forward down here in London town. My search for gainful employment took a little bit longer than I had been anticipating, but a couple of days ago, the call finally came through, and so my period of sloth comes to an end on Tuesday 27 November 2012.As a result of this, Penelope and I have finally and officially decided on dates for A Dutch of Class: Friday 12 July 2013 - Sunday 28 July 2013. Now, I know that our ('my') last two planned trips have been unmitigated disasters. TC and I had planned to do Portugal, Spain and Gibraltar, and I personally wanted to cycle from Glasgow to London, but didn't get more than 30 miles east of Edinburgh.What a farce. Anyway, we're sure that this one will take place, and so planning can start.With my first month's wages, at the end of December 2012, we shall be getting Penelope a commuter bike, and my Surly will be going into the worskshop. Yes, she is in a sorry state. You won't know this, as my shame was such that I unpublished the aforementioned aborted trip to London, but that escapade was cut short by two broken spokes and a sheared bottom bracket. Since arriving in London on 24 July 2012, poor karlyn has been languishing - first outside, and then in a shed.

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Her wheels are shot to hell, the brakes are nonexistent, she has a couple of spots of light rust on the paintwork around the bottom bracket, and the pedals are rusting. But she will rise like the phoenix!Welling Cycles will be taking her under their wing, and their tender loving care will see her ready to become once more my commuting partner and my trusty, intercontinental steed!

• rust protection
• spokes repaired
• bottom bracket replaced
• brand new brakes all round
• thorough clean of drivetrain

As for lights, I'm in two minds. Do I get a set of ordinary lights, perhaps USB-charged from Knog, and then use the dynamo to charge my Garmin GPS? Or do I get a good set of dynamo lights fitted, and not bother with charging goodies? Whatever I decide on, I'm going to get the lights rewired more professionally - not to mention more discretely!

Where Penelope's bike is concerned, we had planned to buy ourselves a set of Surly Disc Truckers, and frankly, I still salivate when looking at 'em. But we have a lot of kit to buy this year, and so for 2013, Penelope will be getting herself a 'standard' (if there is such thing as a 'standard' anything from the sublime Surly...) LHT from Mosquito Bikes. She's not being short-changed, as the LHT is recognised far and wide as the tourer to have.

Needless to say, the list price of £1,049 (1.296 EUR / US$1.681) is before we add stuff like a couple of mirrors, front and rear racks, a speedo, lights, a Brooks saddle and mudguards.

On Friday 12 July 2013, we shall both take a half day, travel home to pick up our packed and readied bicycles, and cycle to Ebbsfleet International railway station. The trains from London to Dover Priory pass through there, and so that evening, we shall hopefully be checking in to the Calais campsite where TC and I ended our epic.

The preparations begin...