As broad as you like in terms of what you regard as going well for you this year. Could be a long ride, getting out regularly, supporting or teaching some one else, building a wheel, fixing a trail…….
All that matters is that it matters to you. So
no worrying about whether anyone else will be impressed.
I’ve done 4 day multi day rides this year. 2 with people that haven’t done one before or haven’t for 20 years. This big one for me was the Bagman Cambrian challenge. 4,200m of up in a weekend. That was allot for me. Massive shout out to Dale and Andy who waited at the op of every hill for me, despite us all being strangers on day 1.
I joined a cycling club at age 50! Big deal for me with the anxiety 'stuff', so pretty chuffed with myself for getting out with them. Its starting to feel a bit more comfortable being in a group setting, but I still very much feel like the 'newbie'. Mostly been a few gravel rides so far, although, I did venture out on one evening road training ride. What did I learn from that? I'm more unfit than I thought, I'm fairly slow, and I prefer gravel and mountain biking 🤣 🤣
Not sure if it counts as an achievement but toured the Pennine Cycle Way this year, Penrith the Derby. It was brutal for the steep climbing in parts and feels lie an achievement at an increasing age to get through it feeling strong and maintain the fitness. Happy with that.
Completed the Jennride, 100 miles off road in the Lakes with an overnight camp. Never ridden that far in a weekend before even without a fully loaded bike and really didn't know if it was going to be possible!
Had my first overseas trip for about 7 years, going to the Alps in late summer.
Did a couple of weeks of riding, including a four-day circumnavigation of Mont Blanc (with no lifts), sleeping in refuges.
IIRC it was about 177km distance and 8,000m+ ascent overall, with about 8-10hrs of riding each day.
It was very tough, and I hadn't fully accounted for the weight of my pack or the effect of the heat. I blew midway through day three - but plodded on to the end and it's something I'm really glad to have done.
[humblebrag] On a ride in BC I came within 20ft of a brown bear, and I did not shit myself [/humblebrag]
How long before you could unclench 😉
First 200k Audax, and it was a hilly one. I'd planned to do more but work got in the way of maintaining that fitness.
Ambitious plan for next year is to do a 100/200/300/400/500/etc through the year, it's not a Mille Pennine year though so there's that to look forward to in 2025, might try and to the main loops of it as a recce as my parents live just up the road from the overnight stop.
Didn't do much of note this year - plans for what would have been my longest ride were scuppered by weeks of unrelenting illness. Then I had a good run of getting out on the road bike every weekend scuppered by family engagements and then knackering my wrist in a crash meaning I can't even commute at the moment.
So for me, I'll live vicariously through my children and say my 4 year old* knocking out 18 kms on a dads&kids ride without a single word of complaint whilst kids nearly twice his age were complaining non-stop. In fact he was loving it.
*my 7year old also did this but slightly less impressive given age and having a geared bike.
Tried to get back into "proper" riding this year but struggled to find the time to put into it. Still, on the few rides I had I did manage to get back some of my old jumping skills and did the gap (more of a tabletop these days) at the end of Transfer Line at Woburn which I thought I'd never be able to do again, which was a great feeling 🙂
I beat a lot of my personal best times up several of my local climbs, some of them more than once. Some I had set a decade ago or more and I had kind of assumed I would never be fit enough to get near them again because I am 58 years old.
The fact I spent the whole of May in Austria cycling and walking may have helped.
I finally rode off "hardtail drop"... a 5 foot vertical drop off a big rock on the hill above the farm. Not bad at 56. Not sure if I will ever be ready for the 10 foot ladder drop we built lower down the hill though.
I did a pain free ride in the autumn, first time in 3 years.
210km with 3600m of climbing on a stupidly hot day at an ave of 22kmph. Was all climbs or descents and as a fat bastard it was hard. My longest spin and not as fit as I would have hoped.
My 16yo daughter started to do spins on her own with no prompting.
4000 mile target for the year will be complete on Sunday.
Previously I've done 2500 to 3000 and originally was targeting 3650, (10 miles per day) but had to up it mid year because I was too far ahead to make the second half a challenge.
Rode Mont Ventoux.
I've done very few of the "monument" climbs so it was nice to finally ride somewhere iconic plus the weather was stunning!
Didn't do the Triple Climb thing, had another road I wanted to ride but I've done a double ascent in one ride and I did climb all three sides at different times while out there.
Built up to a hilly 150km round the Dales this summer, over several of the big climbs. That's enough for me - go any further and I'd risk leaving the Dales, wouldn't want to do that! Also rode up to the continental divide in Colorado (Rollins pass jeep track) which was a great day out.
Damn, now I'm thinking about sunny days in Colorado while the rain hammers on the windows here...
Did my first bivvy. One night close to home but gave me a bit of confidence and lessons for a few proper adventures next year.
Was very pleased with the number of times I rode this year, had some great times. And my jumping skills have got better.
A few things for me-
- finally riding the Glen Shiel Ridge and the photos James Vincent took of that getting on the cover of the mag.
- getting a one to one skills course and finally learning how to flow. I'm not much faster but I enjoy riding so much more because I'm not messing up every corner and using my fitness to undo that.
- winning Ten Under the Ben and Ten at Kirroughtree was good but setting the second fastest lap and leading up the big climb on the first full lap at the Strathpuffer absolutely blew my mind. I don't turbo train, I ride by feel and enjoyment but I was clearly on a tear last January and rode my heart out.
Just having a good year on the bikes because it's been looking pretty dubious for a few years. First 100 miler for the decade - Ride to the Sun being as good as it ever was. Had a uk based biking week, not been out on the mtb 6 days out of 7 for about a decade. Mostly down to a big focus on road riding then a bit of a long covid hiatus. Made a return to the deeply unfashionable world of mildly competitive map reading. Was shockingly bad at it and it mostly rained. Going to be back for more of that next year.
I did the Trans Scotland ride this year where I failed last year so nice to tick it off an imaginary list which means absolutely nothing.
It was cracking weather and I actually enjoyed it, well at the end..
Oh did my first 300k audax too this year. I now have the utmost respect for the LEL,PBP folk.
In fact that was the furthest I've ridden in my life on that day and night. So not a bad year in terms of firsts.
Raced the mega after a hernia op 12weeks earlier, lost a load of fitness and my riding buddy ripped his calf after 8minutes of riding. Crashed in quali quite hard, finished up on the front row of the amateur race. Got off the glacier in 9th ended up 14th after losing places on the transitions. A tough week but great way to round it off.
Not so much.
Did a ace loop of Arran with @golfchick
Couple of Koms but really had a bad year motivation wise.
Back training after long covid. Not dropped in a vets race. Training week in Mallorca saw 800 km.l and my first hundred miles since Covid. Sadly I’ve been off for two weeks Ill. But forward steps for 2024 I hope. Oh and one old new bike added.
I've mentioned Paris Brest Paris elsewhere, but in some ways, a Randonneur Round the Year is harder. A minimum 200k audax per month for 12 consecutive months. I'm currently on 11/12.
Covered more miles than any other year of my 52 years of being alive
Rode less this year than the last few… but highlights would be:
- got my PMBIA level one coaching qualification
- watching my eldest son finally find a group of friends and through the medium of mtb addiction
- commit to trying some gravity racing with my kids in 2024
- not put on any significant weight.
Jennride for me, with Simon, a truly amazing experience. Thanks Postierich and Simon.
And being less selfish with my own riding time, to finally get my 12 year old riding proper trails and my wife back on a bike and fit again. The buzz I get from seeing their faces at the bottom of a sweet section of Dalby off piste or BPW blue is quite possibly as good as nailing a trail myself.
Getting some fitness back and riding trails as quickly again in my 50s as I did in my 30s (with some acknowledgment that my new bike is quicker than my old one)
Done the most miles I’ve ever done, this year (though don’t feel very fit!). But biggest achievement was a bikepacking trip through some of Italy (partly responsible for these miles) - as someone with anxiety that wasn’t the easiest in my mind at times, but it was brilliant - we had the best time and are inspired to do other touring trips.
