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Given I had a week to myself in the summer, I thought I'd visit my elderly aunt & uncle in Dorset. Then I decided to make in into a cycle tour - train down there, and ride back over the rest of the week, stopping to see my brother on the way. OK; that's Weymouth to Sheffield, via Hungerford; now let's make it a bit more scenic... Youth hostels at Stow on the Wold, Long Mynd and Dovedale look good.
A week of good weather, no mechanicals, a really enjoyable couple of hours riding with my brother, and back home in time for the TDF in Sheffield - though I did get some strange looks for turning up to watch the Tour on a Ti road bike with a rack on (but how else was I supposed to carry the picnic?!)
Had the old singlespeed out a couple of times, lost a stone and a half, and rode almost every week, usually road and mtb.
Not a bad year...
Loads!
Got a new bike - first full suss - Giant Trance 1 - love it
Rode the Surrey Hills
Rode Whinlatter
Rode BPW, Afan, The Gap and Crickhowell
Started commuting on a bike in London and noticed the difference in my legs on the weekends
Brought a couple of neighbours along and recruited them into MTB
Took my wife on her first MTB ride - she gets it now
It's been a good year.
my wife gave birth to twins...
do anything else, no not really had the time? shocker. but did climb a F7A this year.
Not done as many miles as last year.
Though the quality has been high. Highland Trail finisher is my personal highlight.
The best thing though has been riding with my son. There's not much if anything that he can't do now on a bike that I can.
We're looking forward to next year, we've got some big stuff planned.
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All good stuff above but stand back now and get ready to worship for I won (okay as part of a team) the British computing society "IT Project of the year"
Thank you, thanks but really no I couldn't- I'm married.
Cycling wise an average year mostly due to building my bike / gym cave, sacrificing the late summer / early autumn riding for it. The wet winter & spring had meant I didn't ride enough so regaining fitness was hard (at my age - grumble) which is the reason for the bike/gym cave.
Still my turbo trainer & my sons weight bench will arrive for Xmas 😀 and the focus is on having a good year next year.
I'm not blowing my own trumpet - but I've woven gold out of thin air, metaphorically of course.
By the start of the year I had finally reached the point where I was as happy on the bike as I was before a nasty crash in 2009, I know it's a huge amount of time - but it was a big thing for me.
Come spring I started the evening ride schedule I'd always promised I'd follow 10 years ago and actually stuck to it.
In June my wife and I welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world I'm my own worst critic, but I think I've done a half decent job of it so far. Nappies are easy, feed times a joy and 'days with Daddy' something I relish.
I some how managed, partly through luck, and partly through judgment to have our family holiday in Morzine coincide with my mates being there and took a days riding with them before returning to my family for the rest of the week - talk about cake and eat it!! I also took my 8 year for a few runs down Chavannes and Pleney later in the week.
My summer schedule stuck all the way up to the end of BST even when sometimes I was riding after a full day in work and 3 hours sleep. In fact I rode a pretty decent couple of hours one evening when I'd slept for about 18 hours in the past 7 days. I crashed gently, and almost stayed there for the night ha ha.
Got the new Breezer "Repack" 650B.
Got a new Transition Klunker, one-speed, coaster brake.
[url= http://www.wsj.com/articles/book-review-fat-tire-flyer-by-charlie-kelly-1416605611 ]Got my book on mountain biking published.[/url]
some Firsts that stay in the memory for me this year:
My first bouncy bike
My first Snowdon trip with a bike on a stunning cloudless Good Friday
My first ever race of any kind at the Innerleithen UKGE
My first trips to Glentress, Coed Y Brenin and Sherwood Pines as a family
My first Alps trip
My first bike-related broken bone after a taxi pulled out on me during a commute
My first ride 18 days after sustaining the broken collarbone
I enjoyed your book Charlie. Some great photos too.
Got my dream Sunday best road bike.
Rode over 3500 miles - not much compared to some on here but over 50% more than my previous best.
Rediscovered my MTB mojo.
Got my best mate in to biking.
Unfortunately my Atrial Fibrillation has got much worse this year which means I'm having to take it very easy for the time being.
Non biking wise:
Came off the antidepressants and I'm feeling better than I had for years.
Started my own consultancy business that is far exceeding expectations.
Some inspiring stuff here, personal challenges faced. Great photo's @richpips, my three daughters left home years ago pics like that bring back those good times. OP I get nervous just watching that ridge line walking and the leap of faith
For me not so much, post my knee injury in Dec 2012 the highlights of 2014 where to ski for the first time since injury, never have I been so happy to make a few dodgy skidded turns on a red run, looking forward to being back on the snow in 10 days. A few longer rides 2-3 hours for the first time in 18 months also. New job/location has taken lots of time. Decree Absolute means I can look forward not back. 2105 should be a good one.
Lost my best mate to cancer
Spending more time with my family
Gave up booze completely
Moved to 29er and love it
Completed Manx 100
Top 10 in my first 12hr race
Started proper winter training plan - spending less time with my family.....
My 2014 has been very confused.
I've got too distracted away from Road race series that I failed to gain any real value from them;
I didn't ride my MTB enough, and find myself in the doldrums now because of it.
I spent so much time on the Turbo I've worn a groove in its roller, but to what end?
I really want some guidance for 2015, as I have the ultimate training plan that excludes any enjoyment whatsoever.
*sulks*
Should perhaps add...
Got my nephew his first bike with pedals last week, and he was pedalling properly by the time he got to school. Subsequently saw complaints about his speed on my sister-in-law's Facebook page - apparently he'd nearly taken out 2 or 3 of her friends that day!
Best year of my life!
64 model,life definitely gets better at 50 🙂
Competed in 8 races in my first whole year of MTB
Dyfi Enduro long day 🙄
CYB Enduro 1st in class
Penmachno Enduro 4th in class
UKGE Afan last but 2 🙁 in class but i'll be back next year 😀
Irish Gravity Enduro 7th in class,brilliant time over there 8)
2x one industries and 1 x fusion.
Snowdon Llanberis pass on the bike and lost my bloomin garmin 🙄
Roll on 2015 🙂
^^ pretty good for your first year, well done.
I got myself a new job which I promised myself at the start of a new year - I hated my old one.
I went to Whistler for 2 weeks and actually did cry.
I raced some of the SES stages.
I brought 2 new bikes.
I took the girl to Sri Lanka, which meant that I had visited Asia, which meant that I had been to every continent on Earth.
I turned 30.
Sold the ageing t4 for a sensible diesel estate
Bought a house (well flat but it's ours all the same)
Quit my job and loved having 6 weeks commitment free
Got a job in the local bike shop which was great as a fill in but could never be permanent
Did my first half ironman
Did my first full ironman, finishing by chance with my gf
Proposed to said girlfriend a few weeks later
Got a job by chance that I saw on a triathlon forum which is much more permanent and has real progression
Loving my new job, trying to skim over the stressful parts of wedding planning, really enjoying being out on the bike and running at the moment in a steady but carefree kind of way, roll on next year!
Started the yeah in an unhappy relationship, looks like I'll be finishing it in a happy one.
Got promoted and had a pay rise, my bit of the company got bought so job security is, for now, a bit better - plus I now work in the city I live in so save 100 quid a month on commuting.
Bought a house
Had a good year of riding, ridden some amazing bikes in amazing places. Nico, fab, barns and loic to name a few, but the best rides were with my mates from uni a month ago (I'm in munrobikers photo!).
came 6th at strathpuffer in a quad which is probably my most 'impressive' race result - I don't really race much, but I've got some ace races lined up for 2015...
Blimey , some high quality entries above.
After a dismal 2013 ( hand injury in May = no riding for 3 mths )
2014 brought
1st century on a road bike
Rode the London olympic Velodrome
Bought a 29er and raced it at 12:12
Rode up Le Tourmalet, Hautacam, Souloir and Obisque climbs
Dug trails at QECP, worked on race courses at QECP
Work wise , rubbish .- no change
Home wise , no change
next year , early season road bike trip to Baleraics or Canaries , Alps and Bonty 24.12
Spent more time in Greece this year than we've managed to do in the nine years since we bought our house - we were there for twenty weeks his year, which was absolutely wonderful. The fact that we're almost broke because of it is another matter, of course....
I managed to ride stuff out there that I've only looked at for the last few years, thinking "that has to be rideable but it's beyond me" - it must have been "new bike syndrome".
Tried flat pedals for the first time in twenty years and I'll try to get more proficient with them, my shins will only thank me.
Apart from that, we have two more grandchildren (twins) but, to balance that out, our parents (my Mum especially) seem to be going downhill from month to month. The difference I saw after ten weeks' absence was immense - still, she's 97, so to be expected I suppose. Doesn't make it any easier though.
Got a puppy
Waved Abigale off to start her first Alps trip without me, dont think I could have done that at 16 years old
Had my best Alps trip ever
Smashed a carbon frame and a helmet
Ordered a camper van
Booked the first bit of next years Alps trip
Working from home so planned to get out on my bikes much more regularly, even if for only 3/4hour breaks, it didn't happen, must try harder
Bought three second hand frames (all 26") built three bikes, kept two of them.
Sold two frames
Best organised event of the year: Heaven of the South
First year for ages didn't do Mountain Mayhem, didn't miss it.
Survived a week in the Alps on one of the above bikes-we were very lucky with the weather and had only one washout day, the rest was good, as was the riding and the company.
Less than a week back from the Alps, managed to chuck myself off (a29er) and do my shoulder yet again, advised to keep off mountain biking for two months-end of July till mid September (an old git heals slowly)
Still getting my head round injuring myself yet again, almost back to my normal riding style. I find this takes longer as I get older.
Did spectacularly badly as a team in Oktoberfest, but had a good day out personally as first event after getting back off road, cycling at 8/10ths,managed to gain confidence on each lap.
Not as fit as I was last year, aim to do better next year
Overall had a lot of laughs with a good bunch of mates mucking about on bikes
Lots of fun in the mountains this year, mostly without a bike.
Winter skills course with Glenmore Lodge as a Christmas gift kicked things off nicely.
Full winter traverse of Liathach with a couple of mountaineering friends shortly afterwards was incredible. Standing on top of the Am Fasarinen pinnacles was an breathtaking experience.
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Beinn Eighe traverse the next day made for a brilliant winter mountaineering baptism of snow and ice.
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Grabbed a few enjoyable days being rubbish at snowboarding when it refrained from blowing a hoolie at Cairngorm for long enough to dig out the train.
Took a couple more trips up to Glenmore later in the year as a mock student for Mountaineering Instructor Award assessments for some scrambling, climbing and navigation practice. If anyone wants to improve skills in the hills, climbing, kayaking, biking I would definitely recommend checking out their courses. The bar is good too.
Started indoor climbing at the beginning of the year and was soon trying to get outdoors as possible with a friend who was looking for a new partner. Lots of trips to Aberdour, Limekilns and Trapprain Law and my first tentative and terrifying trad leads.
Did some climbing on the 'Beginners Slabs' in Torridon and discovered that when a climbing guidebook says 'not many gear placements' it means there is absolutely nothing! The terror of my first uncomfortably runout pitch was swiftly followed by ms debaser's first roped outdoor climb. She enjoyed it and we're still speaking, which is a bonus 🙂
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Three weeks off in the driest September since records began gave plenty of opportunity for wandering, camping, scrambling and climbing the Northwest highlands including my first excursions into the Cuillin proper... Wow!
Also made my first, and most definitely not last, trip up Stac Pollaidh. An incredible little hill I could happily spend hours playing on.
Not much biking of note aside from some great exploring around Inschriach in spring and finally doing the Gypsy Glen ride in the Tweed valley. The odd ride in the Pentlands and up in Moray too.
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Aside from that... work, beer, gigs and just bought a house with better riding from the front door. Roll on the end of the house renovations so I can go out to play again.
Moved house.
I'm still here.
Was the fastest person (according to strava) since July down a trail in whistler 8th overall and the highest non sponsored rider.
Some good stuff and some great pics and vids...Out of interest what video software do you use as I use movie maker but crashes my machine quite often and no idea why
Two new jobs, last one seems to fit me.
Some good riding, including a trip to Bali.
Think I have finally dialled in my CC DBAir...I think
Great videos OP and Munro Biker. Not got a video but have done the following:-
- Handed notice in to go travelling, they offered me a 12 month sabbatical, so I took it.
- Finished work at the end of June and was due to go to Morzine for a month the week after, however, 2 days later my partner and his mate collided on a ride in the Peaks, his mate ended up in a head injury unit for 2 weeks and Sean ended up with a broken thumb, so Morzine cancelled.
- Went away to Wales and the Lakes.
- Once the plaster was off had a couple of bike packing trips to the Peak District and Cannock Chase
- Sold the house and the day after completion flew to Vancouver.
- Cycled from Vancouver to Portland via Vancouver Island, the Pacific Coast Highway, Olympia and part of the Seattle to Portland cycle route.
- Drove from Portland to Astoria and then through Oregon down the Pacific Coast Highway to Coos Bay where we dropped the car off and continued by bike over the Californian border.
- Got fed up with the constant head wind and wet weather, so got another car and drove to San Francisco to do some mountain biking.
- Rode Mount Tamalpais, Repack Road, met Joe Breeze, rode over Golden Gate bridge, Camp Tamarancho and China Camp and visited Alcatraz.
- Flew from San Francisco to Auckland. We have been in New Zealand for 5 weeks and I've caught up with an old friend who I hadn't seen for years and met her husband for the first time, kayaked and paddle boarded for the first time, visited Hobbiton and loved it, despite being bored stiff during Fellowship of the Ring and not watching any of the other films. Have also done White Water Rafting, been to lots of beaches, hired a fat bike and ridden at Rotorua, which is great.
New Job.
House rebuilt.
Got married.
One was the best thing I've done, one I'd avoid and the jury's out on the other one.
🙂
Worked my ass off.
Successfully split our honey bee colony.
Sorted out the algae problem in the pond.
Did some decorating.
Did the 24/12.
Crashed at the 24/12.
Ansell- I did mine in Lightworks. I've never made a video before but the basic Windows Movie Maker didn't do what I wanted, and as I'm new to it I didn't want to pay. Lightworks was fairly easy to figure out.
Not a bad year...
Moved to a nice new warm house
Rode the Trans-Cambrian way with my Dad
Finally visited Rome and Pompeii
Lost my Grandad :o(
Visited the Great Wall of China and Beijing
Got into photography
Made the effort to ride somewhere different every weekend
My other half went back to College in August so I've mostly worked this year to help pay for that. As well as the day job (gardener), I've done a load of work for Bike Track People. We sell and hire out portable bike trails. We have a north shore style set up, a portable pump track and smaller features, see saws, kickers, skinnies etc. Had jobs from Thurso to London and everywhere in between. Lots of work in Yorkshire and a week in Glasgow during the Games. The week in Glasgow was especially rewarding as a lot of the kids don't get the chance to get out on bikes much if at all. I managed one weekend biking at Easter down in the Lakes which was immense, apart from that it's mostly been racing kids and teachers on the pumptrack.
Had another child who is ace
Learnt how to jump an 18ft table top
Everything else pales into insignificance 😆
this year has been brilliant!
Started new job, pretty much doubled my income, although you wouldn't think that looking at my savings account.
Put on some dinner.
Traveled Italy and Croatia in the summer. Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
Did bugger-all riding, overall.
Shot my first Red Deer. (A cull-hind, I'm not rich or anything )
Wow what an acheivement, you actually managed to shoot an animal with a gun, did you shout 'it's coming right at us' first? Self defence then you see...
In no particular order:
- Got married
- Broke both my arms
- Learned not to worry about trying to always go faster (learned this after the above)
- Ran sub 49 10k
- Started a new job
- Realised I'm a bit of wuss in cold weather
- Ate a really hot curry
- Installed (read: paid someone to install) a kitchen
- Realised I hate painting walls more than I hate forking out for someone else to do it for me
For 2015 I'd like to go the Alps with the bike; I'm a MTB loner among my mates, so looking for a group.....
Highlights of the year for me so far:
Got Married:
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Got a new job with my current company, with a wee bit of a pay rise 🙂
Spent a month travelling around Germany and Austria as part of said job, where I got to visit and ride some really cool places 🙂
Had a short holiday in Münich with the missus
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Got to be best man at my best mate's wedding 🙂
Introduced a couple back in April, who rather suddenly got wed at the end of last month!
Did a bunch of riding and racing all around the UK, including:
10 Under the Ben
Twentyfour12
Bristol Bikefest (The Steve Worland ride singletrack hard & drink a swig of cider per lap memorial cup 2014)
Mondraker Gravity Rally
Various mini-enduros
and a Weekend's riding around Kinlochleven, Ft Bill and Glencoe as part of my mate's stag do.
All in all, this has been a pretty good year 😀
Wow what an acheivement, you actually managed to shoot an animal with a gun, did you shout 'it's coming right at us' first? Self defence then you see...
Lol! No self defence required. They need culling. Either by faceless government 'gunmen' from helicopters / at night with lamps by contractors where the carcasses aren't even collected.
OR
Sustainably by you, me, Aunty dorris or Dave the builder where they are given the same dignity, respect and admiration afforded to the mightiest of Royal Stags- whilst helping one of our most bleak and hospitable landscapes remain a viable business.
That hind in the pic was the third of five I shot that week and all five, the dates, their weights, the places I shot them, the smell of the heather and the touch of their dense winter coats are indelibly etched into my memory. When was the last time you even looked down at your <insert 99% of food here> and remembered where it came from?
Had a baby girl.
Broke my Eurocamping cherry with the family and caught the Meribel (our first) world cup in the process.
Took my 2 year old boy to his first music festival.
Did BPW for the first time
Did Coey Y Brenin for the first time, and found gold! Real gold.
Went 1x10
Went back to Maxxis
Gave up smoking.
Thread implosion in 5-4-3-2.....
Pretty uneventful unless you count BECOMING A DAD!
Best thing ever. Yes, I wish I'd ridden more. I haven't been to the gym as much as I'd have liked and popping out for a pint whenever I fancied was nice. But playing with my little boy, feeding him, showing him stuff and generally just being a dad is the best thing ever.
Oh yeah, stopped smoking too. Which is good.