Happy New Year!

Once again, turning the calendar page to a new last digit, now 2017, makes one’s thoughts tend toward reflection and projection. How did the past year go? What was good? What was not so good? And going forward, what might one do differently?

Riding-wise for 2016, the tale of numbers informs:

*  Total riding hours was 544 and change. 155 plus hours on the mountain bike, 175 plus hours riding on the road, and another 25 hours of gravel road riding. 186 plus hours on the stationary bike trainer.

* Using general average speeds for the terrain type, that comes out to just over 5000 actual miles traveled, with another 3350 of equivalent miles going nowhere (but a lot of Netflix time).

* I hit my 500 hour time goal on November 25^th.

* I had 41 days of not riding for the year (11 fewer than 2016), nine of those days were in December.

* For each day I rode, my average was just shy of 90 minutes.
* In the entire year, there were only 8 rides of over three hours, including three event days.

Other highlights of 2016 and looking ahead to 2017:

* The two riding events I organized went well, though I’d like to see more people show up. The numbers were up from 2015 in the two-day event in July, but down slightly for the May one-day event. Always difficult to predict, and you never know what other events you’ll be competing against for participants.

* I added just over a mile of single-track trail at my day-job work site. There are several hundred acres of forest as an untapped resource, and I’ve been putting in 20-30 minutes at least a couple days a week all year pushing through everything from untouched wilderness to 20-year-old scrub grown over cat-tracks (scotch broom in glacial till). All built by hand, letting the terrain dictate the twists and turns.

* Though the Oregon Handmade Bike and Beer Festival was fun, it was a lot of work and expense for the return. I likely won’t return in 2017, even with the date change from October to August. I also likely won’t be returning to the Tacoma Bike Swap in May, though this is a single day event and low cost. The audience just isn’t the market for custom bike frames.

I am eying the Pedaler’s Fair, and seeing about getting some collective energy going with as many Washington custom builders as possible. I see the potential that it could become a Washington version of the Oregon Handmade show.

So looking ahead, I’d like to renew the 500 hour riding goal for 2017, with some different emphasis on types of riding. Not exactly sure how that will look yet, but it will shape up with better weather.

I will continue my two events, with dates still to be determined.

And I’ve got the inkling itch of another single-day happening, something of a ridiculous nature that will be a test of legs, lungs, and mental fortitude. I’ll leave the details for another post.

So to 2016 – thanks for the memories. L’chaim.

To 2017 – Bring it.