A self imposed goal of 300k a week and a Grand Fondo a month seemed reachable in Summer but became almost a distant carrot in the depths of a wet winter. Mexican Daniel's epic "Everest" of Mt Major (Jan.10) was the bait, plenty of pre dawn prologues would be needed to squeeze the kilometres in while employed full time and saving Sunday's as sabbath (for a sleep-in!)
It was a year of 13 Pain Trains, 14 Turtle laps, 43 solo's, 62 laps with the Goats, 149 with the Couldabeens, 120 pre-dawn prologues, 2 Beach Road blasts, a saturated Sam Miranda 125k, a 180k Fruitloop (the last one?), a 120k Benalla Bike Hike, the windswept Tat 200, 2 (cautionary) Adams Family rides, 10 duets with Cate, 3 Couldabeens/Goats Saturday doubles, 6 Michelin's, 3 chains and a rebuilt Mavic wheel.
2016 saw BassoDave's horror crash (and his remarkable 2nd coming), the rise and rise of the Couldabeens Hares and the birth of the tenacious Turtles. I scored a CatEye prize pack (love the new Eason shoes), 33 days were restricted by rain (and twice as many cleaning the bike!), had a hilarious Tour de Pub and a gastronomic Goat Tour de Longleat. A fractured wrist tested my Autumn but a decent Spring diet trimmed 9kg of unnecessary baggage. There were foxes, rabbits, a goanna, a kangaroo (shunted from a passing Nissan bull bar), a horse, ducks and Strava stalkers to dodge but the Baum clocked 16,809 kilometres over 288 rides and Foss burned 538,600 calories (269 litres worth of ice-cream)
So many succumbed to sloth in 2016, a long winter hibernation now taxing their comeback. Not naming names are now dragged along in big bunches, the once deft drivers even shying from the toil of a small train. But summers warmth and winters weight inspires a new beginning, and the bunches slowly inflate, till autumns' cool starts that retirement wheel turning again.
But it's the fun and friendships more noteworthy than the years numbers, always great to share the bike obsession with likeminded addicts and keep an old engine in tune.
So for next year, ponder Rule #5, ride with respect, keep safe and stay upright.
See you in 2017?
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