2017 Biking Goals

@AFHokie 151149 wrote:

Garret County GF

GCGF is a fantastic ride. I would do that again over any other organized ride/race I have done to date. The scenery is just fantastic and the climbs (and the descents) are epic. What a blast. 16.5k feet in 120ish miles is pretty phenomenal. Highly recommend.

@bobco85 151162 wrote:

For anyone new to the forum or feeling unaccomplished in biking for 2016, this image is what this bike forum does to a person (note: I joined the forum in 2012):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]13022[/ATTACH]
Stay on the forum, and you’ll eventually start riding more, joining more clubs, doing coffee clubs, happy hours, Freezing Saddles, the National Bike Challenge, and more until you have no idea how you ever did so much biking.

Also, use this Strava multiple ride mapper tool to see all of your rides combined together on one map: http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php
Here’s my DC-area map for 2016 rides:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]13023[/ATTACH]

I look forward to hearing about all the new riding everyone does in 2017. Do your best, and keep at it!

I’ll second that thought. I biked 1,880.7 miles in 2013, before I found the forum and started participating in Freezing Saddles. I haven’t biked less than 3,000 miles in any year since then. And by 2016, I was up to 4,258.4 miles for the year.

When I started, biking to DC and back required many rest stops, and took way too long to do it on any kind of regular basis. I’m now managing the 25-mile round trip on a daily basis, without needing rest stops at all.

@lordofthemark 151145 wrote:

Oh no! Seattle’s gain will be Alexandria’s loss.

I Agree^ .

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

@bobco85 151162 wrote:

For anyone new to the forum or feeling unaccomplished in biking for 2016, this image is what this bike forum does to a person (note: I joined the forum in 2012):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]13022[/ATTACH]
Stay on the forum, and you’ll eventually start riding more, joining more clubs, doing coffee clubs, happy hours, Freezing Saddles, the National Bike Challenge, and more until you have no idea how you ever did so much biking.

Also, use this Strava multiple ride mapper tool to see all of your rides combined together on one map: http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php
Here’s my DC-area map for 2016 rides:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]13023[/ATTACH]

I look forward to hearing about all the new riding everyone does in 2017. Do your best, and keep at it!

Love this post. Probably what’s going to happen to me as well! Makes me feel a little less cycling crazy – I’m starting to drive people nuts with my newfound cycling obsession.

@hozn 151151 wrote:

GCGF is a fantastic ride. I would do that again over any other organized ride/race I have done to date. The scenery is just fantastic and the climbs (and the descents) are epic. What a blast. 16.5k feet in 120ish miles is pretty phenomenal. Highly recommend.

Were would you place it in relation to Mountains of Misery? MoM has the added benefit of a trip to Blacksburg, but then again, I never need a reason to return to Blacksburg.

2016:
– Rode my first century
– Bikepacked along C&O for 2nd year (accomplished w/above)
– Started commuting to work (avg 1x per week)
– Rode in my first race (Shenanduro)
– Started racing cross
– Picked up a new bike

2017:
– 3K miles
– C&O again
– bi-monthly century
– meet more people
– commute at least 2x a week
– Can’t race Dirty Kanza…any suggestions???

Oh yay! I was going to post something to this effect anyway, but more fun to join the group:

2016 Highlights (tl,dr: a lot of firsts):
*Participated in Freezing Saddles for the 1st time
*Logged every mile ridden in a year for the 1st time — 4,500 even! (Strava reported 439h 3m, or ~18.25 DAYS in the saddle)
*Overcame concern for weather, work schedule etc, and rode 330/365 days
*Destroyed my National Bike Challenge mileage goal with 2,680.8 mi–only missed one day! (Goal 2,500; Last Year’s Total: 2,300)
*Got my husband a bike and riding for the 1st time since graduation from college (10 years ago!)
*Fixed a flat on-the-road for the 1st time (all by myself :cool:)
*Participated 1st multi-day ride event (RVA2DC – 156mi over two days)
*Survived my 1st bike theft with the love and support of the local community (aka you guys)
*Did more group rides, and riding with others in general
*Enjoyed some “bucket list” experiences such as tooling around Tokyo on two-wheels, riding an ocean tailwind in Singapore, tearing up the Lakeshore Trail in Chicago, and roll-on/roll-off with Amtrak
*Completed a 50 States ride without losing the cue sheet to rain

2017 Goals:
*Ride 5,000 miles or more in 2017
*Surpass last year’s distance in the National Bike Challenge and Freezing Saddles
*Learn how to ride with cleats
*Participate in a shop ride with my LBS
*Marshall a signature WABA ride (50 States?! :eek:)
*Actually attend a coffee club
*Ride to the Chesapeake on a random weekend
*Do more than one century
*Not have my bike stolen
*Watch the 3rd season of Yowamushi Pedal and start Long Riders
*Be more active on the forums!

The wonderful thing about cycling is that each year seems to get better and better. Especially after I met up with you guys! Here’s to a new and improved year!