Jarrett2

As the year is coming to an end, I've been reflecting back on what I set out to do on the bike in 2015.

I posted in a thread back in December 2014 that I wanted to do 4,000 miles for the year, complete my first century and do a credit card tour or two.

Right now I'm sitting at 42 miles away from hitting 5,000 miles for the year.

I completed my first century on June 27, 2014 at 16.6 mph if I remember correctly.

I did my second century on August 27, 2014 at 17.9 mph.

I've done three tours so far this year as well.

I feel like I hit what I set out to do and then some.

For 2016, I think I am going to take it a little easier Less miles, more trips though. Already have a couple of tours setup for Texas Hill Country and Sante Fe/Taos. Might try to sneak out to North Carolina in October for another tour if the moons and wallets align properly.

What about you? Did you set any goals for 2015?

Beachgrad05

I did ALC and rode every mile

Jarrett2

That's a hell of an accomplishment

Beachgrad05

Was also blocked from FGAA Facebook page today.

Beachgrad05

5000 miles is awesome. My best year I hit 4000 in 2013 but was unemployed the whole year

dr_lha

I wanted to do more miles than last year and I did, 700 miles more. Last year I did one century, this year I did two, and the new one was hilly (6500ft of climbing) and I rode to and from it for my longest ever single ride (113 miles).

Overall I feel like I disappointed myself this year though. Everything was screwed up by my summer which involved a long time away, including my Dad's funeral and managing to screw up interviewing for my dream job (probably not unrelated to the previous thing). 2nd half of the year because of this ended up spotty and it didn't help that I put on weight as well. Still, trying to get things back on track for 2016! I'm not setting goals for that as my wife is due in June and that will really screw up my riding!!!

DrIsotope

Prior to January of this year, I had never in my life ridden a bike just to ride it-- it was something I rode as a kid, then a teenage mode of transport, and once I got to driving age, I was off the bike for near 20 years. I'm not even 100% sure why I decided to start riding this year. It just happened. And as a stay-at-home/work-from-home, I guess I have an advantage when it comes to having time to ride. And I took that advantage.

I have 12 rides of a metric century or longer (62 to 85 miles.)
I rode my first imperial century in September, 109.5 miles @ 16.6mph.
I have ~324k feet of climbing.
As of today I am 176 miles short of 7,000 for the year.

I never set out to do any of it. I ride solo, and I just like to ride. When I joined Strava a few months back, I enjoyed chasing the stupid digital badges (and still do) so that gives me some mini-goals each month. I have some goals for next year-- basically just to mirror what I did this year: 20 miles a day average (~7,300 miles) ~350k feet of climbing, to make it to Onyx Summit (highway 38 near my house, 10,000ft of climbing in ~35 miles) and probably another Imperial. Though with that one, I'm not really sure why. I did the first one just to do it-- to say I've done it. But I don't really see the allure of them. It takes sooooo much time (prep, riding and recovery) and management of nutrition. It's kind of annoying.

And all of this on a Cross bike on 28s! Too dumb to know better!! WOooooo!

Wittyname

Started at 215 September '14 when I picked up my DS. Rode around a little and fell in love with it. February of this year I picked up my Crossrip with the intent of riding the 11.6miles to work a couple times a week once the weather had cleared up; started part-time bike commuting in May. According to my logbook I've commuted 81 times so far this year. Between that and recreational riding, I'm at 3831 miles this year. More importantly, through a change in diet and the additional exercise, I was 177lbs yesterday morning when I last weighed in; I've been hoovering between 176 and 179 for a couple weeks now (CURSE YOU THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS!)

I'm content with my progress this year

largefarva

I accomplished multiple goals this year, some where intentional and some where not. The main goal I had is to get my weight under 220 lbs by sticking to cycling and keeping with it. Well, that was really two goals in one. Check & check. I started out at 298 lbs in May and I got under 220 in the middle of November, and I'm still losing weight. My next weight goal is to be able to say that I'm under 200 lbs. Right now I'm at 203 so I only have four lbs to lose to be able to say that I accomplished that one (and only 5 lbs to say I've lose 100 lbs!!!). With just under two weeks left in the year I very well might accomplish it. That will be a glorious day for sure, as I haven't weight less than 200 lbs since before 2000. Soooooo close.....

I didn't really have a distance goal that I wanted to reach...I just wanted to start cycling and stick with it. I didn't want to find myself discouraged or whatever and lose interest in cycling. I accomplished this goal and then some. Same with my wife as well. Five years ago we bought our Trek Navigators and used them for a few weeks that summer and then they sat in the garage ever since. We started back up this year by getting them tuned up at the end of May. May 31st was our first ride this year. I haven't missed a single day since. It was only a matter of two weeks before we upgraded to new bikes though, a Felt V100 for myself and a Raleigh Alysa 4 for her. We rode the crap outta those entry level bikes. Last weekend though we picked up our Christmas presents for each other, a 2015 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 for myself and a women's 2016 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 for my wife. We absolutely love these new bikes. Needless to say, I'm quite positive that we are going get a lot of use out of them. One of the best Christmas gifts I've ever received for sure.

My next weight goal and main goal for 2016 is going to get my weight down to 180 lbs. I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to get there in due time. It might take a bit longer as I've heard that weight loss really slows down when you start getting lighter and lighter, but I'm going to try my best to get there. Even if I can't get there I'm going to enjoy my new bike and I'm going to love every mile I spend with it. Cycling is a new passion in my life and I am so thankful to have it. My first metric century is also one of my goals in 2016. I hope I can do it, either on the road or in Zwift. I don't care which way I do it...I just want to get it done.

NYSteve

I hit several goals this year.

I rode in 20 miles in the Finger Lakes TDC, and raised $600.00
I put over 750 miles on my bike.

I guess the thing I am most proud of is my ability to get off my ass and go out for a ride. This year on Thanksgiving. My brothers, my nephews, my niece and I all went on a nice paced 14 mile bike ride after dinner. It was so much fun. Before this year, we would have went downstairs to the family room got in front of the tv and yelled at football.

This up coming year. I have several goals planned.
1,000 miles on my bike,
2-3 Tour De Cures,
I want to ride - with my family. Often.

TrojanHorse

LOL, that guy... what did you say? I mean, he's been at it for SEVEN MONTHS now. Most people seem to be able to get it done in toto in 3 months and he still hasn't left the coast. I'm down to checking every other week or so and it's as if I'm reading the page from Newport way back in June or whenever it was. Care bears....

Anyway, I had a goal of 3k miles and I hit that a while ago, so I'm pretty pleased. I also took the family on a bike tour of Tuscany, which was about the most fun I've ever had on two wheels.

My end of year riding has been a bit derailed but I think I'll up it another grand for next year. The stars are aligning a bit with my son's soccer schedule.

Jarrett2

I cracked 5k on Strava today

10 Wheels

Nope: Wanted to ride a century: only got in a 75 mile ride.

jsigone

My main goal was to complete the BWR that almost claimed me on a bike vs car event in 2014. Yes I trained hard w/ my extra credit team for the Belgian Waffle Race at the end of April. And I was able to complete it w/ only one crash in the dirt section. 140miles mixed dirt/paved and only 12kft vertical. Leading up to it I might have over trained, I was doing a century a week in March & April with lots of weekday miles.

After BWR, my son was born a month later. I've been enjoying time w/ family while is still small an not crawling yet. But BWR season is upon me again. Time it pedal in some miles....I hope it harder than last year

Beachgrad05

I did what you do but in past week since return to Florida he's had issue after issue. I finally had to say he should go home, take care of his wife, work on fitness and diet and get a bike suitable to his size, do some actual planning and return to try again in spring. I said the bike he was given was not suitable to his size and ship that gave to him knew that but it was good publicity for them.

Gnosis

My prior highest annual mileage was accomplished in 2012 via 2,259 miles. Each year since I commenced riding in 2011 at age 55 (which was 20 months after my near fatal heart attack at age 53); I’ve had various goals which I’ve managed to accomplish, but none of them were annual mileage goals. I had remained content in simply accomplishing 2,027 to 2,259 miles per year (except for 2011, which was only a partial year of riding via a total of 694 miles—an incredibly tough start to bicycling after the severity of my heart attack).

But having accomplished all of my long distance mountainous goals (in 2013 a 200-mile ride “to and from” Jim Thorpe, PA and in 2014 a 250-mile ride “to and from” my father’s house in the mountains just several miles west and south of Shamokin, PA), 2015 became the year to attempt the breach of at least 3,000 miles (and I was actually hopeful that it would be at least 3,200 to 3,600 miles or higher if possible).

As it turned out, I smashed that 2015 annual mileage goal, so I’m ecstatic at having breached 4,000 annual miles this year via 4,261 miles (and I’ll squeeze in a few more long rides before the year’s conclusion).

RomansFiveEight

Nope. Started the year strong, got really really busy, went on vacation, came back busy. Still rode but not as much. I've resolved next year to 'embrace' my trainer more. I can do a one hour trainer session (late at night, for example) more conveniently than I can get out and ride. So I've resolved that I'm going to stick to a training plan and schedule and ride, no matter what; and probably set lower actual mileage goals.

Next years goal is still a century. Might be the year afters goal, too.

Also going to figure out how to mount my bike to the cargo trailer I pull behind my motorcycle when we go camping (we motorcycle camp!) and bring it on our trips so that doesn't just become a week or two without training. (Or worse... running)

gjhsu

I got myself under 200 pounds!

I've ridden over 2700 miles, which is something I never imagined myself doing. Next year should be even more exciting.

JohnJ80

Had a good year for goals:

1. 2800 miles.

2. Increased average road cadence by 5rpm to 85rpm.

3. Continued weight loss and no gain over winter.

4. Increased average speed over year by 1.5mph from last year.

5. Set up to ride year round to preserve fitness (fat biking during the winter).


If I'm goign to do more miles than this, it's going to be after I retire in <2 yrs. Too much work travel.

J.

Willbird

Stayed alive, hoping to pull that off the full year :-).

rode a century :-).

ColaJacket

I started biking in April. So, I won't use goals as much as highlights. I really only set monthly goals, and I met several of them (I posted in the Monthy Goals threads).

1. I'm less than 10 miles for 1500 miles, so I should make that in my first year of real cycling in 30 years.
2. I rode a metric half century while I was still 50 (a couple of weeks before my 51st birthday)
3. I've got over 25'K (almost 26'K) in climbing (about 17' / mile).
4. I got up a really nasty hill (for me) that I had to walk up twice, without walking.

If someone start a thread for goals for 2016, then I'll post some of next year's goals there.

GH

DMC707

I didnt set any goals in 2015 really --- just the same 'ol crap -- promising myself to drop a few pounds, drink less, etc etc

I did step out of my comfort zone quite a bit by taking up downhill at the end of the DH season. I enjoyed it and i have to admit, the activity suits me --- thats the closest thing to a goal i hit i guess

It gives me a reason to get into real shape again though, as i'd like to hit a couple of races in 2016

bgraham111

Goal: Ride multiple centuries and a Brevet.
Rode: 5 centuries and a 200K Brevet.
Woot!
2016 - still formulating my goals. I'm thinking I'd like to do a 300K. Maybe a 400K as a stretch goal. And perhaps some permanents from RUSA: Randonneurs USA

cyccommute 

This year I had a bucket load of vacation and decided to ride around Lake Erie in April/May. Details of the trip can be found here.

For about a month during the tour, I was the mileage leader for Colorado and I was in 22nd place nationally on the National Bike Challenge. I didn't end that high...work got in the way...but I did beat out my nearest competitor at work by more than 1000 miles. He beat me out by a mere 100 miles last year.

Sometime around September, I notice that I had enough mileage to make a run at my previous mileage record of a mile of miles (5280 miles) which I did in 1988. Family stuff has conspired to keep me from putting mileage in during the warm months and I am consigned to putting in a brutal 400+ miles in the winter. I'm currently 169 miles away for that mile of miles.

bikemig 

Yeah, I wanted to ride 3,000 miles and I did it. I hadn't been riding regularly for a while so it was a good feeling just to make it happen. I'm thinking 4,000 miles for next year.