2013 was my trial run at full-time cycle commuting, and I gave myself a lot of latitude about driving when it was miserable, or accepting rides, generally trying to keep it fun. In 2014, cycle commuting became just another thing I do: still fun, often my favourite part of the day, but also a matter of routine so that I no longer considered it as a question each morning. I set a goal to ride 8000km in 2014, up from 5000km in 2013, and hit that goal with a few weeks to spare.

I learned a lot - a lot - about my bikes and about myself during that year of non-negotiable riding: bikes don't wear out as fast as forums might lead you to be believe, and obsessive maintenance can be its own kind of mistake; and there's a limit to how many days in a row you can push the pace. I got really sick this spring because I didn't want to take any breaks for illness and just kept making things worse. This year, following the pattern I've set in the last few months, I'm being more intentional in structuring my 'training' inside my commute rides, not just hammering every time I get on the bike.

2014 was a very good year; I've got great hopes for 2015!