Assess yourself for 2016!
I recently posted to this Fifty Plus Forum thread,“New Years cycling resolutions”
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
My perennial cycling resolution is 5000 miles in a year, never attained,
mainly due to too busy at work (but I do like my job). This year, with a Christmas vacation, I may reach 3K.
But I ride mainly as a year-round commuter of 14 miles one way
as often as possible, and extend the commute in nice weather, even for my long (greater than 40 mile) ride on Saturdays.
…
Nonetheless, this year was a virtual metamorphosis in my decades long cycling lifestyle. In March, the Wellness Consultant in our organization started a three-month long Fitness Challenge that motivated me to ride much more starting earlier in the year, and I got in almost 150 miles a week near the end. I came in third of about 40 participants and our team of five came in first.
Concurrent with the Fitness Challenge, she held a series of workshops about fitness and diet that really compelled to change my lifestyle, to eat much better (better choices and portion control), and resume my previous daily yoga practice. Unfortunately,as summer came around, my colleagues (and I) started taking vacations, and the workload increased.
In August, I developed plantar fasciitis, and couldn’t safely mount my bike for about a month. So I deteriorated for couple months, but in December tried to resume my prior improvements. However, last Sunday, two days ago, I slipped on ice (not on the bike), and injured my shoulder, and I’ll have to see how that progresses, though I have been able to ride my bike.
Finally, on the equipment side, I recently posted:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…After40 years of cycle commuting on a year-round minimal one-way 14 mile route,
I have this year finally assembled IMO, the perfect bicycle fleet:
- One nearly year-round dry,clean-road bike (carbon fiber road bike,except for deep winter with lingering salt)
- One year-round wet, dirty-road bike (aluminum road bike, just recently acquired)
- One winter bike for anything (steel mountain bike with Marathon Winter studded tires always on, for the least possibility of ice…)
The first two bikes are smooth, easy riding, and easy to carry upstairs;the third is a heavy and significantly tougher ride… I'm very happy with my SpecializedS-Works for dry weather riding but my Cannondale Mountain bike was pretty heavy and cumbersome as a Wet/Winter beater.
So I recently bought a Specialized Diverge Elite aluminum bike as a wet weather beater, and it rides nearly as nicely as the S-Works.The ride and shifting of the Diverge is as smooth as the S-Works, but the feel is more ”solid,” with 30 C tires. I think this is a great all-purpose bike… [and last Sunday I mounted studded tires.]
So now, the Cannondale will be reserved completely for only miserable, sloppy, studded-tire riding, maybe about 3 to 4 weeks during the winter and my riding needs are completely met. I liken my three bikes to a Lamborghini, a Lexus, and a Humvee.
In case you have read this far, thinking TL;DR (too long; didn’t read), understand that
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I have been an avid cyclist, as a lifestyle since about1972…I happened serendipitously on Bike Forums in 2008, and it was frankly incredible to find a community that shared so many concerns I had kept to myself as a lone cyclist.
This enthusiasm has definitely increased my enjoyment of cycling. As far as improving it, what I have gotten directly from BF [include]:
- …
- the opportunity to post and literally "journal" my thoughts and activities about cycling and lifestyle (even if nobody else reads them), but which I wouldn't write down otherwise…
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-20-16 at 07:09 AM.