Well, looking at 2016 I can say that…
I learnt several basic skills in bike maintenance and I tried to apply all of them on my trusty land ironclad named “Thunder Child”.
I discovered the importance of preventative maintenance, particularly on the drive train, and I set both a weekly and a monthly schedules to clean it routinely. I got a cheap bike stand and I constantly modified my steed throughout the year, helped by a ton of suggestions and opinions of experienced cyclists I found here on BF. For that I’d wish to thank each and every one of you. Not one of my question got unresolved by a simple search on the forum, and many more ideas started to tickling my mind, reading about your experiences and solutions and taking advantage of your expertise and knowledge.
Writing on BF has also helped me to refine my skills in English written production.
I ferociously committed to commute by bike, (4S/AW four seasons, all weather) on my heavily customized hybrid, and I think I can safely say I’ll have the honor to finish the year as the first of the European BF users on the Mileage Thread (forgive me about this little bragging, and above all: kudos to every other European fellow bike commuter
).
In addition, cycling has helped me to control my weight and I finally had my abs “six pack” back.
In 2017, I’d be quite happy to match and possibly exceed 2016 in terms of volume and frequency of cycle commutes.
My other goals for 2017 include:
- improve my very basic maintenance skills and apply them routinely on the Thunder Child,
- avoid traffic-related accidents, and possibly near-misses, too
- maintain my fitness level and weight, and possibly improve them by adding an upper body workout to my commutes and utility runs;
- realize and employ both my DIY studded tires and bike-mounted DIY car horn.
- use my trailer consistently for grocery runs and general utility duties;
- strive to continue to promote cycling to colleagues and friends as a healthy (even though not really “safe”, at least here in Italy) alternative mode of transportation.
Based on the assumption of 0.50€/Km, I could estimate that I saved approximately 750€, by riding my BUV (Bike Utility Vehicle) instead of my car.