Machka 

Name one or two cycling highlights in your life that occurred during 2009.



This wasn't a brilliant year for me when it came to cycling, but my two highlights are:

-- the month of May where I rode 1000 km, including lots of rides of various lengths and in various places with my father, a ride with friends, a ride to see friends, and my first century of the year to honour the death of my cat Sabre.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7617519339243/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7618025603216/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7618308385530/

-- the Pyrenees Magic 100K here in Victoria on November 14th ... my first "long" ride in Australia since I got here in June, and the first "long" ride I completed since being diagnosed with DVT.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7622681266839/
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...udax-Australia

Nick29

It was my first full year riding, so needless to say I improved a lot. The highlight would definitely be doing my first century at the Philly Livestrong Challenge in August. It was kind of a big deal since my mom had just finished radiation treatment for breast cancer in July and I raised enough that I could take both of my parents to the banquet the night before the ride.

zonatandem

Our current carbon fiber tandem rolled over it's 25,000th mile in '09 (yeah, we know all the stories about how c/f doesn't last and disintegrates).
Rode my 26th yearly El Tour de Tucson last month.
Pedal on into 2010!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

caloso

Upgrading to Cat 3. Nothing spectacular, just steady progression and a string of top 5's.

But the best moment was watching my son Lucas, not quite 5 yet, riding the Prologue course for the ToC. Paul and Phil pointed to him from the commentary stand, Lucas then dropped his mom, rode around the course to the cheers and cowbell-ringing of the fans on the sidewalks. Then, since no one stopped him, went around a second time.

mike868y

Doing my first century, doing my first double century, joining my first "team," doing my first race...


...It was a good year!

jtwilson

Machka you are unstoppable! Nice pics as always.

This was my second official year cycling, childhood aside. My major accomplishment of 2009 was a 2 week solo tour from Columbus, Ohio to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky and looping back through Indiana.

Although my cyclocomputer broke the 3rd day, I covered approximately 1,000 miles. I had three days where mileage was between 100mi and 130mi. I skipped two of my planned stops for double-mileage days. This was no less than an epic undertaking for me, as I only toured once before, for a short 4 days with a friend in 2008. Despite a rough time on the first 2 days in the eastern Kentucky hills, I had an absolute blast with no major problems. Touring solo was surprisingly fun and liberating - made all my own decisions, set the pace as fast as I wanted, and generally did whatever the hell I felt like at any given time.

Carbon Unit

Sorry for being negative, but 2009 was not a good year for me and this includes cycling. I had to take the entire year off because of a surgery. However, the good news is that I got back on the bike last week and it looks like I am going to be much faster than before the surgery. My heart rate is much lower on hill climbs and I do not get winded as easily. Now, I just need to build up my legs and 2010 should be great year for cycling.

Daytrip

The bad news is that I was diagnosed with cancer and spent most of the year in treatment and recovering from surgery. The good news is that I set the goal of riding 1,000 miles pre-op, which I was able to do. Then I set another goal of riding 1,000 miles post-op, which I also was able to accomplish--most of it done during chemotherapy. More good news is that's all behind me now, and I look forward to logging many more miles in 2010.

Bah Humbug

Getting my first real bike.

Starting to actually ride.

rnorris

2 new bikes this year!

-Marin Point Reyes, my new commuter with discs- what a difference!

-GF HiFi Pro, my first really nice full suspension MTB. My old Cannondale was a basket case and its model of HeadShok was out of production, so my LBS cannibalized it for parts. The GF is 5 lbs. lighter, I can really feel the difference in climbs and when tossing it around on singletrack.

Nachoman

A cycling vacation to Santa Barbara, Ca, in May with a couple old high school friends.
Perfect weather, great company, lots of climbing and great food. What more could I ask for?

racin jasin

8000 miles,new bike,RABRAI!!!!

idcruiserman

I didn't get hit by a car this year. Picked up a Felt F3C which I really enjoy riding. Also did some tandem rides with my wife which was fun.

mzeffex 

Discovering bikeforums...

nvrlnd7

1. Starting cycling,2. getting my first "road bike"70's schwinn world" 3.Getting and upgrade in the new schwinn varsity,4 all the first climbs 5."the tour de poway" 50 mile ,6. customizing my bike top to bottom,and becoming a bike mechanic along the way. and
last dropping alot of weight,and feeling healthy,and great....

StephenH

Completed my first ever brevet and got a new and faster bike.

acaurora

1. Getting into the sport with a pretty decent aluminum road bike
2. Quickly upgrading to a CF bike. Man this thing flies.
3. Discovering that despite my lack of confidence, I am actually a pretty decent climber?

rydaddy

1. Completed my first double century
2. Finished 4 more doubles and the Death Ride.
3. Raced for the first time (4 crits, 3 road races, 1 TT)
4. Kept the rubber down*



*assuming I don't crash tomorrow.

mechBgon

1. Upgraded from Cat5 to Cat4 by winning the Masters C state RR championship on race #10, after getting into a break with two other riders for about 25 miles. Considering I was only planning to marshal traffic at an intersection until a couple days before the event, I was pretty boggled.

2. Did a fun self-supported Midnight Century (road + gravel + railbed) on my mountain bike at the end of the summer, it was epic

3. Did fun ~1-hour mountain-bike races at a nearby state park, not very technical but really fast with average speeds in the >17mph range.

h0axwa7k

Riding Crested Butte's Trail 401 in early September.

Putting together my new bike mostly all by myself. The day I did two group rides and ended up riding 107 miles on it.

rdtompki

1. First full year cycling after a 20+ year layoff
2. Bought a tandem
3. Rode our first century (in 20+ years) on the tandem (Foxy's in Davis, CA)

botto 

..

dauphin

followed by only a different version of the same thing...

rush_forth

two highlights are my two new bikes this year!

kona lisa rd (my first real road bike - took her out on maiden voyage today 20 miles)
'02 yz125 (dirtbike)

dauphin

I love that red and white Kona you have! Glad you like it!