Cycling 2023

[Slim]

A dry, bright day out there and I hoped I was sufficiently recovered from my latest round of COVID to do 40 miles or so; enough to get the monthly total to 400.

I set off at midday with the intention of doing about 20 down the southbound route, then turning back. I did feel a bit unstable just after setting off - I don't know if the virus has affected my inner ear or something? I was getting flashbacks to learning to ride my first bike! But I was OK after 15 minutes or so.



I kept going south for 23 miles, and took a left up Lutterworth Road to explore a little. I'd started to ponder the idea of doing a fondo at this point. But I definitely wasn't 100% and I decided to play it safe and turn back.

Back on 48.82 miles. Looking at the weather, that might be a wrap for 2023. 409 this month, 6413 this year.

Really nice out there today. Quiet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10440608721

[dom]

Heading to the UK tomorrow and not coming back until NYE so that's my cycling year done and dusted.

3070kms equates to 59kms a week which is reasonable enough, but I hope to improve on that next year.

I really want to improve on the single fondo I managed this year. Considering I did it as early as May shows that I could have done a few more. 1 a month between May and September perhaps for 2024?

I incorporated Intermittent Fasting into cycling this year. Quite nervous to begin with I started with a 10km spin which seems ridiculous now looking back. I now comfortably can go for 50kms without having eaten since the evening before.  Hopefully I'm benefiting from the endeavour. I have lost weight (7.5kg since I started in March) although that was never the principal aim, more to ensure that I look after my heart health and have no need for any more interventions from heart surgeons.

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed a grand total of 8 miles today. It was enough, especially as after yesterday's troughing, I still felt like I'd had the contents of a cement mixer tipped into my stomach...

[David L]

Finally got a short ride in today, the first for around a month. Decided to use the MTBs as the roads were still a little damp, although figured it was far too wet to venture off-road.
Noticed my front tyre was a little soft when I came to get the bikes out so gave it a top-up. Not particularly surprised when it was virtually flat around halfway through our 16 mile ride. Found a thorn in the tyre and, luckily managed to pull it out quite easily. New tube fitted but noticed the valve had settled at a bit of an angle. Couldn't be bothered to straighten it up so cracked on.
Definitely not warm today, a good few degrees lower than yesterday. Nice and sunny when we got up this morning but by the time we set off, we'd had the best part of the day. Enjoyable, all the same. Just nice to finally get a ride in.
Once home I decided to straighten the tube I'd fitted. Once happy, I pumped it up fairly hard but couldn't quite believe it when it had gone flat after a couple of minutes. So, now had two tubes to fix! After fitting a brand new tube, I decided to mend the punctures immediately. Damn if there wasn't two thorn punctures in the first! I checked the inside of the tyre so hopefully that second little blighter is no longer there. The second tube had a small tear, as if I'd pinched it. Anyway both sorted now. Frustrating but pleased with the new patches I recently purchased.
Hopefully get out again at the weekend or on New Years Day.

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed to get out on the roads between rain, wind and guests. Roads were surprisingly dry where the wind had got to them, but piss wet everywhere else. Luckily I'd noticed a road closure due to flooding before I'd set out. It certainly looked deep when I passed by on my avoidance route.

The roads were bloody busy though today, where's everyone going? I spent the best part of five minutes waiting to get out of junctions. An old bloke turning right at one junction waved me out, but was oblivious to the fact that the 100 cars behind him were now coming by on his inside and that there was a constant stream of traffic coming from my right, together with a gusty wind. I had to wave him through when the traffic to the right got a gap in it.

Got 25 miles in, which still leaves me nearly 30 miles behind last December and the weather's not looking promising for the weekend.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10455804399/

[Slim]

I thought I might get out today but rain came down in the afternoon, so I didn't. The forecast tells me I won't be going out again before January, so the 2023 cycling campaign is complete.

Although I hadn't intended to, I covered more distance this year than ever. I managed 6413 miles, beating my 2020 tally by 102 (and last year's total by 936). September was my highest-scoring month (628 miles), March the lowest (303).

I did 38 fondos this year, 9 of them covering more than 100 miles. My longest ride was Sutton Bridge and back in June, 181 miles. Pleased to have done Northampton and back a couple of times as well, and Wales and back. I'd taken in all of Leicestershire's neighbouring counties by March.

Didn't do Newark and back this year which is a shame, will make it a target for next year.

I did 127 rides in all (120 last year).  My average ride distance this year was 50.5 miles which I find amazing really. The median distance was 43.2.



My Roubaix came top of the distance league with 1461 miles done. My least-used bike, despite getting a new pair of wheels in 2022, was the Cannondale (313 miles). Probably because it needs a bit of fine tuning and I haven't got round to it. I'm pleased to have got 1094 miles out of the second Boardman, because I replaced a broken freehub spring myself in late 2022 with a generic freehub spring purchased from Amazon, and I don't completely trust it. Perhaps I should.

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed to drag myself out for an hour this afternoon, which was nice. Good to finish off the year with a ride, I'll treat myself to a nice Chimay and good Scotch to let in the New Year.

Just a 17 miler, but it'll do. Brings my annual mileage to 5,756 with 419,475 feet of climbing at an average of 16mph.

That's my lowest annual tally since 2017 and the first time in 4 years I haven't managed 100 miles of elevation gain, it's also my slowest ever year, could be age, more likely to be the Gravel bike I bought this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10469169472