Saturday, December 31, 2016

2017: The Preview

The theme for 2017 (which isn't a good goal because it isn't measurable) is to make the most out of my health while I still have it.

Here's the list, in no particular order:

  1. One century per week
  2. One Everest
  3. 12,000 total miles
  4. 1,000 MTB miles
  5. 2,500 commuting miles
  6. Ride across the country (South to North)
  7. Century in 6 new states
  8. Ride across Nevada in 2 days
  9. 3 bikepacking trips
The first 3 are repeats from last year. This will be my 5th year of riding a century per week, and it's still fun and keeps me in relatively decent shape all year long. It will also be my 5th Everest. I'm not as obsessed with Everesting as I was a while ago, but it's still a huge accomplishment and a ride you'll never forget. I haven't decided which climb to do yet, and that process is half of the fun. Riding 12,000 total miles is less about the number and more about just wanting to ride a lot all year long. As long as I'm riding as much as I want, I'll hit that number no problem.

The same goes for goals 4 and 5. I'm not completely concerned about the numbers. I just want to ride my mountain bike about once per week and 1,000 miles is a little under 20 miles per week. Seems reasonable. I also want to commute about once per week, which works out to around 2,500 miles. I'm not as hardcore about commuting as I used to be. I'm fine being a weather wimp and doing most of those miles during the summer.

Goal #6 is the one that will keep me working all winter. I was looking for a big adventure this year, something to focus on similar to how I focused on Petoji in 2015. Something big that I could look back on at the end of the year and feel good about. I was looking at rides in Europe and there was one in particular that caught my eye, but it's a 2-week ride and it's questionable as to whether I can build up enough vacation time soon enough for that. I get a lot of vacation time at my new job, but I'm still new, so I don't have much built up yet. I shifted my focus a little bit towards shorter rides. That way I can have an adventure, but I can build up for something big next year and still have time to focus some energy on goal #7. What I came up with was more or less a half Petoji. I want to ride across the country from South to North. It's a fun goal. I could do a loop somewhere, but there's something satisfying about riding across something. I'm not sure why that is. I did a rough draft of a couple different routes and it's possible to do the ride in 1,500 miles. That means I can do it in 10 days. 150 miles per day is a lot. I wouldn't want to do that for 2-3 weeks, but it's doable over 10 days. I'm still ironing out all the details, but here is the route I'm working on right now. I still plan on doing it credit card style with no support, but I plan on using a rack and panniers this time mainly because there are some long stretches between towns on this route and I'll need to carry more water. There's not a ton of climbing and most of it is early on in the ride, so the extra weight shouldn't hurt me too much. I'll post more details later on, as soon as I have the dates set in stone.

Goal #7 is probably the second most important goal, just behind riding a century per week. I have a long-term goal to ride a century in all 50 states. I'm halfway there, but I haven't made much progress in the last 2 years. I really want to pick things up this year. 6 seems like an arbitrary number, but I wanted to do 5 last year and didn't do any, so I added 1 to that to remind myself that I need to step it up. This is very achievable in 2017. I work  4-day weeks now, so it's easy to take a weekend trip and have some fun.

#8 is something that I've been wanting to do for a while. I've just had other things that I wanted to do more. I'm putting this on here to sort of force myself to do it. I always had the idea to try to do it in 24 hours, but honestly I think that will suck a lot of the fun out of it, so I'll give myself 48 hours instead.

#9 is similar to #3-5. The number of 3 trips isn't a big number to obsess over. The main thing is that I want to take a few bikepacking trips. There is so much to see around here. I want to get out and see more of it.

There you have it. Those are the goals for 2017. There isn't' one huge goal that will catch your attention on its own, but when you add them all together it will make for a solid year and an improvement over 2016.

2016: Year in Review

First, a few numbers:

12,084 miles

776 hours

701,904 feet
1 Everest

58 centuries

1 double century



Now let's look back at my goals:
  • One century per week
  • Century in 5 new states
  • One international century
  • 12,000 miles
  • One Everest
I did them all except for the 5 new states. Missing one goal isn't so bad, but I missed by a long shot. I didn't even get one new state this year. Needless to say, that will be a big priority for me next year.

At the beginning of 2016 I knew it would be difficult to top 2015. It's hard to top riding across the country after 10 years of dreaming about it. All of my numbers are down from last year, which I fully expected.

2016 got off to a good start with my week of riding in Tenerife, but the rest of the year didn't live up to my expectations. After I broke my hip in 2014 I told myself to make the most out of my health while I still have it. I didn't go big enough in 2016. I'm setting bigger goals in 2017. This time next year I want to look back at the year and feel like I actually learned my lesson in 2014. It's not that 2016 was a bad year. It just wasn't good enough.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Week 52

Date
December 27, 2016

Distance
100 miles

Strava Link
Week 52

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
That's it. I accomplished the goal and rode a century every week. That means I've done it in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. The only thing that stopped me was the broken hip in 2014. I'll be back for number 5 in 2017.



2016 was a busy year off of the bike and it certainly wasn't easy, but I never really felt like it was in doubt this year. I may have been working 7 days a week for a while and there were times when I had to wake up earlier than I would have liked, but there was never a big snow day on one of the days when I absolutely needed to get my ride in. Aside from injury that's the thing I fear the most.

It's always nice to reach a goal, but my mind is already drifting towards 2017. I have plans to make it bigger and better than 2016.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Week 51

Date
December 19, 2016

Distance
101 miles

Strava Link
Week 51

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
It was a cold day, but the sun was out and there wasn't any wind, so it wasn't that bad.



I did another mountain bike ride on the 18th. That ride went a lot better than my first ride. Most of the ride was on smoother, flatter roads. I did some more difficult stuff towards the end of the ride and had an easier time keeping the bike moving. Then again, this week's roads were kind of sandy while last week's roads were more rocky. Things went slower, but I felt like there was better traction. I'm still trying to figure out where all the roads go. It's fun. I'll see a new road and want to turn on it to see where it goes, but I don't even know where the road I'm on is going, either.






Meanwhile, there's only one week to go. That's hard to believe. I'm working on my goals for next year and I'll have those and a look back at this year posted by January 3rd at the latest.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Week 50

Date
December 13, 2016

Distance
103 miles

Strava Link
Week 50

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
I got back from my trip earlier than expected, so I had time to squeeze this ride in today. I was feeling tired, but look at that weather. There's no way I could pass it up. Who knows what the weather will be like on Sunday.



I haven't given a tubeless update for a while. I'm still very happy with the new Hutchinson Intensive rear tire. I have a little over 1,400 miles on it and I still haven't noticed any punctures yet. The tire is still in very good shape and hasn't started to square off yet. There are a few small cuts, but those are entirely expected. There are no big cuts at all. I'm very happy. So far it's everything I hoped for out of tubeless. I should just buy a new pair of these tires after this one wears out, but I probably won't be able to resist the urge to buy a different brand just to keep experimenting.

The year is almost over. Only 2 weeks to go. There's always something to aim for. I still haven't hit 12,000 miles for the year yet, so that goal will keep me going over the next 2 weeks.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Week 49

Date
December 5, 2016

Distance
100 miles

Strava Link
Week 49

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
I did back-to-back centuries on the 4th and 5th because I'll be out of town next weekend. This is the same route I did two weeks ago, but I'm new to the area, so I'm not bored with it yet. There was more snow to look at this time.


The weather was good again. It was a little colder and windier than yesterday, but it was still good weather for December. I haven't done back-to-back long rides in a while, but my legs felt fine. Both rides were relatively flat, so that helps. I just feel like ever since I completed Petoji I've been able to to back-to-back rides without much of a problem. Can the physical effects really last more than a year? Probably not. I think it's more of a mental thing. Speaking of Petoji, I may have something shorter but similar happening in 2017. More on that in a few weeks.

I followed these two rides up with a mountain bike ride on Tuesday. That's right, I got a new mountain bike and I'm planning on riding it about once a week. There are a lot of potential MTB routes within a decent distance of where I live now. It's going to be a big learning experience for me. I haven't done any real mountain biking in the past. I did a century in Alaska on a MTB, but a lot of it was on pavement and the gravel portions were on a smooth gravel road. "Gravel bikes" didn't really exist back then, but would have been perfect for that ride. 

My first ride was short and involved a lot of walking. I was in over my head quite a bit. I'm hoping to do some easier roads over the next few weeks to get my skills up a little bit. The problem is that I don't know the conditions of any of the roads because I'm new to the area. That's not ideal for slowly building up my skills, but it is a lot of fun and I'm eager to explore. I just need to have realistic expectations. I'm not a good bike handler. I'm going to suck for a while. The biggest thing will be not getting frustrated with myself. It was a weird feeling on Tuesday. Physically I was capable of pushing my legs and my lungs a lot harder, but skill-wise I couldn't keep the bike moving. I did get frustrated at first and I was wondering why I bought the stupid MTB in the first place. But even over the course of that ride I could feel myself getting a little (and I do mean little) bit better. I'm hoping I can just keep it fun. I take myself a little too seriously out on the road.


Monday, December 5, 2016

Week 48

Date
December 4, 2016

Distance
100 miles

Strava Link
Week 48

Route Map/Profile


Weather


Ride Report 
This was a simple out-and-back towards Dayton. The weather was about as good as you can hope for this time of year. Highs were in the upper 50s and there wasn't much wind.

December is here and there are only 4 weeks to go. If the weather keeps cooperating it will be a pretty easy 2016, but you never know what the future may hold. Deep down inside I think I secretly hope for at least one crazy week to put things in doubt. I don't have any wiggle room for Week 50. I'll have to do that ride on December 18th. That might be the one.

Week 47

Date
November 24, 2016

Distance
102 miles

Strava Link
Week 47

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
Thanksgiving ride. I have a lot to be thankful for because I'm finally moved into the new house. There is a ton of work to be done, but I'm really enjoying the change of scenery. This will probably become one of my standard routes.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Week 46

Date
November 20, 2016

Distance
100 miles

Strava Link
Week 46

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
I had to earn it this week. It was one of those days where it felt like I had a headwind in all directions. On top of that, I haven't been riding enough lately and I'm out of shape. On the bright side, I didn't get rained on very much and I was rewarded with an awesome sunset towards the end of the ride.






Next week is Thanksgiving and the year will be over before you know it. Make the most out of 2016 while you still can.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Week 45

Date
November 8, 2016

Distance
107 miles

Strava Link
Week 45

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
The one good thing about being homeless for a while is that I get to ride some different routes. I've ridden all of these roads before, but never in this combination. It's mostly a flat ride with a 6 Mile Canyon loop thrown in at the end.

My work schedule changed and I'm going to have to ride early for a while. If you look at the weather chart, you'll see the pros and cons of riding early. The good news is that I beat the wind. The bad news is that it's cold out there in the morning this time of year. It was nice and warm towards the end of today's ride, though.

Morning fog
Quick tubeless update: I'm much happier with the new Hutchinson Intensive tire. It's definitely a tougher tire. I have almost 800 miles on it so far and I haven't had any noticeable punctures. The tire is still in really good shape. There aren't any cuts and it looks like it has a lot of life left. Riding the Intensive on the back and the Fusion on the front has worked out well. I get the nice, softer feel of the Fusion on the front where it's not wearing out so fast and there's less chance of a puncture. At the same time, I get more durability and flat protection on the rear. I think I can get 2,000 miles out of the Intensive. We'll see how it goes.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Week 44

Date
November 1, 2016

Distance
100 miles

Strava Link
Week 44

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
October is over. I only got in 818 miles for the month, but there's been a lot going on and I'm still within reach of 12,000 miles for the year. November's going to be another busy month, but I'm pretty sure I'll make it.

Meanwhile, today's ride was a simple out-and-back on US 50. I was feeling lazy and there wasn't much wind, so it was a good day to do this route.



Saturday, November 5, 2016

Week 43

Date
October 25, 2016

Distance
101 miles

Strava Link
Week 43

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
Windy Day route. I rode on Franktown Road for the first time since the Little Valley Fire.




There were a lot of thoughts running through my head, but the main thing I came away with was the thin line between luck and disaster. Some of the houses were very close to the fire, yet somehow didn't burn down. What was the difference? Was it just the random path of the fire?

It seems like we're all so close to disaster more often than we realize. Just think about the simple act of riding a bike. One wrong move from a driver and we could be dead in an instant. One flat tire at the wrong moment and we could ride off the side of a mountain. Not to mention deer and horses. Yet somehow it all seems to turn out just fine. I've ridden over 125,000 miles and I've only really had one serious incident. Even that could have been much, much worse and for the most part I feel like I came out on the lucky side.

Keep on riding while you still can.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Week 41

Week 41

Date
October 11, 2016

Distance
102 miles

Strava Link
Week 41

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
Foliage was killer this week. Check it out:





I even saw some deer. It was a beautiful ride today.


I'm officially "homeless". I'm not exactly out on the street, but I don't have a home, either. I'll be in hotels for the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be all set by December. Right now I'm in Carson City, which isn't a huge change. My new place will hopefully be more of a change. Nothing's official yet.

Tubeless update time. My new rear tire is a Hutchinson Intensive. You may be wondering why I went with another Hutchinson. It all came down to price. I got a good deal on this tire and couldn't find as good of a deal on another brand. I don't have many miles on the Intensive yet, but it made a good first impression. It definitely has a more durable feel to it than the Fusion did. The Fusion had a more supple and grippy feel to it. That's expected. You're going to give up a little something in exchange for durability. So far there are no cuts on the new tire and it pretty much looks as good as new. That's already a difference from the Fusion. I have high hopes for this tire. We'll see how it goes.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Week 42

Date
October 18, 2016

Distance
101 miles

Strava Link
Week 42

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Ride Report 
It was quite a week as far as weather is concerned. It started out super windy. Then there were 3 fires in the area. Then it rained for a few days straight.

The biggest fire was the Little Valley fire, which burned near Franktown Road. If you pay close attention to my routes you'll know that I ride in that area very often. It's pretty popular with cyclists, and I see other riders out there all the time. I know cyclists can be annoying to local homeowners, but I've never had an issue with people out there and motorists give me plenty of space when they pass. I wish everyone out there the best.

You may notice that just one week ago I was whining about not having a home, but at least my home didn't burn down. Just another reminder that we should appreciate what we have while we still have it.

Anyway, this week's ride was a lot like last week's ride (super scenic), and this time there was snow to add to the scenery. It looks like the foliage is past its peak but it's still pretty damn awesome.