Darth Lefty 

Today was the last ride to work for me this year, so that means it's time to look back. Check your entries in the mileage thread and think back on your year. How did you do? Did you set goals (for mileage or budget or fitness), did you meet them? Did you learn, were you happy? What does 2019 look like?

Previous iterations
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...lf-2017-a.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...lf-2016-a.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...lf-2015-a.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...lf-2014-a.html

Darth Lefty 

I got a new bike. I'm loving it so far.

This was the most commuting miles I've done in a year so far since I started keeping track on this site in 2014. This can partly be attributed to a schedule arrangement whereby I exchange the truck for the bike at lunch, so the nanny has the three kid seats, three times a week. Still I was surprised to see so many miles, since we moved and my ride is shorter and lamer now, and the move and some other things made me take a few separate months off.

I think my 2013 was bigger - it was my first full year living with my wife before any kids and the year I read "Just Ride." But I guess I wasn't keeping track, probably because Grant inspired me not to at the time. All the other years since have had monthlong interruptions of one kind or another. 2019 might have some medical interregnums - on my own part this time.

acidfast7

Last commute is today.
Was hit by car.
Drank too much and a few other accidents
Child on way so need to behave from now on.

mcours2006

Thanks for the reminders from previous years. It's always interesting to go back and read with was going through your head in previous years.

This year certainly could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse. I was hit by a drunk driver from behind early on a Monday morning back in February. That was the bad part. I did not sustain any serious injuries. That was the good part. Very good and very lucky.

I rode less this year. I'm probably at 8,000 km this year, down from about 9,000 last year, and 10,000 the year before. No reason. Just rode less on the weekends.

No new bike or significant new year other than the usual replacement stuff--helmets, tires, chains, brakes, etc.

Hoping for an injury and crash-free 2019.

locolobo13 

Back in mid '16 I set a goal to work up to 100 mi/wk. Not a forced "Have to" goal. But when I can ride to work every day and can ride one day on the weekend. Increased my weekday commute distance to 15 mi. That left only 25-30 mi for a weekend ride.

So far this year total mi is 5600, commuting is 3100.

RidingMatthew

I always have the greatest intentions of writing something for these threads but I never do. So to get something out there this year here is my recap for the past couple years.

In 2016 I rode 6535 miles and saw my lowest weight in a long time. It was a great year for riding too. I did ride across the state in 5 days. I also rode my first century and felt good while doing it. Overall, I rode a lot and I think it was hard on the family my time away.

I attempted to strike more of a balance in 2017. I also wanted to find more fun rides aka mountain biking or rides with my son. I rode 5469 miles and felt like I got on the mountain bike more, not as much as i would have liked but more. I think I probably rode with my son more too.

2018 at this point in the year 3735 miles I have a few more days to work this year so I will be riding some more but I am way behind where I have been in the past few years. My body weight is up a little bit more than I would like. We have had one good week of riding followed by one poor week of riding ALL YEAR LONG. (Deluging rain, 14" of snow already (twice our yearly amount), 2 hurricanes, and of course flooding have conspired to keep me off the bike more than I would like.

But...
I also bought a new bike Salsa Journeyman 650B for commuting and I love the wider tires and disk brakes. I hope to do some rail trail riding and bike touring in 2019. I would like to do a trip with my son by bike if possible. We also bought a new house that has some dedicated space for bikes and so I can also set up my bike trainer. I think that 2019 will be a good year for riding.

It is currently raining supposed to get over an inch of rain today alone ...so much water.

KOM =Keep on Moving--->

esmith2039

Going to get my goal of 2k barely. Between conserving energy from home repairs and concussion missed a lot of days. Same goal for 2019.. 2k and hopefully no injuries!.. don't need any more bikes but hoping to get my bike room built. Would like to ride a little bit in Thailand when we're over there for a month.

madpogue 

You alright? Was there a drone or a Dutch eagle (or a plover or a dead parrot) involved? Oh, and congratulations.

2018 - I stopped logging miles years ago. The commuting, overall, was.... "different". There's always construction in this town, but this year was over the top. To the point that EVERY route option to work had a road torn up. So I took to MTB commuting. Came in handy late in the summer when we had several flooded streets, calling for the occasional bunny-hop up a curb.

Back to all-season cycling this fall for the first time in a LONG time. It's been strangely mild here lately, however. So to "assess" overall, I fell much better prepared for.... whatever they throw at us, wrt both equipment and readiness/willingness to adapt.

Koyote

My commuting goal was to make it through another year as a one-car household. Was a success, with not too many days of having to share the car with my wife, who really needs it for her commute.

Also, didn't get hit by any cars, didn't crash, never got too soaked that I didn't dry out in a reasonable amount of time.

RubeRad

sub so I get reminded to come back later with a real reply. Today is also my last commute, but bike is downstairs so I can't check my mileage right now (plus I'll get some more miles in the remaining days)

Andy_K 

My mileage goal for the year was 3000 and I hit that last weekend. I had a lot of fun riding this year including many great recreational rides with friends. My non-commute mileage was the highest its been since 2013, and that year was higher than usual because I trained for and rode Seattle-to-Portland. My commuting mileage, on the other hand, was lower this year than it has been in any year since I starting tracking. I'm at 1370 right now and hope to add another 20 tomorrow, so that's not terrible, I guess, but much lower than usual. Mostly this has been because I have avoided riding in bad weather. I'd like to improve on that next year.

Papa Tom

My commuting miles are nothing to brag about, as work is fewer than three miles from home and I only commuted from April to early November (or maybe late October). But the experience gets more and more precious as I get older and closer to the point where I'll either be physically unable to ride, mentally unable to ride, or too self-conscious to drive past all those cars filled with rowdy high school kids(!) I'm really in the zone now, so I wish the roads around here weren't so dangerous to ride on those dark, cold mornings in the winter time. I'd be on the saddle every day from now on.

I've put on a few uncomfortable pounds since I put the bike away and my Size 32 skinny jeans are starting to leave goofy imprints in my skin, so I am counting the days until the 2019 "season" begins. I don't think it will be much different than the 2018 season, though, which is just fine.

Steely Dan

as i've done for the past 11 years, i rode my bike to work every work day unless i had a compelling reason not to.

we moved into our new home back in january, and my one-way commute distance grew from 5 to 8 miles, so my total mileage is probably up a fair bit this year, but i don't really keep track of that kinda stuff.

i was (low-speed) right-hooked by a car back in february, but both body and bike came through mostly unscathed. thank you, Pizza God!

the kids are both another year older and we're still a one-car family, so the dream is still alive!

no motor?

I keep meaning to review what I learned this year and what changes I should/plan on making for the new year but haven't done so yet. This year was more eventful than usual, and I need to plan for 2019 to be ready for more changes too.

Kedosto

Injury and huge increases in vacation time meant less commuting miles. With more than a week to go, I'll still not break 5000 this year. Errand and MTB miles are down too. There just seems to be so much going on these days. I've turned three road bikes and one MTB this year, but I've stuck with the AWOL for my commuting simply because it just works so well. The flat-bar AWOL is also a keeper. They're both just so right for me. The wife's broken leg and subsequent knee repair have pretty much taken her off the bike completely. It looks like I'll be thinning out her inventory spring '19. Maybe it's time to explore tandems?

Otherwise, my general plan is to keep on keeping on.


-Kedosto

madpogue 

Awol?

Kedosto

Specialized AWOL. I bought it about two years ago thinking I would build up a belt drive commuter/tourer. Got antsy and ended up building it up with a Tiagra groupset instead because it was immediately available. Still haven't done any further digging into the whole belt drive idea -- it's been working so well as it is. Picked up a second AWOL that was a size too big (it was a deal) so converted it to flat bar. Essentially, AWOL = 1990's MTB in a 29'er configuration. Or, take a touring rig and an MTB and put 'em in a blender... AWOL. (aka "Gravel Bike")


-Kedosto

no motor?

2018 saw me commuting and riding less due to having an abundance of problems outside of riding that kept me from riding. My Mom fell and broke some bones, leading to her first move in 45 years (and by her first move, I mean we did it before she got out of rehab), getting ready to move myself, combined with some other "stuff" I dealt with this year meant less riding time whether it was for work or fun. Most of that has or is resolving for now, and this leaves time to address some of the things that happened this year. First is my lights started to fail. I've got a new front light on order from the Performance store closing sale, and after almost getting rear ended the night before Thanksgiving I've got a new rear light ordered to replace the PBSF that doesn't work in the cold. I'm also going to dress more conspicuously, the day I almost got rear ended I was trying out a different jacket and was wearing a black softshell instead of the bright yellow jackets with reflective trim that I usually wear.

Archwhorides 

Solid year. 3,000 + commuting miles with no collisions or injuries. This Fall I sold my car and bought a dedicated snow and ice commuting bike, which is rock solid and allows me to ride the slick-tired roadster on the good days. I'm looking forward to this winter!

JoeyBike

I cut back to 3 bikes that I actually USE. Had as many as 6. Not adding any in the near future. So that was odd for 2018.

Otherwise, my commute is 10 miles a day, 5 days a week. Easy math. Don't even track that with the GPS. Plus, I don't own a car so every trip to the doctor, store, etc is by bike but not much distance per trip. I think I rode 50+ miles three times this year as well just for fun.

So this is about 2500 utilitarian miles whether I like it or not. I don't do many pleasure rides.

Most of my leisure time is spent on skates and skateboards (longboards). Those miles and hours I do track! 2017 I had 3170 skating miles (equivalent distance from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon). This year likely won't quite make 1800 due to bad weather and minor injury that dragged on for a few months. So 2017 I had 365 hours skating. 2018 only 240 hours.

I'm satisfied.

zacster

This year I commuted as much as I could by bike, generally 2-3 times a week. I don't know how many miles were commuting as my ride log includes both commuting and my road bike riding. In any case, due to my training last winter indoors I found I was always pushing myself during the commute as if I were on the road bike. The only things that kept me from commuting were the weather and after work events. My alternate commute is on the NYC subway and that's just been horrendous lately so I tried to avoid it as much as possible.

I'm doing the same training indoors this winter as last so I'll come out as fast and strong as ever.

JoeyBike

Ha! I was the same way for 28 years. Then two things happened. 1. My city got bike lanes and greenways everywhere so i no longer feel compelled to keep up with inner city traffic for safety reasons, and 2. I got rid of all the road bikes. I still crack 20+ mph here and there but waaaaaay more chill for the most part. Part of getting old I think. Turned 60 in April. New outlook on life!

Archwhorides 

Phat chance, 60 is the new 30! And it's not polite to ask how I know this.

JoeyBike

Yeah, New Orleans is not known for it's fitness community. My level of fitness is probably about the same as your average NOLA high school cross country runner. However, I am well aware that things wear out over time. I would love to cycle/skate well into my 90s MODERATELY and with all my original equipment than to over do and need new knees, hips, and shoulders. I kept the same weight as high school at least.

Wisdom with age. Hopefully. I still don't really dig getting passed out there but have improved on just letting that go as well. Sometimes.

Darth Lefty