So how has your 2021 cycling year been?

[vickster]

Slow start - thanks to ankle surgery in Dec 2019 and knee surgery in April, I didn't really cycle outside at all until the second May BH once cleared by physio (I've also had several 10 day isolation periods thanks to pinging and Covid at end of October) .

As of today, I'm just shy of 2400 miles, plan to get to 2500 by end of year, weather permitting. No long rides really, don't think I've done more than about 50 miles on any one day, but lots and lots of 10-20 mile days. (relatively) little and often works for me in avoiding pain during and after rides.
I did have one stupid fall, went to put foot on pavement and just missed, grazed, bruised ankle and bum I'll put it down to battling Covid (positive test the day after) and a bit of peri-menopause clumsiness

Next year plans, just to carry on plodding on, think my best year was 2019 with around 3.5k miles, so I'll try to better that, health (and weather) permitting Maybe try to get a 100km day in, if not 100 miles

 

[cyberknight]

pretty good till november the 19th when an insect went in my lughole and i lost control of the bike and broke my collarbone so awaiting surgery to plate it.
pre crash i was getting in a metric century most weekends as well as commuting, managed 2 imperial centuries too as steady pace considering the pandemic not to shabby.I was on course for at least 6500 miles but if you include any rgt rides i am doing i will be just over 6000 now for the year.
Now i am just doing virtual rides most days till i can ride outside again which will be probably mid feb where i plan to get back to fitness again and hopefully covid permitting a few sportives

 

[Sittingduck]

January to May was virtually zero time in the saddle. It came off the back of a 2020 that was along similar lines. Pretty depressing to go from being a reasonably active rider a few years ago to a slow decline in the recent 2 or 3 years. Weight inevitably went (back) up, like way up...
All the bad things that go along with that had crept back into my life and it wasn't until June this year that I drew the line. For numerous reasons the vast majority of time spend in the saddle since, has been on an indoor trainer. However, I have made the beginnings of a long return back to some semblance of fitness. I have even done a few outdoor rides and will continue spreading my wings in the Spring again after the rotten winter has past by. I know the virtues of actual road miles vs indoor but for now, have been happy to shed some weight and build some cycling fitness back into my life. Next Spring I will join a club and continue exploring outside - maybe tackle a 50 miler then a hundred one day in the summer... it is depressing to think how far that sounds now, given I used to bang them out weekly (and more), not that long ago. Actually come to think of it, that all started to decline about 8 or 9 years ago in terms of such distances / frequency, so it was a fair while ago, how time flies...

To summarise - started very badly - stopped the rot - turned it around - long way to go next year though - happy new year!

 

[DCLane]

Very quiet this year; few big rides, no specific events apart from a couple of small audaxes. Less time trials than previously and only one hillclimb. Oh, and my final crit race after the last one in 2018 ended in a DNF.

Commuting re-started after an abrupt cessation in March 2020, just once a week though. And that's now stopped (probably) until September next year as I'm scheduled only to teach from home until then. Fitness has dropped massively, particularly due to no commuting, meaning the zwift racing I've been doing with the CCC Team from here wasn't great. I lost the summer period due to workload and have only recently started to get my fitness back.

The only different element has been track racing, where I've done a bit of indoor and outdoor racing. I managed to get my 3rd cat licence, which I'll renew next year.

I'm at 5483 miles, which is really low for me. I might make 6000 but tbh it's unlikely.

2022 looks a bit more interesting; either LEL or PBP pre-qualifiers and I've a lot of time/leave owing from work. The decision whether or not to ride LEL comes in the next fortnight but either way I've booked about 12 audaxes already. Alongside that should be a bit of track racing at Scunthorpe/Derby and some TT's.

 

[postman]

Nothing have been told not to by the consultant dealing with my hydrocele.Mind you I have cleaned the bike often.

 

[numbnuts]

Crap - Conclusion – could do a lot better, if he applied himself
sounds like my school reports

 

[fossyant]

Still no massive miles, but hours are up on last year despite November being written off with a broken toe, and general 'stuff' going on in December. A good 10 months out of 12. That said, I've finished for Christmas and have just done a little over two hours this morning, and if it stays dry, I'll be out most days.

Main positives.

Started road riding again Refurbished my Ribble 653 and it looks bloody great if I say so, turned out ace. Managed a 2 day, 150 mile speedy ride with two other CC'ers to my caravan in September and home next day. Got thoroughly drowned an Penmachno a few weeks later on the MTB - ace.

Also back to commuting by bike when in the office - saves £6-7 in fuel each day (although that went to pot recently - WFH again) - not commuting on the road, but the canal - adds a different challenge, but all good.

 

[chriswoody]

Surprisingly good all things considered. My daily commute to work has continued all year, pretty much uninterrupted due to lock downs. I also started the year riding several evenings a week in the cellar on Zwift, then as the days grew lighter, I curtailed my Zwift sessions and headed out into the forest of an evening. Pretty much every weekend this year has seen me outside in the forest, come rain, snow and occasional sunshine. I have no idea of my yearly total, but it's a fair few thousand kilometres.

Trips wise, I decided it was wise to stay local and to that end I've managed two fantastic trips whilst still observing local Corona rules. I've discovered much more on my doorstep than I realised was there. March saw me take advantage of a good weather window and I spent three days cycling around the Lüneberg Heide:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bikepacking-the-lüneburg-heathland-of-northern-germany.273703/

Then in Summer I headed into Berlin and rode out into Brandenburg:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lost-in-brandenburg-five-days-around-the-märkisch-oderland.277551/

Busy planning some future trips now, as well as still discovering new and exiting trails in the local area.

 

[PaulB]

Once the parkruns came back, running took precedence and I don't think I've sat on a bike since August. I think my longest ride was 66 miles and my highest month was 240.

 

[Venod]

Very much like last year with no big rides but 7500 miles with 370,000ft climbing, by the end of the year should be achievable, 8000+ last year, one new bike built for winter duties a Spa Elan Ti.
One improvement was the return of MTB Orienteering races, I think I managed four this year, and a second improvement is a return to running after a five year break and the first parkrun since 2013 but at a much slower pace.

 

[All uphill]

The cycling year started well for me with a determination to have a better time after 2020. By late April I was fitter than I have been for many years; then Ms AU had sudden health issues and I felt it important to stay local and accident free. Nights away were out.

Since then I have kept up the number of rides, mostly between 10 and 35 miles, but not had the long days out and adventures I had hoped and planned for.

I have cycled on my own a lot and taken far more photos and explored more churches, and had far fewer cafe stops.

Probably ridden around 3000 miles this year, and have enjoyed most of them.

 

[ColinJ]

My year has been unspectacular. In fact, only 2 things have stopped it being pretty dismal...

1. Despite the pandemic, I still managed to get a few good forum rides in. It was great to cycle with fellow CycleChatters again.
2. My sister has retired to Devon and I have been down twice this year, exploring by bike. (I bought a bike off @Venod's son which I left there for future rides in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall.)

I'm hoping to organise a Devon/Somerset ride with @Ian H in spring 2022, but I am feeling apprehensive after reading about his exploits earlier in this thread! I will try to time a 100 km forum ride for the day after he gets back from a hilly 600 km audax ride and needs a rest... He says that he can be persuaded to take it easy!

 

[harlechjoe]

That Pashley bicycle has really attractive design features and hope you enjoy many further adventures together. The first year of lockdown was great for cycling on traffic free roads that were usually too dangerous to cycle on. Over the past year fewer coronavirus restrictions enabled longer distance rides with overnight stays that I hope you enjoy reading. www.harlechjoe.wordpress.com

 

[T4tomo]

Not as many miles as last year, which was an all time record for me. 2020 I did far more midweek evening miles as was working from home more and evenings were better so would tear out for 20 miles at 5pm etc.
Also knackered the ankle in Sept playing hockey so that was 8 weeks off the bike and a gentle start back. Hoping to get a couple more rides in by end of the year if the weather holds.
On the plus side I bought and did up a 1980 Holdsworth to add to the stable, so miles down but bikes up!

 

[Dave 123]

A new dog, a new business and a new life.

I’m still cycling, but the mileage is much shorter. I don’t seem to be able to get up and do a morning ride, I much prefer the afternoon these days.

South Devon has plenty of hills for me.