1,402km 13,481m 21 rides 58hrs (mostly in cafes ( and pubs) )
For some reason, I’ve just had my biggest January on the bike for a long time. For the last few years, I’ve started the year slowly. In 2022, I had a slow start, due to a little fall on my Gravel bike. In 2021, I was moving house, and life was generally getting in the way of riding.
This year the cycling stars seem to all be in alignment. I emerged from Covid relatively unscathed in late December and was straight back into it. Let’s not forget that this year, I’m actually trying – I’ve said yes to a few rides where the old me would have said no. I’ve pushed a little harder on the pedals here and there and I actually seem to be getting a little stronger on the bike. Trying – who knew?
Lots of my cycling buddies were on holiday for most of January. We were blessed with fine weather, so we did what we do best – just rode our bikes, drank coffee and talked trash. To be honest, I was glad when those pesky friends of mine went back to work – all that riding was getting a bit much!
I’ve also had something coming up in my calendar that has kept me motivated. I’m now only seven weeks away from my next cycling adventure – Smiddy Challenge Tasmania, where I’ll be riding 675 km + 7800 m of climbing over 5 days with 60 or so friends and soon-to-be friends as we raise money for cancer research. I’m not really worried about my fitness for this trip, but I’ve done enough of these to know that the fitter you are, the more fun you have on the days (and nights) on tour. I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few Sundays training with some of the Tassie riders and I can’t wait to go on tour with them.
In terms of ride highlights for January, nothing spectacular really stands out. We did a few rides on the gold coast hinterland but generally rode from home for most of the month.
How was your January? Let me know in the comments below
