2024 reflection

[yourguitarhero]

I love riding, in the flow country, a great part of the world!
Very chill

[MuddyPete]

4) Open category for chat
Returning briefly to question one. It's no secret that my mojo hasn't only left me but possibly also the country. That means that it's been a year for thinking and aptly, reflection. Earlier on in the year I read a piece about 'imposter syndrome' and whilst it maybe shouldn't have, it did strike a chord. It provided plenty of opportunity for both mulling and musing as I considered what my 'role' was here and I suppose even whether I still had anything positive to contribute to 'bikepacking' generally. I'm not entirely convinced I yet have all the answers but I do know that I'm not planning on going anywhere .... apologies if that all sounds odd

You've created a legacy: few people can truly say they've done that .

[MuddyPete]

4) Open category for chat! - F it, here goes. On topic for a bike forum and equally a personal vent. From the inside I can tell you, the bike industry is a mess. I don't care why anymore but it's not going back to the way it was.

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a chance to drive change, rather than react to it .

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.go ... RiMTg3YWM=

[Dave Barter]

4) Open category for chat! - F it, here goes. On topic for a bike forum and equally a personal vent. From the inside I can tell you, the bike industry is a mess. I don't care why anymore but it's not going back to the way it was.

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a chance to drive change, rather than react to it .

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.go ... RiMTg3YWM=

Can you spot the irony in the job listing

[MuddyPete]

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike).
All of my 6 visits to mid-Wales this year have been great fun, but the April BaM was a particular highlight. I combined the Wayfarer route with a day of dirt bike riding at the Mick Extance Experience. It was the first time I've ridden a motorbike off road in 40 years: weather was dreadful, but the day was ace!

2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024
Buffalo Windshirt, paired with a fleece or two, has become my standard arrangement this year.

3) Favourite media piece
BaM, probably .

4) Open category for chat!
Keep planning fun things to look forward to .

[MuddyPete]

4) Open category for chat! - F it, here goes. On topic for a bike forum and equally a personal vent. From the inside I can tell you, the bike industry is a mess. I don't care why anymore but it's not going back to the way it was.

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a chance to drive change, rather than react to it .

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.go ... RiMTg3YWM=

Can you spot the irony in the job listing

Dunno Dave. Company car provided?

[thenorthwind]

1. Outing
Has to be the Torino-Nice Rally. I'll stop talking about soon I promise. To be honest, I haven't got many trips to choose from this year - but having one great big trip instead of lots of shorter ones actually suits me fine.


2. Kit
By far the thing that's had the most positive impact on my riding this year has been buying a cheap pair of ergonomic inner bar ends off eBay. I've struggled with shoulder pain for a few years (ever since the 2021 BB200 actually) and tried all sorts of adjustments to bike fit, but these are the only things that have really helped.

3) Favourite media piece
BaM, probably .

I was going to say exactly the same! While my own attempt to join the BaM ranks failed in March when I got violently ill during a Lakeland 200 attempt, it's great to see what other people get up to.

4. Open
I might come back to this

[Richpips]

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike)

Tom and I had a couple of trips to Gairy's valley. One with bikes, and one without.



2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024

SRAM AXS electrickery.

3) Favourite media piece

I sign up to X to follow the Barkley Marathons gossip each year. Jasmin Paris's achievement was amazing.

4) Open category for chat!

I've been making sure that me and the kids go and see both my Mum and MiL as often as possible.

[Specialist Hoprocker]

1). SSUK in the Quantocks. It reminded me of all the reasons why I enjoy getting on a bike with lots of other people.

2). I started my own company and bought a 'company vehicle'. A Bold Cycles Linkin 150. Amazing looking and riding. Ohlins fork and enclosed shock. It even has space in the frame for a decent bag, so I'll be using it next year for some longer trips. It is the nicest thing I've ever owned!

3). Nothing stands out so I'll mention an author I've discovered this year called Ben Myers. The first book I read was The Perfect Golden Circle. Wonderful.

4). After nearly 5 years I think I'm over the long covid. Nearly gave up riding for good in 2022 as it was making me so ill. Sold a bunch of my kit to afford an ebike and that, along with a host of other little measures and time to heal, seems to have done the trick. Unfortunately I'm now also 5 years older so can't manage what i could in my early-mid forties! But I feel well again, and wasn't sure that was ever going to happen.

[riderdown]

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a chance to drive change, rather than react to it .

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.go ... RiMTg3YWM=

The Government Property Agency has banned ebikes from their premises? (They have)

I had an interview for a role there, it's the only time in a civil service job interview where I have been told not to record it, 3 or four times and to confirm I wasn't

It's the one where I got written negative feedback for using a gendered pronoun (you get written feedback carefully stored in the jobs portal) . I shared it widely with colleagues such was the surprise

[riderdown]

By far the thing that's had the most positive impact on my riding this year has been buying a cheap pair of ergonomic inner bar ends off eBay. I've struggled with shoulder pain for a few years (ever since the 2021 BB200 actually) and tried all sorts of adjustments to bike fit, but these are the only things that have really helped.

I run them well inboard reversed L-R with some padding on the exposed bar

[Lazarus]

Government Property Agency has banned ebikes from their premises

Due to fire risk rather than some sort of anti [e] bike position
Do you want your bike burnt due to some poorly maintained chipped electric bso?

[thenorthwind]

I run them well inboard reversed L-R with some padding on the exposed bar

Similar - I run them reversed (took me a little while to work that out) but next to the grips so I can rest the edge of my hands on them. I've moved to narrower bars anyway, and I can still brake and shift reasonably well from that position, which means I actually use them.

[riderdown]

Due to fire risk rather than some sort of anti [e] bike position
Do you want your bike burnt due to some poorly maintained chipped electric bso?

Strange that HMRC allow ebikes and battery charging in buildings they run

Government Property Agency states it will prosecute for theft if you charge your ebike battery on their sites

Possibly start a gofund me for this person from Ofsted https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea ... -scooters/

[woodsmith]

Very much a year of two halves. Started out well with completing my CELTA course with a good grade and then going to Spain on the bike for 2.5 months/5000km. Altravesur, Montanius Vacias, bit of Spanish Divide, bit of Camino, then Eurovelo all the way up through France via Paris to Dieppe. Got back to Blighty on Election day and have hardly ridden since. All plans for the remainder of the year were shafted for the second year running by looking after an elderley parent.

1. Best outing . Montanius Vacias. Just superb.

2. The only new stuff I've bought this year is a big bottle of Orange Endurance tubeless sealant and an un-needed KMC chain to cross the free postage threshold. Favourite kit would be my Rohloff equiped Surly ECR that is utterley dependable. I did buy a new m/cycle helmet. (see #4)

3. Don't watch much cycling related media as it either seems to be race focussed (yawn) or pretentious bollox/ endless product placement. Have recentley been enjoying Lord Hardthrasher on YouTube.

4. Rebuilt my Suzuki RG250WE that I bought new in 1985 and has been in bits in boxes for the last 35 years. Still having a massive struggle with my mental health/ lots of suicidal thoughts, hence my almost total abcence from the forum . Hoping to banish them with a couple of months around Morocco on the Surly again soon.

[JohnClimber]

1) Favourite outing
Bike touring to a self catering cottage on the Isle of Tiree with the dog and wife via the ferry


2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024
Our new Bailey 75-4i


3) Favourite media piece
Discovering the Met Office youtube chanel
https://www.youtube.com/@metoffice

4) Open category for chat!
A big year for us.
Sold our campervan, bought our long planned motorhome, lost the Mother in Law (the last of the wife and my parents), took early retirement (at 56), travelled the UK a fair bit together, lost 2 stones in weight, feeling a whole lot better for the weight loss in myself and my health too. the first time since I was a teenager that 32" trousers are loose on me.
7 months retired today and loving every minute of it.
.
2025 - Having an extension built on our house, lots UK trips and I've entered my first ever long event the North York Moors 300. Wanting to do a longer Coll and Tiree fat biking beach bivi'ing trip in good weather

Bring it on

[jameso]

Happy new year everyone.

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer

Thanks Pete. I think you could be right, though that does look a bit above my level of boardroom experience or mannerism : )

[PaulE]

Happy new year everyone.

Time for a change of strategy perhaps, James? Active Travel England are looking for a Chief Operating Officer

Thanks Pete. I think you could be right, though that does look a bit above my level of boardroom experience or mannerism : )

Looks a decent job for someone though James - why not you? I'm nothing like that level either, but very tempted to put in a speculative application for a job share...

[Boab]

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike)

Have not done much this year, see point four. Sunday on the WRT was pretty good though, especially waking up to the temperature inversion. Also the morning on my October BAM was pretty glorious too.

2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024

Didn't buy much kit, as I wasn't out and about that much to either wear stuff out, or obsess over upgrades. I did buy a new Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT though, as the Vesper quilt doesn't play that nicely with the old Exped DownMat for cooler months.

3) Favourite media piece

Er, going to go with a pair of books. Read both Jenny Graham's Coffee First, Then the World and Lee Craigie's Other Ways to Win, both deeply inspiring, especially the later.

4) Open category for chat!

Well then... Last year was a proper annus horribilis for the family.

Youngest has diagnoses for AuDHD and has an eating disorder; a non-standard presentation of anorexia, driven by the Autism. Eldest also has diagnoses for AuDHD, dyslexia and has gender dysphoria; no further comment on that at this point. My wife and I decided to separate after twenty years of marriage (twenty four years together), she has her Autism and ADHD assessments in February. I found myself sitting in front of a psychiatrist in May, being told I was depressed, that I absolutely had ADHD and that I was Autistic; started on Lisdexamfetamine three moths ago, which seems to be helping, as does the therapy.

I also found out shortly after the WRT that I had no iron, my ferritin level was 13, Dr told me that I should be closer to 100 given the amount of exercise I was doing. Still on high strength iron tablets after eight months, as the level wasn't going up fast enough. Been referred for cameras in both ends to see if there's anything going on inside, no idea when that'll be. At least it gives me a reason why I was so slow covering ground on the WRT and generally fatigued all the time.

Also had another innocuous off in August, when I binned the gravel bike of a local byway and smashed my head and right hip up. Can't remember getting off the byway, or most of the cycle back to the house. My right hip still isn't right, which wasn't helped a few months back, by a high speed interface with the boards at the ice rink after I caught an edge.

An eating disorder on it's own is enough to be getting on with. Gender dysphoria on it's own is enough to be getting on with. A divorce on it's own, even a highly amicable one, is enough to be getting on with. Having to re-evaluate 51 years of your life, your relationship with your parents and how they raised you, why you're a failure, all due to you're undiagnosed AuDHD, is enough to be getting on with on it's own. All four together is just a teeny weeny bit too much, and hasn't left much room for anything else.

Looking forward to a better 2025, as it'll have to be pretty catastrophically bad to be worse than 2024.

[Rapideye]

Boab...I hope things get easier for you and the family. Doesn't sound great. Stick in there.

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike) - Cairngorms Loop ridden late August. Lack of miles in my legs and living in the very flat East Anglia meant I found a lot harder than I anticipated. Completing it though was a buzz, as was the route itself (some annoying sections withstanding)

2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024 - If can choose the Planet X Tempest that arrived in November '23 but not ridden much until 2024, then that is the clear favourite. If not the Blackburn Outpost frame bag. Not much else was bought.

3) Favourite media piece - I watch a lot of bike and bike packing on YouTube. My lounge and main TV is dominated by the Wife's preference of sh*t TV...EastEnders, Place In The Sun etc, so my evening escape are bike or vinyl YouTube videos. I follow a mix of
longer epic rides around the world and those doing more local biking scenes such as Tim Fitzwater. The guy doing the Probably Riding videos in Korea are one's I really like. They allow me to switch off from the crap going elsewhere in my life. Also, Martin Doolard.

4) Open category for chat - big improvements needed for this year. Work is a complete drain but is partly self-inflicted. Marriage is not in a good way and I'm obviously at least half the problem with that, even when I'd prefer to blame the Wife for most of it. Oldest kids (twins) off the Uni and now we have that commitment. You imagine as they get older, you'd have less demands from them? No, not in the slightest, they've taken quite a bit of emotional investment over the year. I see that continuing. Although, they've had a great year too. Lastly, there is a fairly big shadow of failure following me around...not enough biking, not enough weight loss, pretty unhappy with life in general, am I bringing up the kids well enough? Parents getting older. Am I achieving either the small or large things in life? Do I even have friends? Am I even likeable? For the most part, the answer is negative, very little is positive. This year could end up being even more difficult for various things that are looming and I'm not even sure how to prepare for it.

All I can think of is making the small gains and meeting the difficult challenges head on. I have woken up this New Year's Day feeling a bit more positive than usual and maybe that is all I need for now.

[Rapideye]

Now, that was a lot longer than I meant to write

[Tractionman]

for Boab and Rapideye--and Woodsmith--I hope 2025 things pick up for you all, 2024 has been challenging time...

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike) - Scotland in June with my son, on our bikes, he's strong on his Vitus on the hills and tracks, I could not keep up, but the sun shone (most of the time) and we had a hoot, especially in the Cairngorms, precious stuff.

2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024 - toying with getting a new bike, but still can't decide, but for new kit I did buy I am pleased with my new tent, it's a Vango Orion 200, not especially light, but affordable and I like the fact that I can set it up with or without the inner.

3) Favourite media piece - I have watched and rewatched Lachlan Morton's Tour Divide on YT, epic. But equally I love reading the BAM reports here, and generally perusing folks' threads and posts.

4) Open category for chat! - a challenging 2024, having found my Dad a lovely carehome that he was happy with this time last year, he sadly only got to be there for a few months til pneumonia took him a big hole in my life without him, and me in my late 50s now I need to get fitter, especially leg strength, to enjoy being on the bike more and to look forward to summer sun in Scotland again...

cheers,

Keith

me Balmoral June 4 2024.jpg (201.76 KiB) Viewed 2739 times

[Bearbonesnorm]

I genuinely hope it's a better year for those who need it to be.

[Lazarus]

why you're a failure

No parent or partner is perfect, with or without a diagnosis, we can only do our best. Failure is a strong word , be kinder to yourself.as we are all our harshest critic

Hope next year is not as tough on you or rapideye.

All the best

[Keith74]

1) Favourite outing (not necessarily by bike)
Spent a long weekend riding mountain bikes in torridon and had an vaguely exciting time. Just myself in the van with no hassle or pressure. Not had much bike time this year as spent a lot of it coaching and helping my girlfriend enjoy mtb and bikepacking.

2) Favourite piece of kit of 2024.
Has to be the cheap trek I got the girlfriend this time last year. She had never been on a bike for 30 years but this year has pushed herself including doing her first bikepacking trip and a nice few BAM with me.

3) Favourite media piece.
Have read a few books this year and favourite has been Lee Craigies such a great read. Trying to get away from the social media stuff as just end up wasting hours looking at rubbish.

4) Open category for chat!
24 brought the realisation that I’m definitely not getting any younger and being out on chainsaws during storms trying to clear windblown trees isn’t an old man’s game. Also realised just how self entitled more folk are becoming.