2015 Riding Resolutions

paul.skibum

So new year is supposed to bring new year resolutions for everyone to follow.

I was thinking of resolutions specifically related to riding, mine are:

- don't blame the bike - accept there is a skill or bravery deficit and its not about the bike (most times)
- enter some races - I have my eye on a few events here, NIMBY 50, Sea to Sky Enduro series
- learn to manual - a skill that continues to elude me, once the valley snow clears, get out and start practicing!

Anyone else got any goals for the new year?

jfry94

To ride at least once a week.
Stop dragging my brakes as much.

ilovedirt

Ride more... That's pretty much it.

cooldad

I'm going for a ride every time Cody makes an excuse not to.

I will be super fit and a riding god by the end of the year.

The Rookie

That's 4 rides a day?

Hoping to hit 1000miles in place of driving (work and grocery shopping) this year, last year was messed up by two many overseas trips. And also get out more on the MTB as the trips plus pneumonia took it's toll on that this year.

robertpb

cooldad wrote:

I'm going for a ride every time Cody makes an excuse not to.

I will be super fit and a riding god by the end of the year.

Amen to that.

I'll be riding like the Devil for some balance.

Rad2474

To get around a few more trail centres ,only been to Hamsterley and Chopwell, if you can call Chopwell a trail centre that is.

rockmonkeysc

Learn to relax in DH race runs and cut out stupid mistakes.
I really want to clear all the Enter The Dragon jumps on my xc bike. I can do it on my DH bike so there's no reason not to. If anything it should be easier without 200mm of suspension soaking up all my energy as I boost it.

Antm81

Ride more
Ride better (skills course already booked)
Enter at least one round of the PMBA enduro series

batmo

Ride more = Think about work less = Increased sanity.
Also I must make an effort to get the most from my "new" bike.

bartimaeus

I'm going to ride a lot more with my son and his friends... and I'm going to have a proper go at learning to manual and wheelie (sorry, "powered front wheel lift" - though I can do the front wheel lift bit, it's just that I then fall off).

Cody

Well, cooldad, you'll be riding moon miles this year by the looks of it. Lol kidding

I have 2 trips planned this year, one to South East Asia or Pakistan to be specific for about 3-4 weeks and one to UAE or Saudi Arabia for 2 weeks. Apart from that I won't have any more time off from work to enjoy lots of day time riding except on weekends. I have lots of riding planned over the course of the next 6 months and as the days get longer I will be doing lots or want to be doing lots of riding. My waist size has gone from 34 to 38 in just under 2 years and, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, ideally want to get down to a 32" waist.

My dads house project is nearly finished, I found a long term tenant for the house who wants to stay for at least 4-5 years so, whole house needs to be painted and finished soon by January 16th. Once that's out of the way we then have to focus on my dads brother who is in hospital suffering from terminally ill lung cancer, and as I speak doctors say he's only got a few weeks left to live. Other than the cancer issue, I can't plan that far ahead anymore, I'm taking each day as it comes, the most I'll perhaps plan ahead is a week in advance. I'm trying to set little goals a few days at a time so I can prepare and work on them. The reality is I'll set 4 goals but only achieve 1 in a week. And, I need to figure out why that is.

I was also wanting to join the local gym so when on days I don't go out to cycle because of bad weather, I will do it indoors instead.

But yeah I will try and try this year, it's not hard. If some of you who are beginners can do it then so can I. I've had lots of encouragement from other users on this forum which I really appreciate and am grateful for. I will do it.

cooldad

Dude, this is 'Riding Resolutions', not 'Non Riding Excuses'. You have a million posts devoted to that already.

Try simplifying.

Push bike out door. Sit on said bike. Ride.

How farking hard can it be?

Chunkers1980

Very, if you're a moron with issues

buddy_club

Double the mileage compared to last year.
Get good GCSE's (=money for new bike)
Become riding god.

Angus Young

Learn to ride.

ilovedirt

buddy_club wrote:

Double the mileage compared to last year.
Get good GCSE's (=money for new bike)
Become riding god.

This - 2014 saw me double the distance (and almost double the time) I rode in 2013. Hoping to do the same again this year.

Ferrals

Ride more, go to gym more when it's too dark to ride.
Try to rebuild confidence on drop-offs.
Do as many xc races as I can and improve my results
Try to get kom on a few strava sections where I'm in the top three (sad I know but a good way to train!)
Do all my own bike repairs and get better mechanically
Win the lotto and build dream bike

BloggingFit

Build a couple of trails very local to me which I have already checked out.

One is a short steep run with a potential gap jump towards the start that just needs a take off ramp built up. Plan is to get this built and clear this confidently at speed.

The second is a much shorter steep run with a small vertical drop in the slope up top and then a bigger not so vertical drop from flat further down that has a long run off area that silly needs clearing up. Potentially we can link the run off to a trail further up so needs a bit of work cutting this in. I'd like to clear the first drop with speed that will allow for really good momentum to get distance off the second drop.

Third trail itself needs no work and is a nice tech singlet rack down the edge of a small ridge but I would like to add some access to it by cutting in a switch back trail through some small trees along side rather than use a main fire road to the top and having to hop over a small two foot fence. This requires by far the most work however I have noticed small fox runs through some of it so can utilise these.

Other than that just try and ride and not be too side tracked by another baby on the way in March.

Caveman_Chris

Find the 'secret' routes at chopwell.
Get some decent air on the jumps(which I can pump brilliant) at the beginning of chopwell's bottom section.
Hamsterly, keilder, blanchland and tweed valley.
Attend fort bill World Cup
Grow some balls and keep off the brakes
Grow some balls and learn how to manual (twisted my knee the last time I tried for a proper rat boy one. LPT COVER THE REAR BRAKE)

Rad2474 wrote:

To get around a few more trail centres ,only been to Hamsterley and Chopwell, if you can call Chopwell a trail centre that is.

How does the powerline red grading compare with other reds?

CC

njee20

Well I aim for an annual visit to the podium in some race or other. Since 2011 that's been in team races so I ought to pull my finger out and try and finish in the top 3 of something without relying on faster friends.

This also means I ought to sort out what's left of my winter training, which has latterly consisted of too much bimbling to and from work. so once my PowerTap is back I ought to do some turbo training and actually, you know, get fit.

The Rookie

To avoid bimbling on my commute I set myself a Strava segment to have a 'go' at each day, after 4 years it's hard to get into my own leaderboard, but I still get the odd one!

mcnultycop

Ride new places. That's it really.

njee20

The Rookie wrote:

To avoid bimbling on my commute I set myself a Strava segment to have a 'go' at each day, after 4 years it's hard to get into my own leaderboard, but I still get the odd one!

I'm KOM on virtually every segment on my commute already! Trouble is at this time of year I'm just not quick enough to get anywhere near the top, so it's fairly futile! I was just getting back into training properly with power again and my PowerTap broke. This are conspiring against me dammit! Although that should be fixed soon.

The Rookie

I'm not KOM on any, but I'm going after my own leaderboard......even if it's just comparing my time to the last time I went for it.

My commute is along one of the local road clubs TT routes, so my 26" hybrid with panniers is going to struggle to get far up the order!

batmo

Caveman_Chris wrote:

Attend fort bill World Cup

Did this last year and intend to go this year too.
Such a great atmosphere, real excitement, very friendly. Enjoyed larking with the Pirates and the Pope!

njee20

The Rookie wrote:

I'm not KOM on any, but I'm going after my own leaderboard......even if it's just comparing my time to the last time I went for it.

My commute is along one of the local road clubs TT routes, so my 26" hybrid with panniers is going to struggle to get far up the order!

Makes sense. Thing is training doesn't necessarily mean going flat out over a short period, indeed it's precisely what you don't really want to be doing! 20 minute efforts at a fairly high intensity are more the order of the day! Doing more sweetspot efforts seems a specific resolution though!

Cody

Ferrals wrote:

Ride more, go to gym more when it's too dark to ride.
Try to rebuild confidence.
Do all my own bike repairs and get better mechanically

yh, me too for the above. I'd adgree that I too have the same resolutions.

rockmonkeysc

Cody wrote:

Ferrals wrote:

Ride more, go to gym more when it's too dark to ride.
Try to rebuild confidence.
Do all my own bike repairs and get better mechanically

yh, me too for the above. I'd adgree that I too have the same resolutions.

Your resolution should include working on your spelling.

Chunkers1980

Among many of other things biking and not.

rockmonkeysc

My non cycling resolutions are less drugs, less hookers and only smoke crystal meth on religious holidays (all religions included).
Oh and I must stop swindling pensioners out of their savings.
That lot should get me a place in heaven.