Thursday, December 30, 2021

2021 Rewind

 

2021 will be remembered as the year of forward momentum. With vaccines we were able to venture further afield, visit relatives, and travel a bit - however awkward - for much needed time away.

In January I accepted employment in the women's cycling apparel industry. Working from home is comforting, allows flexibility, and with a yearly company allowance (and provided gifts) I've explored various saddles and shorts/skorts/capris/tights. My favorite saddle, the Butterfly Ti Gel is a keeper on my mountain bike, while the Coolweather Tights - hands down - are my go-to bottoms for spring and fall. This deep dive into the retail world was unforeseen and whether it will be fulfilling long-term still remains a mystery.

I continued my creative projects in early 2021, with a purple tote bag, plus designing a spreadsheet to track bicycle stats.  

On the bicycle front, another Dahon - a sprightly aluminum Eco 3 beauty - is a fine addition to my collection, bumping the total back to six. I still prefer the Boardwalk's relaxed geometry for longer miles, so the freshman Eco 3 may be reserved for light duty rides.

It's also the year I fully embraced the Rivendell Clem-entine, finally setup to my liking. We went on multiple adventures, overnights and one fine Long Island exploration.

I continue to challenge myself each year with something new. It became necessary as summer gave way to autumn, and with busy early mornings, for after work rides to be in the dark. It's been a slow progression, from sunset rides to gradually leaving at 6 pm in complete darkness for an hour's jaunt. It hasn't been easy to stay motivated - indeed icy paths I naturally avoid - but a destination, and the addition of pogies have helped. "Commuting" has never felt so foreign!

I experimented with overnight camping on my Dahon Boardwalk. I am investigating solutions to carry more of the weight on the handle post. Traveling by folder continues to give me immense pleasure.

For several years, as my riding style has changed, I've experimented with bike setups to improve comfort, whether that's changing handle bars, racks, saddles, tires, lights, or saddle bags. I rode lots of trails in 2021 and foresee improvements for comfort on the flat bar Trek...immediate need is a curved, handle bar with more rise for increased comfort.

One of the best things about 2021 was not bicycle-related, per se, but has a profound affect on riding comfort! I started a daily yoga practice, which increased my flexibility, strength, and balance. My worrying back pain eventually disappeared. As it turns out I sleep better too, plus bike rides are more pleasurable with stronger core and shoulders. Yoga is for me!

In spite of anxiety over travel, my husband and I went on three bike overnights: to visit a friend, to test camping on the Dahon Boardwalk, and a 3 ferry ride on Lake Champlain. We also visited Kingdom Trails in northeastern Vermont, and bike toured on Long Island for a wonderful weeklong beach holiday, in addition to visiting family. With our eldest son recenlty moving to Colorado, I expect future western travel!

With personal 2021 challenges (working from home and early weekday mornings to help family), it's quite a surprise that my yearly bike mileage topped 3400 miles! Adding a new stat to my spreadsheet, I also discovered I rode my bike 254 days. Embracing night time and winter rides was key.

Like many people, we're navigating the pandemic landscape, eeking a little travel if comfort allows. Learning to live within a small sphere - albeit isolating at times - is what continues to provide peace. And, of course, never underestimate the power of a bike ride!

9 comments:

  1. Nice post Annie and I've just Googled Terry's, that sounds a great job. Have a good new year and hopefully lots more biking and biking adventures.

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  2. Happy New Year! Cheers to a 2022 filled with the great variety of adventures and simple two-wheeled pleasures a multi-bike stable affords us.

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  3. Wow, quite the busy year for you!! Hope all works out well with the industry jobs and yes, you do have a very diverse fleet of machines to ride!! Wishing you all the best 2022 can offer and pray it ends on a better note for ALL of us! Happy New Year and ENJOY! :)

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  4. I'm so glad that you've been able to experience so much in 2021, and hope that 2022 will be an even better year.

    I have tried to get yoga into my life on more than one occasion, but just haven't been able to like it or keep it in life, but I think having more flexibility is always a good thing, so I keep thinking one of theses times it will stick. :)

    Happy New Year! Hope it's a great year for all!!!

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    1. Thanks, GE. Your household certainly has had a busy year! I'm sure you'll love your new location. It's certainly an area that I've always enjoyed. I can smell the sage, mmmmm.

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  5. I wish you a Happy New Year and great cycling adventures in 2022

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    1. Happy New Year! Let's promise each other to keep on moving in 2022. I can't wait for my broken big toe to fully heal so I can walk/hike again.

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  6. Happy New Year, Annie! I enjoyed your summary, love how you always exploring on the folders! And you give me further motivation to return to a regular yoga practice. I stopped going it after the pandemic started and would like to get back to it. Good luck with your new employment, it seems like it would be very interesting to experience that side of things given your long history of riding!

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    1. I love Yoga with Adriene on YouTube, so I practice at home. Doable even in my pajamas!

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