2011's final blog

Oh well how exciting. Its the 30th of December and I'm pening this blog in my lunch hour, yes I ran out of holiday and am sat at work.....

I have covered 3830 miles since the 28th of March, thats 165 days of cycling too and from work. Fairly freaking awesome acheivement that if I do say so myself. I haven't worked out how much I've saved in petrol costs or the cost of keeping an ageing car on the road but I happy in the assumption that its a substantial figure.

3830 miles! Wow I hear you say....That could get me half way across Kazakhstan!

That ride was never actually an option, I'm just saying...

Summer was fun (that lasted long, not), autumn was pretty and winter has so far been a mixed bag of ferocity and additions. I can deal with the cold, its fierce but I have the gear. I can deal with the rain once you're wet, you're wet (mudguards are a god send) but fuck me the wind can be a pain in the ass. Headwinds are the only thing that stops me posting decent times, the ability to drop my speed from 23mph to 16mph and thats me pushing myself. I hate wind.

Initially I had doubts that I could actually do this, riding 25 miles a day is a fair amount when your used to sitting in a car for an hour each way. I have a real affection for cycling now and a real appreciation for good gear and gadgets. My cycling wardrobe has grown 2 fold since commuting simply out of necessity. Clothes for cold, clothes for wet, clothes for warm. I have a cycling outfit for every weather type the south of England cares to throw at me.

Real highlights and additions for me are my Lezyne power drive which is a simply incredible front light for the money. Altura Night Vision Evo winter jacket which is perfect for the job its intended, ultra visible at night. Altura Night vision winter gloves, which have kept my hands toasty through many a cold morning.

And this.... my Garmin Edge 200 which is something I never knew I needed. Check the right of my blog for ride details uploaded via Strava, not sure why Garmin don't offer the same level of ride detail but they are really missing a trick. I can now race people on climbs which has added a new dimension to my commute, not to mention the added motivation.

2011 has been a good year in cycling terms. I'm fitter, faster, I now have strong legs and with a good winter commuting I'm Aiming for some serious Pb's come spring. Hell I may even enter an event.

Britain Hold the green jersey and the stripes at the same time and the public have finally aknowledged Mark Cavendish's ability.

Here's to 2012.....Cheers.