Photo: Cleaned and ready to take to the LBC for her winter service.

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the outgoing year and think about our hopes for the new one.

My 2018 cycling year is over. After giving it a good clean I took my winter bike to the LBC for a strip down and full winter service. She’s my first bike, she’s now 4 years old and has clocked up 21,000 km.

I’ve had an incredible year on my bikes. Acheiving 15,000 km for the first time was an end of year marker, but the year was full of great experiences.

From starting this blog on the first of January New Year, new blog to cycling over every bridge across the Thames from Tower Bridge to Windsor A bridge too far to teaching ride leading His name was always buddy to five days winter training in Málaga Mind the gap, Robert de Niro’s waiting, Talking Spitalian, Twin turbo, Let there be light, Guilty pleasure and Málaga revisited to my first 300km night/day audax Oh what a night to circumventing the capital London Revolution to riding ahead of the Giro d’Italia Naked in the Alps to my first 600km audax Sleepless in Spilemberto to the Pansèrs first twinning trip Pansèrs invade London to cyling between midnight and midnight 500k in a day? to six days climbing in the Alps Raid Alpine Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to ICC Remembrance Sunday ride to St. Albans Lest we forget to my first UK Audax A long engagement to finally to complete my 2018 15,00km distance target Over the line.

One highlight I’ve yet to mention was receiving a nomination for the Special Contribution Award for ICC’s annual awards. It was for organising the twinning events between ICC and the Pansèrs. I had no expectation of winning, especially as I’m only in London for half the year, but I was thrilled to have been nominated. I still have no idea who it was, but if you are a reader of this blog, then thank you.

Back to the bike. In the LBC we discussed all the work needed on her. It was a long list. It will be an expensive start to the new year when I get her back. Still, I am promised she’ll be as good as new. After more discussion Kleber upgraded his promise to “She’ll be better than new”. Quite a promise.

Looking to 2019, one adventure dominates the year. My first Paris-Brest-Paris. A 1,200 km 90 hour ride in August. I’ve got my pre-qualifying 600km ride done but I have a series of qualifying rides (200km, 300km, 400km and 600km) to do between January and June. I will let you know how I get on.

So for 2019, a better than new bike, new face and new adventures.

Safe riding and best wishes for the new year.

2018 totals

15,175.1 km | 134* rides | 113.24 km average per ride

147,602m elevation gain (16.68 Everests)

634 hours and 59 minutes on the bike

*The ride figure is lower than Strava as I have allowed for when my Garmin/Wahoo recorded them in two or more parts etc.