Your year in review:

Cookie_Monster

So we already have a thread about you plans for next year but were you happy with your year's accomplishments (or lack of:p) this year?

For me it was a really good year:

lost 7kg
Cycled 7,107km (so far)
Climbed 64km of vertical
Completed the W200 and HH155
Eleven cycles above 100km, 2 above 150km
Got a shiny new Canyon Roadlite

Got to go cycling in Irl, Italy, USA and NZ.

Not bad considering I only took up road biking in Jan

feck sake lads

nope my worst year ever b ut we did manage to increse the membership in the drogheda wheelers and we even managed to get some ladies out in the leisure group , my next mission is to get a touring group set up now that would be fantastic follow something on the lines of the fellclub in the uk or ctc well no harm dreaming.;)

CptMackey

I was happy with joining a group. Gettin in 3 sportives. Cycled away more this year. Started climbing hills more.

Regret the hours I work tho. Miss every second weekend with the group. Really started to fall behind towards end of year

Apart from that a good 2011

shaneward2004

Started cycling in June

Joined local club end of August

Cycled 4,082 km - 144hr 41m

Climbed 28,452 meters.

ednwireland

tour of knockalla
tour of sligo
tour of the poisoned glen
lap the lough
tour de breffni

didnt loose any weight still waaay too heavy

came near the end of most of them enjoyed them all .

2 Wheels Good

Did the ROK and the Alpe du Huez Etape in the space of a week in July, 2 great days out!

Wheely GR8

Cycled off 3.5 stone since august on a hybrid bike ,hopefully getting a road bike soon on the BTW ,bring on 2012.

VanhireBoys

Joied Local Cycling Club West Coast Wheelers last year after 23 year layoff...!

Met a great bunch of people who fall into friends category..

Rode about 6 sportives with "Dirty Half -Dozen" a group of renegade over 40's on 80's bikes hho are mad into social side of cycling

Had some superb nights out with above

Had a big Off and wrote my beloved Moser off .. Got a 1988 Peugeot 501 built up and ready for 2012

All in all 2011 was a great year .. Feel sorry for my daily driver Volvo which hasnt seen 3k miles this year..!

If you see a bunch of lads dressed in period gear with period 80's bikes ...Give us a wave or a push ...! We will be struggling

Dirty Half-Dozen Consists of....
Me - Peugeot/Shell (Phil Anderson)
Fitz - Carrera (Stephen Roche)
Daly - La Vie Claire (Bernard Hinault)
Ronan - KAS (Sean Kelly)
Darragh - PDM Chrome Tapes (Pdero Delgado)
Eric - Panasonic (Robert Millar - well before he became a trannie )

We will be out and about next year for sure on sportives and the odd time trial .. We dont bite... Come up and give us a while of your craic...!

feck sake lads

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

Cycled off 3.5 stone since august on a hybrid bike ,hopefully getting a road bike soon on the BTW ,bring on 2012.

jesus explain how you managed that .:eek:

Captain Havoc

I didn't get as much done as I'd liked have, first up was the Wiggle Cheshire Cat, which I struggled on but finished,.


Next up was the MCC 200, another one I was probably too unfit for but stayed at back of group long enough to finish.

Took a trip over to Craggy Island with hail2dathief:


Summer solstice cycle from Dundalk to Dublin and back over night in June.

Spent eleven days cycling to Switzerland via the Col de l'Iseran:


Did the Carlow humpy hundred and was the fifth person in (not a race, I know).

Was slower on the Seán Kelly this year than last year, which is disappointing as I see it as my yardstick.

Rebel Tour was the last event I did, which again I was struggling on.

Haven't been out much since due to playing football, being lazy and lack of time. I am now fat and my pants hurt.

cdaly_

Highlights of the year for me were the Cuchullain CC Midsummer Night Cycle (160k) and a 2-day 26 county relay challenge (did 320k of a 100km total in relay stages of 50k each). Brilliant fun, particularly the night riding...

triggermortis

I only started end of Feb and lost nearly a stone, but half of that has gone back on as too many enforced breaks due to work and moving house.
Don't have exact figures here but I'd say I'll be around the 2500Km mark for the year. Only did one sportive - Meath 100Km, but my regular spins have gone up from 30Km to the 50/60 mark now, although I need to get out more regularly to improve my times

Canis Lupus

I've cycled 8,500km(ish) and am currently in Burkina Faso.

Spent xmas day cycling... Still... 30c+ here. Enjoy the rain guys!

funnights74

My first year doing the big sportives,Got used to it and i didn't feel so bad doing the 160's by september. Total of close to 4,400 Kms.
Best memory was climbing coolmaciste on the ROK, some sight seeing nothing but cyclists on the mountain road ahead of ya for miles:).
Toughest was the tour of kilkenny, are there any flat road in that county? lol, nearly done me in, but it paid off in the sk tour of waterford.
Roll on 2012, Happy new year to all .

kincsem

357 km cycled in 2011. I might ease back a bit in 2012.

Herc

Years cycling: First (Started January from complete scratch coming in as a retiree from another sport)
Distance: - 7400kms
Weight loss:- 14kgs
Sportives:8
Highlights: Toss up between Tour of Meath and Tour de Breffni for weather / scenery / good days at the office
Lowlights: Getting detached from a good group going up the top of the Inagh Valley towards Kylemore on the Tour De Conamara in driving rain and a side on gale
Aims 2012: Another 4-5kgs to plateau and another 8-10 Sportives
Looking forward to: Tour de Conamara 2012 for the Celtic Series element
Best piece of advice received: Don't chase numbers on your speedo and also have solid / realistic aims that you can pick off one by one

Coronal

I had big plans for this year, which I expected to hit all of (silly me :P)

Distance: the best part of 8000 km (I left all my computers in Germany, so I can't check)

Commuting: I did most days on the bike, apart from when it came to Winter and I was sick/tired/lazy (and have 1 photo per commuting week to prove it: http://pix.ie/mikedunne/album/429407)


Leisure: I got out most weekends up to November, heading out with a bunch of lads (Die Spassbremsen), or on my own. I've gotten to see a lot of Bavarian countryside at this point, and have some times to beat for next year.

Holidays: I spent a week cycling in France and Switzerland with the Captain, dragging my scrawny ass over the Col de l'Iseran and up along Lake Geneve to Zurich. I'm quite happy with that and planning next year's trip (possibly with a new bike )

P7140301 by mikedunneIRL, on Flickr

Sportives: I did the Eddy Merckx classic in Austria this year (156 km of pain), and intend to go back next year and slash my time by a few hours (several problems had me dropped after the first hour and that was the end of me).


What's for next year? More of the same, I guess, only better Maybe some racing, if I can find a club who'll take me.

reilig

Years cycling: First
Distance: - 1500kms
Weight loss:- 5kgs
Sportives:2
Highlights: Tour de Breffni. I had never cycled that distance before.
Also did some good cycles with friends.

Aims 2012: Well I'm part of a club now. Hope to do the Tour of Sligo, Meath, Breffni, and have a mad notion of the ring of kerry if I can bring my new years resolutions together in time. New bike, so I'm happy out. Want to do a couple of adventure races this year. Achill roar was the most amazing thing I've ever done. Never thought I could push myself to do so much.

Going to hit 2012 with a bang. Lots in the club preparing for a charity cycle in April in France, so training will be upped for them and I hope to take advantage of that increase.

Wheely GR8

feck sake lads wrote: »

jesus explain how you managed that .:eek:

A good bit of hard work and a strict diet ,but thankfully cycling is fun

feck sake lads

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

A good bit of hard work and a strict diet ,but thankfully cycling is fun

fair play to you the cycling i can do but the diet:eek:, mind you if only i could get my head around to stop eating crap then maybe i would shead a few pounds.

greenmat

2nd year cycling, saw some improvements. Definatly stronger on climbs, concentrated on climbing earlier in the year so I could attack the Wicklow 200 for the first time, which was one of the highlights of the year. Glorious weather in April, was a joy to train in Wicklow and climb the famous climbs which form part of the route of the W200. Highlight of the year was doing 85kmph down the Wicklow Way into Laragh, mad but great fun, holding on for dear life. Don't race but have joined a club for next year and hope to join the club racing league next year, no ambitions of winning, just doing it for the experience of racing. Did plenty of cycling 8000+ but not enough events/sportives. Hope to do W200, a few of the An Post series, Tour of Louth, Ring of Kerry, Leinster loop and Cycle4life. And I need another bike, only have one, I was warned this would happen.

killalanerr

firstly i want to say it was hard but im very happy with the year gone,i record my time on the bike rather than miles done but i would say i have got the 10km done, joined a club and ride in the club spins made my come back to racing at 49 ,a win and a couple of top 10 places in my club league,unlucky not to get placed in an A4 race and got to ride with Sean Kelly at the tour de burren plus done some nice rides on the hols
next years plan is well in swing only 9 weeks to march :eek:

Esroh

Was not a good year. Longterm effects of a virus I picked up in 2010 had taken its toll. Rode 1 league race and suffered a serious set back.
Struggled thru the An Post Tour of Sligo and the Burren. Backed off completely and only rode the WL Polka Dot Beag. Enjoyed the SK .
Since sept I have refound a Gra for the bike (mtb has helped)
Ridden 2 mtb races in Dec and really enjoyed these and feel like I have that spark back. Looking forward to 2012 with the enthusiasm I had in 08/09

moggs1972

highlight of the year was 10 day 1200k charity cycle thru work in april that put my fitness to the test, mosy days were full on hard pace but incredible craic with a great group of bike mad lads. overall total mileage was circa 4000 miles, i realised that total miles means feck all and it is quality of training that matters, tour of meath was another highlight, fantastic event

Morrisseeee

2011 was my first full year, and it didn't disappoint, from just getting out on a weekly basis (ah fresh air & exercise) to doing sportives (ROK and ice cream in Sneem, SKT160 and suffering on all those 'hills') to trying my hand/feet at a few races. Mental notes: the races were the toughest, some serious training needed there to even finish in the bunch.
Since I can't run/play GAA/soccer anymore (hamstrings), then cycling is the future

Inquitus

5000km Cycled
20kg lost
2 bikes purchased - Carbon Road Bike and Full Suss MTB
2 clubs joined - Swords CC and MAD MTB

Completed
Kare Tour de Foothills - 50km
WW200 - 8hours odd - 200km
Maracycle Dublin to Belfast finished 3rd - 190km
SKT Comeragh Challenge - 160km
Climbed a Cat 1 Climb Sierra Espuna in Spain
and did a bunch of other cycles, 9 over 100km

Roll on 2012, training starts in earnest after New Years, want to race Swords CC Club League in the Spring and complete a bunch of Sportifs.

Timmyboy

Not a great year to be honest. Never really did any proper spins this year got caught up in many things not least buying a place and now TRYING to work on renovations is my latest excuse.

Nevertheless I did put by Cycle To Work bicycle, which sadly has only been used twice to actually cycle to work to good use in one small way by doing the Ring of Kerry. That was a good event. Thanks to all the organizers for that one.

I'm reminded of what a good lad at work said a few days back before the Christmas break about feelings and actions. How one did and the other didn't cause the other - he had some good wording about it.

Anyhow in this peak year of my male mid-life crisis moments it's a good thing to look back on.

Now using thoughts I plan to take actions to develop positive feelings. I hope that works for 2012.

monkeyslayer

ok year here, little dissapointed i started my winter break around mid october and didn't keep it going for another while. It'll be tough next week getting back into but hopefully ongoing gym work will help. Tried to join a club but sunday mornings spins don't work for me really. Really enjoyed it though so will try get back out with them soon if they'll have me. But yea stronger than ever this year, wicklow200, orwell randonee, cycled from faro to malaga via seville in four days in 35degree heat, cycled to galway from dublin in seven hours, and cork in eight, got about 250km cycled every week down in wicklow for about six months of the year as well as two or three gym sessions every week. Only big purchase some second hand deep section wheels which i love... but resisted temptation for a new mountain bike.

wanderer 22

First Year cycling, started in May.Cycling holiday in France in July, did 500k in 6 days (on pancake flat roads it must be said). Got about 100k a week from August and joined a club in October..slacked off a lot this month..will start up again this weekend. @Monkeyslayer- we've missed you on the sunday spins, get back out!