Bicycling in 2015 - A Little Bit Of Good, A Good Bit Of Bad

I have to admit that I wasn't particularly sad to see 2015 in the rear view mirror. I realize that calendar years are merely a human construct, but I do tend to compartmentalize my life within those constructs. I suspect that I am in the majority, in that way.

The year started off with a bang, as I crashed on a patch of ice, during my New Year's Day Ride, and broke a rib on my right side. Immediately, most of my bicycle-related goals bit the dust, and I was unable to ride, at all, for about a month.

By February, I was back on the bike, commuting and riding to the bike shop, but I had little enthusiasm for just riding with nowhere to go. This was to be the pattern, for the rest of the year. I began the work on my old 29er frame, which eventually yielded my 27.5x2.8"-tired B+ bike.

I built up and modified a lot of bikes, this year. I probably spent more time in the driveway working on bikes than I did riding. A few of the bikes I built up, modified and/or sold, throughout the year:

The 29er frame with 26x3" wheels and tires

Aluminum cruiser with 3-speed

Mongoose Beast originally built for Danny Mac, then rebuilt for his buddy RJ

Bridgestone MB-3 city bike for LeighAnn

Carol's old Crossroads commuter, rebuilt for Ry's girlfriend

This one went to Cory, at Kaladi Bros.

The 29er with the 27.5x2.8" set-up

Peugeot repurposed as a bar-crawler

The Hargadon, set up to be sold

I think I only took a couple of rides over 40 miles in length, all year. And, for the first time since 1989, I never went mountain biking, at all.

That, on its own, made it a bad bicycling year. The crash I had, on the Monday before Thanksgiving, kinda book-ended a crappy bike year, for me.

The damage to my face was painful, but mostly superficial. I do have a couple of scars over my cheekbone, but I can live with that.

But, the torn tendon in my left thumb is still painful, even now. It is better than it was, but it still bothers me to write or draw. The orthopedic surgeon said it would eventually heal, although it will always be a little bent. The "a little bent" part doesn't really bother me, as long as the pain goes away.

I have a project going, right now, which should yield the ultimate winter commuter. It has ended up costing me more than I planned to spend. So, once that bike is built, I am done with my own bikes. I am planning on selling off a couple, and I will not buy any more, except to resell, this year. I plan on riding the bikes I have!

Here's to 2016 ... hopefully a much better bicycling year than 2015!

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