YEARLY REVIEW 2016 Rides & Events

Listed below is a basic break down of how 2016 went down. I kinda went nuts with spreadsheets, which you can witness in their full glory in the "Charts" section. But essentially, 2016 was a record year for both the overall distance and the number of days I was on the saddle.

  ☞  In 2016 I rode 9,609.3 miles over 164 Days.

I divided my rides into six basic types; however, some rides could be classified in more than one category. (ex: most all of the 100 mile rides were also "Solitaires"...) You may select the ride type to view additional details.

Ride Type	Days	Hours	Distance	Elevation
General Rides	40	184:18	1,619.3	96,413
Rides for Sustrans *	41	215:21	1,591.3	82,219
55 for 55 Event for Parkinson's UK	55	299:08	3,124.4	170,152
The Kingfishers	17	116:39	1,261.9	60,305
"Solitaires"	22	181:13	1,995.2	115,067
100 Mile Club	11	112:16	1,190.7	69,329

* These numbers include both going to and from events as well as the ride events themselves.

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Events Overview
Many of the rides I made during 2016 were for specific events. The outlines of those events are shown below. Any additional planning and/or organising is in the following table.

Main Events	Date	Days	Hours	Distance
Sustrans Group Coordinator Day	02-12	1	6:30	61.4
55 for 55 for Parkinson's UK *	03-01	55	450:17	3,124.4
Sustrans Ride Leader Training	05-12	2	16:00	111.2
"Tidal Lagoon Ride" for Sustrans	06-17	1	2:00	66.2
"Bedwas ROCKS!" for Sustrans	06-25	1	6:00	26.6
"Share the Path" for Sustrans	06-26	1	4:00	28.8
Sustrans Volunteer Conference	07-02	1	6:00	50.7
"Road to Rio" for Sustrans	08-02	1	6:30	43.8
Cordell Heritage Ride **	08-29	2	7:00	126.7
"Rhondda Tunnel Society Ride" for Sustrans	09-12	1	3:00	74.7
"Newport Family Cycling Festival" †	09-24	2	14:00	54.2
"Cardiff Council Bay Tour" for Sustrans	10-14	1	2:00	63.6
Volunteer Presentation for Sustrans	11-16	1	2:00	38.8
TOTALS:		70	525:17	3,871.1

* I created this event myself to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's Research.
** This was a joint event between Sustrans and The Welsh Tourist Board.
† This event was co-sponsored by Sustrans, The National Trust, RSPB, and Newport City Homes.

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Other Volunteering
Additionally, I also spent time planning events and volunteering at the Sustrans office. I've briefly outlined those efforts below:

Additional Activities	Days	Hours	Distance
Newport Family Cycling Festival Planning	13	35:30	126.5
Dr. Bike Services at the Sustrans Office	2	10:00	73.2
Sustrans November Newsletter	3	10:30	51.2
Other Assorted Sustrans Activities	5	8:00	215.4
TOTALS:	23	64:00	466.3

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In Summary
Separating my Sustrans and Parkinson's UK volunteering:

Sustrans Events	Days	Hours	Distance
Main Events	15	75:00	746.7
Additional Activities	23	64:00	466.3
TOTALS:	48	139:00	1,213

Other Events	Days	Hours	Distance
Parkinson's UK	55	450:17	3,124.4
TOTALS:	55	450:17	3,124.4

BLOGGING Writing songs about firing cannons...

"To live is to war with trolls in heart and soul. To write is to sit in judgement on oneself."
- Ghosts, Henrik Ibsen

Admittedly, my blog has gone off in a completely different direction of late. I'm no longer interested in lengthy descriptions. I'm over the romance. There are plenty of people waxing poetic on their cycle trips. They can have it. I'm going somewhere else.

Something changed this past year... I don't quite know how to describe it. But I feel different and I'm wanting more than what I've been doing. And I'm gonna get into it.

I'll document my journeys. I'm sure that I'll keep tracking my mileage. (I can't shake that crazy.) I'll probably keep the gear section, but I'm reconsidering the routes and events sections. I'm done with planning events for other people. Seriously. If you want to ride your bike... just get on the damn thing and ride. You don't need any help from me.

I'm gonna plan events for me. If you want to come along, drop me a line.

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I'm crossing the road, heading up the tractor path through the field to the "old doc house". It's fallen down in the woods. That's where you'll find me.