Year in Review
The weather played havoc with my cycling this year making it very difficult to ride consistently, however, I still managed to have several excellent adventures.
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| Castell Carreg Cennen, 20 June 2023 |
The Weather...
Before I speak about my successes for 2023, I need to address the weather. I don't mind the cold or the rain individually, but when combined, they can be brutal. And too be honest, this past year was the coldest and wettest year I have experienced since I began cycling in Wales back in 2012. It seemed to rain every other day or so and then too it was unusually cold. (It snowed twice in March!) As a result, it was difficult to build up my endurance for many of the longer rides I had planned.
The table above to compiles the monthly and yearly weather conditions as I recorded them in my 2023 Weekly Calendars. Those numbers work out like this (below):
2023 vs. 2022 Weather
As you can see, we had 191 days with precipitation in 2023 compared to only 150 days with precipitation during 2022. Whilst the cloudy days remained fairly consistent between the two years, having 37 fewer days of sun and 41 more days of rain had a signicant impact on my efforts for 2023.
My 2023 Goals...
As far as my numbers go, I was far off from reaching any of my goals as the charts indicate below:
Attaining ony 75.88% for my total distance and 71.88% for the total number of rides ranks as the second lowest in my overall yearly performances (2019 being the lowest performing year and that was the year I was hit by a car!) You can easily compare all of my efforts in my Overall Totals.
The chart and table below further illustrate my poor performance. All I can say is that if provided suitable weather, I should be able to surpass my 2023 numbers without much difficulty.
I'm not going to beat myself up too badly. 69 days out on the bike and 3,642.1 miles cycled is still respectable. I just want to do more!
The Good News...
I went on one of my most exciting cycling adventures in nearly 10 years; Crossing Bannau Brycheiniog. The photo at the top of this page is from day two of my five day/four night cycle tour across this stunning national park.
Then I also began a new type of cycling adventure; "coffeeneuring" (image below). I plan to have reports written for both of these exciting events during 2024.
Then I also began a new type of cycling adventure; "coffeeneuring" (image below). I plan to have reports written for both of these exciting events during 2024.
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| Coffeeneering, NCN Route 4, Pontsticill Reservoir, Wales, September 25, 2023 |
Additionally, as part of my goals for 2023, I did a lot of work on my blog/website. I began expanding my Routes to Ride section with several new features. Firstly, I've added unique pages for each route sub-section; Beginner Routes, Intermediate Routes, and Advanced Routes. These expanded pages allow for more routes, as well as more detail for each of those routes.
Secondly, I created an entirely new sub-section titled; Regional Routes. I plan to focus my efforts on this subject for the next few years as I work to document all 27 routes of the National Cycle Network in South East Wales. It's a huge project, but with six completed in 2023, I'm on my way. Check out: The Valleys to see what's coming down the road.
Lastly, much of my work involved updating older ride reports to the new layout. See these seven ride reports along with all my favourites in: Rides to Remember. I completely re-edited hundreds of photos, and even developed a new navbar for the site.
Lastly, much of my work involved updating older ride reports to the new layout. See these seven ride reports along with all my favourites in: Rides to Remember. I completely re-edited hundreds of photos, and even developed a new navbar for the site.
Overall, it was a good year for my blog and my cycling. I didn't achieve all of my cycling goals, but I'm pleased with my successes. If you'd like to see a quick overview of my yearly cycling statistics, see my: 2023 - By the Numbers, or if you'd like to see what grand ideas I've planned for 2024, be sure to check out my: 2024 - Goals.
Cheers! - muse kidd
Cheers! - muse kidd
