Cycling through 2025

Meeting up with friends, one of the first questions I get is "Are you still riding?" Of course, the answer is yes. And even though the regular appearance of my blog is — unfortunately — a distant memory, my passion for pedaling a bicycle is just as strong as ever. That being said, I thought I would fill you in on what transpired within my world of cycling in 2025.

It was another banner season for piling up the miles. I ended up with 6,205, which is a couple of hundred more than I achieved in 2024.

A new wrinkle for me in the year just completed was joining the Trek Ride Club and utilizing its mobile app to keep track of various statistics, such as average and maximum speed, distance traveled, time of ride, and mapping of route. One other data point had to do with elevation gain and my yearly total of 467,629 feet was rated in the top one percent out of all the thousands of club participants. That's a lot of climbing, and would have been more, given the fact that I didn't even join TRC until mid-March.

To help motivate us pedal pushers, the club also created challenges throughout the year. I managed to find success in ten areas, earning a few purchase discounts and bright, shiny medals in two of the categories — total elevation and total mileage.

My appetite hasn't diminished for delving into the history of bicycling. Obtaining and reading books still brings much enjoyment, while my collection of cyclists' autographs continues to grow. Two prized treasures acquired during 2025 were the authentic signatures of Italian great Gino Bartali, on a postcard from the 1940s, and Tadej Pogacar, an almost unstoppable phenomenon in today's peloton.

Furthermore, gems from the Tour de France came into my possession. Through my good friend, Mark, I received a "King of the Mountains" souvenir hat from the 2025 race, while I also gained a special stuffed animal — a Tour lion from the 1980s. These mascots are awarded to the winner of each stage and top teams, a tradition started in 1987 by the yellow jersey sponsor, French bank Credit Lyonnais, whose branding symbol is a lion. These unique, cuddly animals are a recognizable part of the podium ceremony and familiar to anyone who follows professional cycling.

Other highlights for me during 2025 included:

— Purchasing a new Trek Domane road machine with electronic shifting. As I wrote soon after getting this bike, running through the cassette's gears is quick and quiet. And it's fast.

— Capturing a fourth straight gold medal in the Maine Senior Games 20-kilometer road race in the 70-to-74 age group. Strategy-wise, every year has been different based on those competing, however, more importantly, every time it has been fun.

— While I don't climb aboard my mountain bike often enough, I did scramble around Isle au Haut, off the Maine coast, for two days with my good friend, Scott. Dodging rocks and the occasional tourist, we would journey to a trailhead, go for a hike, then jump back on our bikes and head to the next one on the remote island.

I guess more than anything else, I was able to remain upright and out of harm's way throughout the 2025 season. I only hope that continues to be the case going forward. Despite being 73 years of age, I still feel like a kid cruising along on one of my bicycles. The breeze hitting my face and making a mess of my thinning hair. My legs straining as I climb another hill — knowing the treat of speed awaits on the other side. I just love it. Stay safe!

A Tour de France lion roared its way into my cycling collection.