The new normal?

One of my favorite winter photos. But Maine is looking more brown than white at the present time.

From the start, let's eliminate any suspense. Did I, indeed, reach 7,000 miles for the 2022 season? In a word — yes. In this time of giving thanks, I'm grateful for having had La Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists, watch over me as I safely fulfilled my lofty goal.

But, I've got to ask, is this the new normal? Now having attained this MILEstone for the second straight year.

In the past, achieving totals of 4,000-to-5,000 miles was pretty much the standard, and I certainly believed it was a big accomplishment. Presently, one of the benefits of semi-retirement is having the freedom to jump on a bicycle whenever I want and also having the ability to schedule my rides around any questionable weather conditions or personal appointments. Hence, I guess, the maxim is ... fewer restrictions, more miles.

But getting back to this just-completed calendar year. Firstly, for December, I spun my wheels 23 out of the month's 31 days. The majority of the rides took place on my Trek Domane road machine — the unusual bare pavement was greatly appreciated — and a couple of cruises on my Specialized Crux cyclocross beast, with its new studded tires. Miles for the twelfth month added up to 589.

Now drumroll, please. For the 2022 season, I turned the pedals for a total of 7,121 miles — a new personal high. I managed to ride a bicycle 265 days out of 365; I cannot believe I missed out on 100 days, for various reasons. The sum of my efforts for the year equals 11,460 in kilometers. I once read that most professional road cyclists accumulate between 30,000 and 35,000 kilometers per year, and that's just in training. I have a ways to go!

For the 2021 season, I journeyed a total of 7,050 miles and I rode my bikes 280 times. So in comparison, for 2022, I racked up more miles, but with fewer pedals.

What's ahead? Do I have to keep getting 7,000 miles or more each season? Am I setting myself up for failure if I don't do it? To be honest, chasing miles is a worthwhile objective, but — for me — the enjoyment I receive in simply riding a bicycle is and should be the top priority. Hopefully, I never lose sight of that realization.

Looking back, the 2022 season was a lot of fun. The two highlights were earning a gold medal in the 20-kilometer road race in the Maine Senior Games and, two weeks later, doing the full 100 miles in the Cadillac Challenge Century. With the arrival of 2023, I hope to do both of those events again, but more importantly I want to find "fresh" rides and I want to cycle with other people. I'm really tired of going solo.

My bike odometer says zero, so it's time to go for a ride. Stay safe!