Moments From My Year 2016: Bicycling Edition

A new calendar year is on the horizon, and as is customary, many of us are reflecting on what we've done this year and putting plans in place to make improvements in the next year.  Facebook likes to generate "Moments From Your Year" videos based on their algorithms, and they usually do a pretty terrible job.  I guess I'll always be a critic of anything that's not my own work, but anyway...

It's helpful to occasionally look at where you were in figuring out what to do to get where you want to be (you follow me?), and whether or not you know it, this was a huge year for me.  In its' simplest phrasing, I feel like I have finally turned the corner in "coming into my own," using cycling as a vehicle (forgive the pun).  I have many of you to thank for your enthusiasm on my journeys and adventures that have yielded more for me than just logging miles on a bike.

Because I like lists, here are two.  First, the top 5 posts on this blog this year by viewership:

1. The Bare Necessity a.k.a. the Philly Naked Bike Ride
2. 30 Sense - A recap of 30 Days of Biking
3. Arc de Triomphe - I climbed the hill up to TV-13, among other things...
4. The Vanimal - Ehh...nothing special
5. The Dog Days of Biking - Announcing my second monthly biking challenge

Second, MY favorite blog posts of this year:

1. 300 - Biking over 60 miles in one day for a friend's birthday
2. New Kid on the Block - Breaking in my new Trek
3. Beach Bikin' Away - Riding 22 miles to Dogfish Head brewery!
4. Bicentennial Man - Pennypack Park & Cobbs Creek in the midst of a heat wave, my 200th mile that month and also the 200th post on this blog
5. Bikes, Blues, Broad Street - Kinda a self-explanatory title

And finally, as is my annual blog tradition, I present you with a scroll of pictures and occasional commentary of some memorable moments from my year.  Thanks for riding along, and here's hoping 2017 is even more memorable.

First ride on "The Bike with No Name," who's logged over 2,500 miles since!

Over 200 pounds of laundry & floor mats

After riding to Glenside to see Straight No Chaser

Flower delivery guy

The beginning of 56 miles for a friend's birthday ride!

I Bike for Bernie

Believe it or not, the first time I ever rode to a hockey game

You think it's full, but...

It can get fuller.

Embarking on 22 miles up the Atlantic Coast from OCMD to Dogfish Head/Rehoboth

Wash Cycling in the midst of a heat wave

The DNC closed down Broad Street

This was also during a heat wave

I climbed Flagstaff Mountain...

And also Cherry Hill, to work at TV-13

This was as I crossed over 500 miles in a month for the 2nd time this year

Philly Naked Bike Ride!

First time biking to an Eagles game, too.

OCNJ Boardwalk

First time biking to a Phillies game, too. All that's left are the Sixers...

Cape May

And the year's not quite over...I'm going to squeeze a couple adventures in before the calendar flips.  Thanks, as always, for riding along, and here's to many more miles and adventures.