2008 Year-End Wrap up

Great job everyone! So many of you have great accomplishments this year. I guess today is the last day of the year, I am reluctant, but I may need to address my log and see how I did as well. ....."hello log!"

......Well not as bad as I thought:

Data:
213 days - rode any bike outside more than 1 hr (does not include trainers)
352 hours - riding mountain bike (no computers)
1505 road miles (913 solo, 592 tandem)
50-54 - XC National Champion
12 races finished ( XC, SD, CX, 24hr)

Other:
turned 50
helped plan and build 3 miles of new trail
did my first Super-D and Cross race
diagnosed with Lyme disease
had my first colonoscopy :whoopdedo

If there is not one already started, we may need to get a 2009 goal thread going! :)
 
first full year for me.
-If i had to guess, it would probably be more than 15 miles?
-my garage went form having 2 bikes in it to 8...
-i spent way too much of money on bicycles
-my favorite ride of the year took place between 12am to 4am. involved brakeless bmx bikes, 3 friends, 4 flashlights from a cops and robbers kit, getting lost on local fireroads/singletrack we've never been on after having our flash lights go out halfway in, cruising down 27 being surprised by how many people where walking around at that time of night, and getting freaked out a possum.
 
Congrats to everyone for reaching your goals and establishing milestones.

Me? After many years of logging every ride, mile, type, HR, calorie, etc. I had to stop. I've been unplugged for a couple years now. My Polar computer tells me the time of day. I turned it on just twice this year cause I wanted to see how fast I was going down a hill. ;)

For those looking to start keeping a log or a new idea for your log next year here are my tips. Create a workbook in Excel that will store all your bike stats for a seven day period. Print it and make 52 copies. Staple it and put a cover on it. That is your yearly training log.

I also used the computer software method for a couple years. It was great at the time and made sweet graphs and such. I ended up loosing or misplacing all the data since. Well, I might still have it but I'm too lazy to find it and install the program required to view the data.

In hindsight, keep a paper copy. It's kinda cool to sit down and read an old training log like a novel. With just some simple notes about each ride, you can relive the exact ride years later.
 
I have no log, however I do have some fond memories of this past season. I commend all of you for continuously carving more and more time for biking.

I kicked off '08 with a road trip cross country.
- Fruita Fat tire fest.
-Moab..Porcupine rim
-Aztec, NM.....Alien Crash site
-Gallup, NM.....Hidden single track from HiGH Mesa bike shop locals.
-Durango....
-Tour de Tulsa , OK century
I finished the race season.......complete Mass series Sport SS categorie. 7th
Wilderness 101....finished in 12hrs
2nd place Pro-Duo 12 hrs of OLE BULL with MTBCHICK as my partner
2nd place Men's 2-man 24hrs of Allamuchy..CHris F. as my partner
Finished an entire season of Cross
And man...............Can't wait for '09 Let's go................
 
Handy-dandy garmin sez:

101 rides (including today) - 88 mountain, the rest road incl. 2 centuries
1129 miles
152k ft climbing

I got a new 29er this year, and did the annual trip out west to Moab and Fruita in Oct. I raced the Allamuchy 24 hour in Aug, going solo for the first time, and somehow managed to win it for my age group (old guys). I also managed to drop nearly 60 pounds since July, which is the highlight for me...
 
This was my first year of serious riding (ie single track, started around August) but earlier this year (and past years) it was D&R canal and road rides. All together, I'd say I logged 20 rides and about 250 miles, but those are pure estimates off the top of my head. I plan to do way more in 2009. I can't wait. For now, I'd settle for one rideable weekend day that I don't already have plans for. I haven't been on the bike since December 6th, and I'm getting antsy. I'd also like to pick up another bike for road riding, but not necessarily a road bike. Might find an older cheapie rigid and put some smooth tires on and convert to SS.
 
2007 was a disaster for me due to working and commuting to NYC. Switched jobs in 08 and things finally went uphill.

Best guess 1250-1500 road
100-150 mtb
10 hrs on the trainer

Highlights included MS150 city to shore, Covered Bridges Ride and mtbnj group rides.

Also bought a 29er ss this year.

Looking to double the road miles and add some more to the mtb for 2009
 
sixseven had a ripper of a year.
Highlights:
Rode the great trails of Mt Tam in Marin County.
Got in a fair amount of miles at 6mile and REP.
Place 3rd in my first race at Highbridge.
Volunteered at JORBAFEST.
Fell in love and bought said love a bike. She loves it and can't stop crashing.
Fell in love with downhilling and picked up a DH rig from FFT. Thanks dude! That bike changed my life.
Perfected my wrecks at Diablo.
Improved some skills hugely with 2 1/2 days at Rays MTB.
Met a bunch of you all and had a blast on MTBNJ, my favorite clubhouse on the net!

Just cracked a Sam Smiths Organic Lager...yum. Heading out with Stella later for some oysters and beer at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. Lots to celebrate today!

Happy New Year everyone!
 
It was my first year riding.

I had 67 rides with mileage from 4 to 25 miles per ride.
Did 24 of Muchy.
Got 3rd in Dark Horse 40
Got 2nd at Wayway
Went to Diablo 3 times

I am going to try to build a lighter race bike for 2009.
 
Wow, awesome job everyone!

There's nothing quite like seeing Lou's first year accomplishments to make you(me) feel lazy and weak:eek:. Watch out for him next year.

Norm, you, my friend, are a roadie. Admit it now, accept that you have no control over it(or cliff bars) and put your faith in the higher power of MTBNJ.com. Your friends will help you shake your addiction.

Ryan, 2124 mtb? MTB??!! :scared: That's like 6000 road!

It was my second year riding, first year journaling.
I rode 286 miles from Boston to NY, did 5 other charity rides, a total of 6 centuries, 3 MTB races and a trip to Kingdom Trails in VT. I ate 2 Lara bars, 0 Cliff bars and downed about 10 Hammer gels, @ 600 eggs and developed a taste for beer. I started a training program for wannabe roadie women and led a bunch of beginner MTB rides.

My mtbnj hero is Graveyard man for beating the beast which is Mt. Washington
I really appreciated: Nutty Liong for making me smile
JimVreeland for suggesting(challenging me to) that I race
Pixy and Jess for giving me examples to shoot for
Anrothar for his free-spirited antics, courage, drive and theatrical good looks
And all the rest of you for keeping me very entertained while making sure I didn't sleep too much.

Not counting trainer miles:
168 days logging 4392 miles(yes, I too am a roadie:cry:), roughly 300 of them MTB.
I'm really surprised how many miles I did log on the MTB.
Guess that's why I don't hit as many trees these days;)
 
Did just under 1,200 miles this year, beat my total from last year :getsome:

As far as racing is concerned..

Raced Nationals at Mt Snow - XC and Super D
2nd place solo at 24 Hours of Allamuchy
2nd place sport 19-34 in the H2H
Finished the Darkhorse 40 even though my bike kept breaking :cry:

Most importantly I had a lot of fun and can't wait for next year :D
 
no accurate stats to post up, didnt get a garmin until august and have had 3 or 4 computers between road and mtb.

I feel a lot stronger now than I did in the beginning of the year. I rode a lot of mountain and bmx, and a little bit of road. Hopefully next year I can coax myself to ride a lot more of everything. Can't wait for spring.
 
Norm said:
If there is not one already started, we may need to get a 2009 goal thread going! :)
Click to expand...

In about 90 minutes, someone should post it up. Right now I'm still working on my 2008 resolutions ;)
 
Started MTBing in May this year (2008)

I think I've ridden about 5 of 7 days a week through the summer and fall.

Entered last 3 races of H2H, beginner 40-, took 2 bronze (going sport next year)

Did the Mercer Cyclocross on a dare.

Lost about 30 pounds, got very healthy. Haven't been sick since May.

Got a superfly in August, sold my first ride in October(?) then got an SS (rig) in November. Now the fly is hanging around, and SS is the new black.

Met a bunch of incredibly cool people on and off this site. That be the best part of this.

Here's to a completely awesome 2009. See you on the trails :getsome:
 
So I wasn't gonna' participate in this thread as I can't say that '08 was a banner biking year for me. But then, I looked at my cumulative mileage and was kinda' shocked. 'Just shy of 1000 miles (about 650 of them SS) on the mtb and about 300 road.

Considering this stupid Celiac's thing I battled from the end of March through October, I feel pretty good about that after all.
 
whoa, does anyone here work??? haha!

Well, thanks to being unemployed through Feb 25th, I was able to put in at least 1500 mtb miles this year, a smidge of that is on the road because at some point I stopped taking my car to the Allaire trailhead and just rode the bike there.
I did every Allaire Tuesday night beginner ride I could this year and what a good time I had cruising thru the woods with all those good peeps. Watching the progression of some of the true beginners was really cool too, and watching a couple of those guys keep stepping up the wipeout record each ride was pretty classy as well.
Next was I spread my wings a bit and ventured away from Allaire, Hartshorne and Clayton and rode Allamuchy, Ringwood and Chimney rock.
Had a blast at JORBAfest, I rode both intermediate group rides for a pretty much non-stop five hours of pretty steep riding and loved every minute of it, that was probably my best riding day of the year. Wish I could've soaked in some of the other stuff, but riding your bike with all those people just can't be stumped.
Another classic was hitting up the small, but fun, Vitamin MTBNJ group ride in Ringwood that got pretty snowed out. We didn't log a ton of miles, but did some solid elevation change on snowy rocks and icy bridges. Classic.
The complete opposite of that would be the recent Vitamin MTBNJ-Hartshorne ride. Over forty riders snaking thru that place on what turned out to be a really nice winter day, all the stars really aligned to make that happen between rain holding off and it not being too cold, great day peeps.
Getting a career oriented job kinda screwed up a lot of riding time for me, but, I had a lot of fun on the old Stumpy this year, and I'm as stoked as ever on the bike. Maybe like to do a couple races this year although I don't really dig the competitive deal so much, just like to test myself a bit. Happy New Year to all yous guys/ gals!!!!!!
OH! Also, picked up a '74 Schwinn Varsity off craigslist and did a fixxie (brakeless) conversion on it. It's my only road bike and it is FUN!
 
Last edited:
My 2008 season left plenty of room for improvement

I had one heck of a see-saw season this year. I've won a few, been on the podium for a few, lapped in a few, and DNF'ed in a few. Next year I need to get my consistency up and not get hurt. I broke my ribs in August and then tore my Soleus in October. I've switched to logging hours instead of mileage so I have no idea what my totals are.

Super-shout-out to Gary Fisher for sticking by me through it all, and to Jamie Bogner for hooking up that BikeMag article from the HighBridge XC. That really came in handy when I re-upped with Fisher for '09, PM me your addy, I need to hook you up with some 29er swag!!

2008 Season results.

1-4/13-Bike Line XC at Fair Hills (Expert 19-34) 4th Place
2-5/4-Waywayanda Spring Cleaning (Expert 30-39) 8th Place
3-5/18-Tymor Park Challenge (Expert 30-39) DNF/Flat tire
4-6/1-Lewis Morris Challenge (Expert 30-39) 10th Place
5-6/15-The Darkhorse Gallop (Expert 30-39) DNF/Chainguide broke
6-6/29-The Bulldog Rump (Expert 30-39) DNF/Chain snapped
7-7/6-Highbridge All-City XC (Expert 30-39) 4th Place (BikeMag feature)
8-7/13-Fair Hills Classic (Expert 19-34) 9th Place
9-7/27-Freedom Tour (Cat 4/5) 5th Place
10-8/9-Woods Hollow Classic (Open 30-39) 2nd Place
11-8/23-24-24 Hours of Allamuchy (4-man team 19-29) 1st Place, 3rd Overall
12-9/7-Ringwood Fall Classic (Expert 30-39) 7th Place
13-9/21-Rumble In The Jungle (Expert 30-39) 7th Place
14-10/4-Westwood Velo Cross (Cat 2/3) 3rd Place
15-10/5-Hillbilly Hustle (Cat 2/3) 10th Place/Flat tire
16-10/18-Granogue Cross (Cat 2/3) 48th Place
17-10/19-Wissahickon Cross (Cat 2/3) 38th Place
18-11/8-Beacon Cross (Cat 2/3) 30th Place
19-11/9-HPCX (Cat 2/3) 35th Place
20-11/14-Mercer Cup (Cat 2/3) 31st Place
21-11/23-Sussex Cross#1 (Cat 2/3) 3rd Place
22-11/29-NJ State Cyclocross Championships (Cat 2/3) 8th Place
23-11/30-Staten CX (Cat 2/3 Masters 35+) 1st Place
24-12/7-Pillipsburg Riverfront Cyclocross (Cat 2/3) 14th Place/Flat tire

11th Overall Campmor H2H Series (Expert 30-39)
2nd Overall in NJBA CX Cup (Cat 2/3)

On to the new year!!

-Jim.
 
There are some very impressive numbers and placements shown. Nice job to all of those who got some serious time in - I'm jealous as I wish I had the time.

Nothing all that great on my end, but from what I remember here is what I did in '08:

- Got a trip out to Ray's and rode and talked to Taj and Aaron Ross - both wicked riders and very cool to boot. Definitely rad. Not to mention Ray's is a blast. Got to hang w/ another USB owner, Scott, who showed my the Melt. Great to talk bikes while eating some good food after riding.

- Had a couple of nice trips to Stowe, VT. Rode the town park up there a bunch as well as a couple of lesser riden sniggle loops. Also got to ride a locals only run of misty singletrack thanks to Jonathon. I knew about 75% of the ride but the new 25% was amazing.

- Dug all last winter and had a nice run going once spring came. Rode it a couple sessions and realised it didn't work like I wanted so I spent summer and fall redoing everything. So... at the local DJ spot I did a fair bit of digging - can't tell how much time but I do know it was more hours than I rode.

- Got a couple trail maintenance days in although due to family stuff not as many as I would have liked. That's on the top of my list for '09.

- Got my backyard looking pretty good. Mini w/ a spine and a transfer into some dirt. But the more I rode it, the more I wanted it changed. So start of December, I started taken part of the ramp apart. Another project to finish for '09.

Non-biking related but siked on:

- Got 19 days on the snowboard. 6 being in Telluride, CO with my family. That was a sick place. Nothing too back-country epic but I got a couple of fresh and steep turns.

- Got to re-try wakeboarding off the coast of Italy. Got up on it after a dozen tries. Body was spent the day after but stoke level was very high. A couple days ago I got to wakeboard again down here in the keys of FL. Also pretty rad riding flat water thru the mangrooves.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom