2023 Riding year in review.

 

Along the Sunrise Highway in San Diego County

2023 started out rather quietly, with frequent rains restricting my riding quite a bit. Still, I was able to record a total mileage of 4,500 miles, so it wasn't a complete bust. I did one century, my "3 River Ride" in June, and for the first time in several years I was able to do the Iowa Hill ride. 

At the I-5 overpass beside the Sacramento River.

At Iowa Hill

While visiting family in San Diego County, I completed one of my favorite rides, the Descanso-Mt. Laguna loop. 

On the Sunrise Highway, about to descend into Pine Valley.

So, I had some memorable rides this year despite the slow start of the year. In addition, I enjoyed a couple of nice, albeit short rides while camping this year as well. Camping at Antelope Lake in Northeast California, I found some nice dirt roads:

Above Antelope Lake.

While at Salt Point State Campground on the north coast, I took a little 10 mile jog around the park environs.

Near Salt Point CG

Equipment-wise no big changes occurred. I did mostly complete my rebuild of the 1978 Raleigh Professional and got a miles on it. It certainly is a sweet ride, nice handling and stable for no-handed riding as well. I still have to complete a set of wheels for it, but other than that, it's all set to go!

The 1978 Raleigh Pro

In July, we moved into a condo in Rocklin, about 4 1/2 miles from our old house in Loomis. This most likely will not be a permanent move  but we should be here for a few years so I had to make it comfortable for me and my bikes. We have an attached garage so I had to come up with a storage system for the seven bikes in our household. Here is the result:

The bike rack in our new home.

The first time I tried this rack, the screws I used were too short and the whole thing came crashing down!! With larger screws, the rack proved capable of holding up most of my bikes; I still have to store the Schwinn on the ground, but that isn't a huge problem. I really don't have room for any more bikes though! My bicycle posters fit nicely above the rack.

All in all, it was a successful year for my cycling. 2024 poses a couple of new challenges to my cycling calendar however, with a month-long European River Cruise and a camper trip to Alaska slated, so I'll have to work to get my miles in! Stay tuned!