The time has come to close out 2020.
In the past, I’ve marked the end of the year in a variety of ways on the blog. Last year, I mixed it up with a look at Lismore’s Bicycles Christmas Tree and in as well as honouring the devastating bushfires at the time by sharing Adelaide Hills cyclist Anna Heusler’s incredible encounter with a desperate koala (that very rightly went viral).
In 2018, I did my own Happy New Gear! review looking at key moments related to international events, human rights, the environment and, Health and Science.
And prior to that…well…in previous years, around this time, I was in Rotorua, New Zealand mountain biking. Back then, I was still racing Enduro! Good times – and more to come (once I submit my bike PhD!).
The end of a challenging year
It’s been a very challenging year for all. While most people have time off over the holiday and new year period, this year I am working on a Summer Intensive course called Gender and Literacy for undergrad teaching students at Griffith Uni. It’s a great course and I am thoroughly enjoying discussing gender common Australian identity, Shakespeare and how to have more generative conversations in classrooms about gender.
but it also means no break for me and I’m right in the middle of marking major assessments. so unlike previous years where I would go hell for leather, this year I am living vicariously through other riders’ ‘year in review’ and conserving my energy.
Having said that the end of the year is a big deal!
Doing a year in review
Many people like to do a year in review.
It a great way to look over the past 12 months and take stock of accomplishments, challenges and key aspects that stood out. Some riders do it with Strava, metrics and statistics to gauge overall riding results. Others like to do a more qualitative approach and look at what they learned from a year of riding.
Go to any mainstream, popular cycling blog and it will be filled with news, events and highlights that are no doubt collated into an overall ‘year in review’ consumerscape post.
Personally, I like the annual reviews that are not mainstream…the more personal, relatable or unusual ones.
Other riders: 2020 A year in review
So, to celebrate the end of 2020, here’s four few less common bike-centered 2020 year in reviews that made me smile and feel good about riding bikes. Enjoy!
- pbandbangles. The first is an older, but heartfelt entry about getting back into biking by Peanut Butter and Bagels. I love the conciseness, simplicity and personalization of this post. We all have our own ‘Dennis’ who encourages us to ride and this post reminds me of the humble beginnings of riding a bike and the love and dedication many have in making it more accessible for others.
2. The year 2020 in a bike ride. This is a thoroughly entertaining (cringe-worthy?) rant by Harsh Pareek. In this review, Harsh shares the finer points of getting it right (and wrong) when it comes to bike riding, teenagers, city living and early morning rides at 3C when it just isn’t ‘your day’. I love the humour, detail and ever-unfolding litany of calamities that Harsh has to content with – we’ve all been there!
3. BikeIOWA year in review. For something a little different, this post is written by Scott Sumpter and Jess Rundlett from Bike IOWA. BikeIOWA is a bike advocacy and network hub. I like this bike-themed year in review as they broke the year up into digestible highlight chucks: wowsers, anniversaries, the year ‘by the numbers, a restatement of their bike commitment and finish off with a month-by-month audit. I like it – very comprehensive!
4. Photo Epic – Homebound. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then sports photographer and writer Dave Trumpore’s 2020 collection speaks volumes. Given COVID impacted EWS and so many international MTB (and other sporting) events, this photo collection of the year in review pays homage to not only Dave’s skill and range of work – but foregrounds the riders in some of the most stunning locations we don’t usually see. It’s also great to see Kori Gargano, Laura Slavin and Anne Henderson featuring prominently seeing as female riders are often severely underrepresented in mainstream cycling news/blogs ‘year in review’ articles. For me, this collection takes me straight back to my EWS competition days – good times! Great work Dave.
However you are finishing off 2020 – be it a ‘year in review’, goal setting for a killa riding year ahead, going for a few final bike rides before the NYE clock ticks over, or any thousand other ways to close out 2020 – may yours be generative, nourishing and always-already with you smiling, with bikes, in nature, and alongside beloveds.
See ya 2020!