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Apropos of nothing except avoiding pointless arguments, here is a photo I randomly stumbled across on my Google photos page. Turned out the date was exactly 10 years ago. Which got me thinking, how things have changed. Not only the 26" wheeled 5.75" travel mean machine that I used to be able to ride reasonably fast without dying, but my kid has grown up and now working full time; marriage was disintegrating back then and I'm now with the most awesome woman I've ever met.
Oh and I had to change my STW name 😀
How's your last 10 years been?
Well I've spent 5 and a half of them with debilitating Long COVID, so they haven't really been as good as I would have hoped. The first four and a half were pretty cool, though.
But, y'know. Onwards and upwards. MrsDoris is still a shining light in the darkness 🙂
Hmm, about this time 10 years I was told my role was being cut and I had seven weeks to find a new one in the company or they would pay me lots of money to leave.
Signed a new contract for a better role at a much better organisation a week before my formal leave date. Still there, still doing interesting things with generally highly capable and interesting people.
Bike wise, I was much fitter but had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect... that's been fixed but various complications means I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be riding-wise. Still hope though!
Must admit I was expecting "I collapsed off my bike" and couldn't believe that would've been 10 yrs
Must admit I was expecting "I collapsed off my bike" and couldn't believe that would've been 10 yr
Blimey, you remember that!! 😳 I'll look up how long ago that was...
October 30th 2018 ! nearly 7th anniversary .
😶
How's your last 10 years been?
Rapidly downhill, unfortunately not in a “cycling” way
But I can still wipe my own arse….for now 😉
10years ago this month the forum was asked to take pics of sunsets for Jenn, here was my attempts taken at the wee beach @ Knockbrex castle nr to Carrick bay, Kirkcudbrightshire
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According to my Google photos, I had a broken toe 10 years ago.
In frustration at work, I threw down a steel tie bar (3'x2"x2" so quite heavy), it bounced off a steel floor plate, and landed on the only toe that wasn't protected by the toe cap in my boot.
It hurt..........a lot
Ten years ago I had two very cute and growing girls that had just turned six. Despite them being in the cohort that had their final year of primary school and entrance into secondary deeply impacted by COVID, they are now two wonderful 16 year olds, have just completed their GCSEs and now on with their A-Levels. Ten years ago feels like yesterday and the scary thing is that in ten years time I should have retired. EEEK!
10 years ago to the day me n mrs T-r rode the cairngorm loop staying in BnBs.
Now we have 2 small children and normally ride completely separately if not riding with said children.
The closest photos I have to this day 10 years ago.
We were definitely visiting friends because we like them and it was absolutely nothing to do with their hounds. At all. Honest.
Reminds me of my mate's dog that last one (RIP Bosco) - I drew him for them cos I loved the way his big ol' paws hung over the side of the arm chair 🙂
Ah, for some reason I cut the paw off in the only photo I have of the pic
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No idea what I was doing 10 years ago to the day, but in the time since I've had another kid, had Covid 2 or 3 times, got different bikes, moved house, stopped smoking, put on weight and developed dermatitis.
25/10/15 is the nearest I have.
29er HT evolution was occurring and it was a glorious Autumn.
The only pic from 10 years ago today is my then baby daughter, who obvs isn't a baby any more. Not visible was that my dad had not long died, so it was bittersweet times.
Apparently while on a train I spotted Dr Bunsen Honeydew
And I made these - but I can't remember making them, or remember what they are, or who they were for
Broke my spine 10 years ago (commuting on the bike). Dodged the wheelchair. One bike out and another in the stable since. Back commuting. Managed to avoid any serious injuries for 9 years then smashed up my pelvis and hip socket in January. Managed to dodge anything too bad but still recovering. Back commuting and riding but not done any epic stuff this year.
Sat with my then partner and now wife at Hathersage outdoor pool. I lived in the village at the time and had no intention of moving out the the village (and wasn’t exactly planning on getting married either but kind of knew I would to her at some point). Roll on ten years and both her parents and brother are dead, my parents are definitely classed as elderly now (with my mum having been diagnosed with cancer), I’ve changed jobs, about to move home again and bought at least three bikes. A lot can happen in ten years.
Last time I went out on a mountain bike. Somewhere on the Quantock Hills
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10 years ago I was riding about on a 170/170mm coil/ air bike riding the lakes and uplift places
I'd just moved in with my now wife and had no kids.
Got married and had two wee ones and am back on a 170/170mm air/ coil bike
10 years ago today I was blissfully unaware that infidelity was going on.
Life got a bit bumpy, but then it got infinitely better, to help the Army sent me to Africa. Amusingly it all turned out bloody brilliant!
Ten years ago? I was heavy into Crossfit and triathlon and had my dogs. Garmin says that I also did the Cotswolds Jennride a couple of weeks before and I think I remember the B&B I used being "quaint".
It all kind of went downhill after that; divorce in 2016 and a bunch of other garbage in life that was not ideal. Still had the dogs though, loved those stupid boys.
Well it would appear I was making a small racing drone. It was more of an interesting project than a wish to start flying them, in fact I sold it to a teenager in Belgium before I even bought any radio gear. Not sure it's really even a thing any more.
Exactly 10 years ago I was out on a ride around mugdock with my then 15 year old daughter.
Probably the last time that bike went out.
Now she owns her own home and is wedding planning.
I was still reasonably fit ish, rode a 1st gen scandal, had very little grey hair.
Now, I can just about manage a couple of hours, am riding a 29er from 2006, and am like a long haired badger. Good job I like mashed potato.
It's been up and down. Lots of stress before COVID, huge stress during and after.
But, my genetic disorder has been caught before it kills me, and I'm feeling much more positive about life in general now.
Ten years ago today it was our 25th wedding anniversary and we were in Venice.
Both daughters were teenagers, one at school and one just started University.
We had just bought a motorhome, probably the best impulse buy we have ever made, as it was the cheaper option to getting our youngest to Enduro races and also for holidays both in the UK and abroad. All four of us were riding on 26" wheels
Moving on tomorrow today. Both girls are living their own lives. Eldest is a teacher and still lives local. Youngest took 12 months out after Uni and from racing to travel the world and spend more time riding in the places she raced. 2 1/2 years later and she never got further than Rotoura. We all ride regularly.
Retired in March this year and have spent most of the time hitting the trails both at home and abroad.
Probably rode more in the last six months than any year in the last 40 years. Filling inbetween with gym an Northern Soul sessions
Thinking back i cant believe how quick the time has gone. Only negatives were Kevin's accident in Verbier and loosing our dog way too early.
Fingers crossed that the next 10 years are as good
10 years ago is missing from all my media stuff..... odd
11 years ago i was riding a Parkwood....... remember them
10yrs ago was about the peak of my self employed period... The Bike Shop was going great guns, busier than we knew how to cope with, selling all kinds of stuff (and a lot of custom builds too) and had a great community too...
Then a few months later, Brexit hit, and it all changed!
No regrets of course... Been through a lot since then though!
10 years ago I was basking in the glow of having ridden LE JOG and found it well within my capacity. Probably at my peak of my mid-life fitness. Three months later an eighty something year old took me out and I found myself in hospital for a few days with broken ones; and I have never quite fully regained that fitness or appetite for riding.
Closest pic I have from 10 years ago is Oct 24th. Seems I'd been on a ride with my then 7 year old son and I had hair.....
Would have still been living in Perth, Australia having just decided to delay leaving to get my Citizenship. Moved in with the in laws as well so a weird year.
Also last time I had a full suss with my 26 Fuel ex which was in hindsight too small but we had a lot of fun. Almost full circle as just booked flights to move back to Perth in Feb and have a new bike arriving wed. This time its a big old enduro beast ha.
2015. We’d been in Suffolk a year. I’d gone part time and was still working in London, I loved coming home to this sort of thing!
Was just out of a failing relationship, luckily my work asked me to move north and I ended up in Heptonstall, so I managed to run away. As a reward to myself I went on holiday to Andorra.
10 years ago I'd just had a heart scare resulting in the cardiologist telling me I couldn't work offshore any more.
Since then: retrained as a plumber/GasSafe engineer, lost a few friends to a combination of suicide/illness/NHS **** ups, got the all clear from the cardiologist, had a second kid, came very close to losing the first kid to sepsis, got stuck overseas during COVID and accidentally fell into an awesome job that allowed my awesome wife to quit her shitty job and strike out on her own with her now-awesome job, bought and sold a few cars, got a new bike, built a little house, and now about to qualify as a chemical engineer.
It's been busy. Nowhere near enough bike rides though.
Just about to embark on a PIP at work that would last for 2 years (really), ending in my boss quitting because the sales director bought her a ‘managing teams for dummies’ book in a secret santa, and her boss being let go.
(I stayed on another couple of years, then took a huge settlement agreement)
@lovewookie - that’s the start of a fun wee section!
My knee looks better now, but the rest of me…..
Me and @downshep on the Ardgarten loop. I was celebrating my first year since prostate cancer diagnosis and surgery. Still here and thankful every day 🤞👍
@lovewookie - that’s the start of a fun wee section!
it was...
that's the old 'exit' to the trail that linked from the fireroad exit of mangina over the hill, across the shonky shore and onto the other fireroad. think it's round wood link on trailforks.
oh how things have changed up there.
^^^ I haven’t ridden there for many years, instantly recognisable section though, was always best if ridden as an exit as you say rather than the other way round.
Less hair.
More gut.
Less bikes.
Less riding.
But 10 years ago kids were just young 'uns, now they're more interesting 😀
I always liked it in both directions. Quite different now right enough.
10 years ago, I was 25 and had just bought my Specialized Enduro which was my first ever brand new bike, was in a relationship with a bonkers lass who made me feel like a babysitter not a boyfriend, living with my parents, had not long gotten a job as the sole IT Engineer in a SaaS company which was new to me as I was used to working 3rd line Helpdesk in corporate and I remember it being a big struggle.
Today, I'm 35, still got the Enduro and have rode it all these 10 years not needing any other bike, will be finally replacing it with an Orbea Wild in January as I'm starting to feel the bikes age and do different types of riding now, less big hits and jumps, more chunky stuff and all day epics so I can finally justify it. I broke up with that needy lass due to different life paths and other turmoil, spent a while soul searching and getting big into wild camping, bushcraft and survival stuff, realised it was all just a way of coping with not knowing where I was going, met my now wife not too long after and moved in with her during covid to a nice little seaside town, managed to time our marriage perfectly in 2021 during lockdown being lifted and also managed to squeeze the NC500 in before everything got shutdown again, we have just bought and moved into our dream home this year and I'm now working as a CISO for an AI Fintech SaaS company, fully remote, I'm only in this role now because of that IT Engineer job which exposed me to infosec and governance, and I enjoy it way more than I did the IT side of things. I've also gone bald, grown a beard, and started going grey, all in that order.
Fun fact in 2015 I was 16 something stone and I've just landed in the 16 stone weight class again after rocketing to a mighty 23 stone by 2022. I still rode a fair bit, but I was eating and drinking way too much, the biggest thing I've noticed is how much easier climbing a bike has become again and I've finally been able to get a sub 29 minute 5k time.
Found an old photo, my commute bike was a red Trek 3900 with full SKS Chromoplastic mudguards. I've ditched the frame now. The mudguards still going, and currently fitted to my Carrera Subway. They've also been repaired with aluminium strips due to riding over/off things. Also of note, SPDs! I've long since converted to flat pedals and never looked back. Also ditched Ergon ergonomic grips as I don't really do distance any more and just feel better off without them.
My commuter bike 10 years ago was a Tripster V1... my commuter bike now is a Tripster V1. What a bike 🙂
10yrs ago in Maui swimming in waterfalls with the family (skinny looking 12yr old) after a conference.
still going to the same conference (in Texas today). Lad is strapping 22yr old doing an MSc.
MrsG and I have lost all our parents, done some amazing cycling (horse riding - her) and generally had a good times / some bad times.
I had a 6 month old and was still adjusting to adulthood at the age of 37.
Riding a Zesty and a Trailstar.
Trying to get 650b tyres to fit, near the start of the 'plus' tyre bandwagon
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nkiPFaaxQP9Gt4779
10 years ago I was spending many hours riding my fatbike in all conditions that resulted in 3 trips to the arctic in winter. Here, I was just setting out to ride from Fleet to Shoreham and back via the Northdowns Way and Downslink.
I still have the fatbike, but the only meaningful ride this year was a trip to the Isle of Coll. These days, my sea kayak gets a lot more use than any of my bikes.
We were walking the 'Camino Primitivo'.
Northern Spain is now one of my favourite places, always feels like a proper getaway.