2025 End Of Year Review

 As per tradition and rules of reviewing or looking over the year happens after New year's Eve.As have said before till the year has actually ended there is still days that could have an adventure to add to it all. Amd now that it is after New year's now we can review.

2024 Year In Review- Oh Hell Yeah  

 There where lots more high lights to look back on in 2022. Though the biggest highlights where the remote peak bagging trips that really stand out.

 2025 saw two trips to the Griffith area for a few days of truck camping and seeking peaks or high points. With at least for me 6 new peaks bagged. While I won't claim to be the first to ride and hike a bike these with a mountain bike. I am probably one of a handful of riders who have been to these spots.

 

 While two where ridden and bagged as individual effects those specifically being Jamiesons Mtn and West Peak of the Three Mountains. With Jamieson's Mtn being the remote peak since was up at the Cembermere area few years ago. 

Jamiesons Mtn Peak Bagging June 2nd 2025  

 

  

Four where bagged in one ride and can say at this point it was the hardest adventure of the year. Though was also the best. Which was the Griffith Highlands 4 Peak Traverse which covered Lake Mtn, Buck Mtn, Spring Mtn, and Godin Mtn. This was a hard day out this one specifically. 

Griffith Uplands 4 Peak Traverse - Peak Bagging June 3rd 2025  

 

 

 With the "easiest" peak bagged being The West peak of the Three Mountains. Say easiest as not counting map reading to confirm locations and heading was correct. there wasn't as much grunt work as in hike a bike or more carry the bike to get there. West Peak of the Three Mountains has the best descent so far in the area.

 West Peak of The Three Mountains August 27th 2025 

 After that there was the 2 trips to Vorlage and one to Mont Rigauld for some lift serviced enduro days. And it has been over a decade since last did anything involving a chairlift. Mont Rigauld had the toughest run which was Couloir and rode all of it except the Couloir.

Mont Rigauld Oct 18th 2025 Review 

 

 The second trip to Vorlage saw 2 PR's set on Dechanee Long first on the hardtail then the next PR was set on the Starling Mega Twist. Which was a nice end to the season kinda especially after the last 5 years.And it felt good to do it on two different bikes.

  Vorlage Round 2 October 26th 2025 Review 

 

 

 Since mentioned the Starling. Two biggest bike wise things was the addition of the Starling Mega Twist which I beginning of 2025 acquired to follow Dr Bardana's long term medical instructions.

  Milk Foamer Change of Direction 

 

And the second was a special project bike. That being the Wandering Wideangle which saw a frame mod to allow it to travel easier.While haven't taken it out for an actual ride yet as it was in October when it was pretty much built back up. 

 

And at the end of the year saw a small achievement done. That being 1,179 days of straight rides.

  1,179 Days of Riding December 31st 2025

 Also add in ice cream rides with Phiona  a few times over the summer. With one ride exploring the upgraded K&P Trail north of Sharbot lake with the turn around at the Mississipi River Bridge. Hopefully more in 2026.

 

 Overall 2022 was a good year with a lot of new things done and places ridden. Ended up doing more then expected adventures wise. Which is good overall result of the year. Now to looking at maps over winter and ideas for 2026

 

 

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1,179 Days of Riding December 31st 2025

 Another unofficial goal was ticked of  on New Years Eve Day2025. The ride during the day would be the 1,179th consecutive ride day in a row. 

 

 

This was what I termed the calendar year consecutive rides unofficial goal as it goes from New Year's to New Years. And while it had started post major knee surgery it wasn't based on first ride post surgery. However this New year's would have some changes moving forward.

 

 1,096 Days of Riding Since Surgery Oct 19th 2025  

 

 After thinking off and on about it I would no longer be keeping track based on first ride post surgery. As when one actually thinks about it after 3 years I have already proven something. And to be honest that was all based on anger and frustration of navigating a medical and health care system that kept forcing me to prove myself. After 3 years using Oct 19th as a marker ...well if that doesn't prove anything to the medical system then nothing will.

 

 Moving forward will be only continuing with New Year's as the unofficial marker of it in future. Plus it in the end simplifies it all. And simple is better.

2 Calendar Years- Another Quiet Streak- December 31st 2024  

  

 

 

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Starling rear Shock Work - WPS Spring Adapter

 After acquiring the Starling Mega Twist back in April 2025 and slowly building it with spare parts. Keep in mind the whole thing about the Starling was a long term injury adaptation for when actually needed. 

Milk Foamer Change of Direction 

 The building it up with spare parts and what not was really more about giving myself one more project to slowly tinker with. A way to keep part of my brain occupied. And with that one part was put off which was the ordering a spring for the longer travel coil shock. 

 

 

When the shorter travel shock is on and works there isn't that much of a rush when you can take your time. Aka put it off and kind of forget about it till winter. And ordered a coil that should work from Rock Shox. Though after receiving it learned that things had evolved since had last used full suspension in 2000. learned that now days rear shock springs come in different sizes meaning inner diameter depending on manufacturer. No longer being interchangeable.

 

So the  coil was slightly too big of inner diameter for the rear shock. It took a while to find a solution. A manufacturer out of the UK offered a spring adapter that would make it all work. Perfect so ordered.

 WPS Performance Spring Adapters & Spacers

Got it and installed it on the rear shock. The adapters allowed the slightly larger inner diameter Rock Shox coil to work with the Marzocchi Bomber CR rear shock. The Marzocchi rear shock takes a smaller inner diameter coil. And these adapters allow you to use different branck coils with rear coil shocks.  

 

 

 Now that have this shock ready it is just waiting till winter is over. And can swap rear shocks on the Starlinga and see what a longer travel rear shock is like on the Mega Twist. 

 

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Vorlage Round 2 October 26th 2025 Review

 October 26th got a second trip to Vorlage which was a week after Mt Rigauld. And almost 5 weeks since the first trip and crash plus wrecking the rear wheel on the Stylus. Also it would be slightly chillier as now Fall and late October.

 

 

 First half of the day rode the Stylus as it was kind of an execise in getting even with the run that wrecked the first time with the hardtail.  

Vorlage There Will Be Blood September 21st 2025  

 This trip went well and as wrote in the first write linked below also set a PR on Deshanee on the hardtail. And there is video of the runs in the write up. It was good to have a good first half on the hardtail and it rode well. 

Hardtail Vengeance - Vorlage Oct 26th 2025 Phase 1  

 This trip was also an experiment as with long term injury effects it gave me a good idea what would be an issue in future. If doing run after run via lift on the hardtail by mid day will be feeling the long term injuries being triggered. This is not a bad thing as looking back it gives an idea of what it will kind of feel like in a few years when as Dr Bardana advised it would be more apparent. And therefore adaptations required. 

 

 

 In terms of lift serviced enduro all day riding it gives me an idea hardtail wise how much can take. Let us keep in mind doing a downhill run off Gun Mtn, Arney Mtn, or West peak of Three Mountains is different on a hardtail. As one stops more and can take more breaks if they desire. In future will still do some runs with the hardtail however won't push as far when doing full days of lift service enduro. And then switch to the Mega Twist for the rest of the day. Though as Frank observed still good idea to bring both bikes in case shit goes wrong.

 

 

 So second half of the day as said was on the Mega Twist and set a second PR on Dashanee on it. Can see that run on the link below. 

Vorlage and A Starling- Oct 26th 2025 Phae 2  

 Both bikes ran well and no real plans to change anything at this point. Well other than over winter getting around to finally getting the coil and such for the second Starling rear shock. Hmm only other thing mayne if the right used part appeared is to maybe swap to hope brakes. Though no actual plan too more just idle thought.

 

 

 End of the day was a good second visit and end of the year riding lift serviced enduro.  And making up for the first trips wrecked wheel and crash. If things workout in 2026 maybe more visits will happen.

 

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Vorlage and A Starling- Oct 26th 2025 Phase 2

After riding the first half of the day on the hardtail and proving a point with a PR on Deshanee. Took the Starling out for the rest of the day. This time would be different definitely as not having to worry about setting it up while doing runs again.

 

Hardtail Vengeance - Vorlage Oct 26th 2025 Phase 1  

 And just as important not doing runs of the tracks with an injured hand.To be honest it was still a bit achy as it had been a bone bruise and those take forever to heal.So while did still feel it at times it was ok overall. So this half of the day with the Mega Twist would be different as well injury wise.

 

 As said in the preceding entry it was chillier when started with the hardtail and it was still chilly when swapped to the Mega Twist. With that ended up wearing my old school Core Rat jacket all day. Think I ended up despite the old school jacket being warmer then my buddies all day.

Vorlage and a Starling Afternoon Enduro 

 

 

 

Like did with the hardtail just focused on being as best could smooth and in my own way flow ride the run. Some what got a little bit faster though that could have been an illusion with not being as distracted this visit. I was a bit lazy and only ran the GoPro on one run of Dechainee while riding the Mega Twist. That it turns out was the fastest for this half of the day.

 

 

 Which when home and looking at the GPS data on the laptop. It revealed that this run was a second PR. This one on the full suspension Mega Twist and making two for the day on the same track. 

 

 

 A couple of lazy wandering runs after the 2nd PR setting run of the day on Dechainee followed by arun that went down some older less used track it would be the end of the day as we where all done and the lift was shutting down for the day. So a second visit wit the Starling went well.

 

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Hardtail Vengeance - Vorlage Oct 26th 2025 Phase 1

A week after Mont Rigauld my buddy Frank organized a trip back to Vorlage for what would be the last lift enduro ride day of the year.  So early morning and on the road again it would be.

  Mont Rigauld Oct 18th 2025 Review 

 

 With the Stylus back up and rolling with the other rear wheel after the original rear wheel tapped out after over 13,000km's. First half of day would be a re-match with the hardtail at Vorlage and after the crash same day the wheel died at Vorlage.

  Vorlage There Will Be Blood September 21st 2025

 

It was a wee bit chillier this tim as it was late October and finally saw some more Fall like temps. This had me using my Core Rat jacket to help with the temps. After a sort of easy couple of warm up laps started putting more effort into running Deshanee as smooth as possible. The video of the first recoded run gives more of an idea of how it went.

 

Hardtail Vengeance Vorlage GPS 

 After a few more runs did another run that would have the GoPro running. This run would turn oyt to be the best of the hardtail runs.

 

 I set a PR on Deshanee beating the previous time set on the Starling full suspension. I will take that as a bit of vengeance or revenge from the first trip that wrecked a wheel and crashed. I will take a closer look another day at the GPS data and truly compare.

 

It would be later after getting home and uploading data from the GPS that found out about the PR. However after that run I mentally decided that had proven my point and had gotten some revenge. So it was to Frank's truck for a bit of fluids and to swap to the Starling.

  

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1,096 Days of Riding Since Surgery Oct 19th 2025

 Sunday October 19th Would be another year or 365 days of riding every day since returned to the bike post major knee surgery. As mentioned a year ago it was sort of a goal to ride every day if possible.

Post Mont Rigauld Easy Easy Spin 

 

731 Day's Of Riding- Arney Mtn Oct 19th 2024  

 This year the big ride happened the day before with the road trip and ride day at Mont Rigauld. Which was a good trip and will leave it to the write up about the day to give more details. Being the day after Mont Rigauld and 5 plus hours of gravity enduro riding. It was an easy lazy ride day to recover from a big enduro ride day.

  Mont Rigauld Oct 18th 2025 Review

It has been 3 years of rides every day since surgery and reaching that recovery point that where could finally ride outside. 1,096 daily rides and still going. Though fortunately now focused more on just going for a ride and way less attempting to prove a point to the medical types who claimed wasn't "doing enough". Anger is kind of a dangerous thing when attempting to prove something. Fortunately that has lessened significantly. We shall see how the next year goes and what adventure will have with bikes.

 

 

 

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