All year long I’ve been saying to anyone who would listen that 2022 is the year we discover wisdom. Inevitably, that statement was met with cynicism and a snort followed by a retort along the lines of “not bloody likely.”

It wasn’t until last month when the realization that I’d been getting it wrong woke me from a dream- what we have been doing this year is RE-discovering our wisdom. We have always known the best course of action, how important ethics are, what love and compassion feel like and that shared beliefs are the best way forward.

One of my favorite sayings is “You are under no obligation to be the person you were five minutes ago” so if some of these concepts have been lost along the way of our bustling lives, have faith that we have the ability to recreate ourselves into better versions any time we like. Which is what makes cycling so poignant.

Each year builds into the next. Your accomplishments from the previous year create the foundation for the next. The mistakes made last March can be learned from to shape a better September next year. Goals set in January can take as long as necessary to reach. Understanding what works creates faith in the future.

Gloriously we go forth, making better individuals.

This coming year I’d like to focus on creating better groups. From a cycling side that means group rides- opportunities to come together and share what makes each person who they are- strengths, weaknesses, fears, joys, knowledge, and gaps. The overlap of all of those individuals creates a very well rounded group, one that supports growth, encourages risk, covers all bases, and promotes the faith that together we can accomplish more than we can alone.

Next year’s calendar is already taking shape- I’m very happy to share my dates and encourage all to both join in where you can but also share your ideas and events here so we can collaborate where possible.

Spring trip, Cortez: April 27- May 3, www.canyonoftheancients.com

Belgian Waffle Ride, Vancouver Island, BC: May 28, www.belgianwaffleride.bike/pages/belgian-waffle-ride-bc

Steamboat Gravel: August 20, www.sbtgrvl.com

Gravel Worlds, Lincoln, NE: August 26, www.gravel-worlds.com

Big Sugar, Bentonville, AR: October 21, www.bigsugargravel.com

As you can see, that’s a lot of gravel riding but notice the big gaps which will hopefully be filled with shared adventures (with you!) on road and mountain bikes, grouse and chukar hunts, and growth in ways we never imagined.

Cheers,

Aaron, Misti and Louie