Loving the endurance aspect of riding, in 2016 I decided to attempt to ride from sunrise to sunset on the longest day of the year. What came from that attempt was a new tradition, where both Solstices of the year would be spent in the saddle from sunrise to sunset. But as the years have gone by, I came to realize that this was a half good idea in need of some revision. Here’s how that unfolded:
- Summer 2016: (Half) Summer Solstice Ride | Ride | Strava – made it a century before having a day-ending mechanical
- Winter 2016: Sunrise to Sunset (Winter Solstice Edition) | Ride | Strava – Success #1
- Summer 2017: Summer Solstice … Success!! | Ride | Strava – Success #2
- Winter 2017: Winter Solstice ’17 | Ride | Strava – Success #3
- Summer 2018: 1000mi in 2wks, Day 6: Summer Solstice Ride | Ride | Strava – Success #4 – and still my top solstice ride ever
- Winter 2018: 5.67 x S2SS | Ride | Strava – Success #5 — and first Gravel solstice
- Summer 2019: Sixth Straight Successful Solstice | Ride | Strava – Success #6
- Winter 2019: Screw, Sogginess, Slide Stopped Seventh Straight Solstice Short | Ride | Strava – came up short, wrecking my Solstice streak, and planting a seed to be reflected upon a year later
- Summer 2020: Whipping the Solstice | Ride | Strava – Summer Success #4 (see what I did there?) – and successfully recruited more of my crew to join me for parts of it
- Winder 2021: Social Solstice | Ride | Strava – Success, but with an incredibly crappy finish. Combining that with last Winter Solstice’s experience, I ended that ride write-up with this foreshadowing: “I’m considering rethinking my ‘think of Pop’ tradition for Winter Solstice. Maybe a long walk and the rest of the day in the shop would work?”
- Summer 2021: Solstice (Observed) | Ride | Strava – Summer Success #5 – with three fellow CCBCers to make this epic ride (50% gravel / 50% paved) possible.
Which brings us to Winter 2021: A new way to remember Pop, and more in line with the “Season of Giving,” I spent the day in my workshop building things for other people. I built a new landing & staircase for my in-laws’ garage, and then I prototyped a cabinet addition for Charu.
When Pop would work in the shop, he would often have news radio playing in the background, so I did the same. It was fitting that I stumbled upon the “Gee & Ursula Show” when Gee was talking about “what legacy do you want to leave?” (Gee Scott’s ‘Leaving A Legacy’ Podcast begins January 4th – YouTube) He talked about that focus coming from his father, and said, “fathers help us go farther.” Indeed, I was in a shop where everything I was doing I had learned directly from my father, and that was enabling me to help others.
So, bike for summer solstice and build for winter solstice. I think I’m on to something even better. And with next year (crossing fingers) Winter Solstice being in very cold Chelan, I’ll be celebrating being in a woodstove-warmed workshop building something for the Chelan community while it most likely snows outside. And my son Drew has already signed up to help me. Working on my legacy, Gee!
Happy New Year!