Ôªø

Well my dire prediction that this blog would be quietly dropped and forgotten by Australia Day did not come to pass. And as the lazy days at the end of December seem to be given over to reflection, let me reflect…

Numbers first

Including this one, there are 244 published posts, coming on average one every one and a half days or about twenty per month. There are 337 comments—a few of which I did not write…

November was my leanest month with only ten posts. January was the bumper month with 33 posts, closely followed by May with 30. Those halcyon days we are not likely to see again in the near future!

Some of the issues

I had no real idea what I'd write about when I started, but I've been pretty pleased with how things turned out. In no particular order, here is a (hopefully) representative sample of the territory that's been covered this year:

Trivia

A few factoids from the stats logs:

  • In July the second-largest referer of traffic to this blog was—of all sites—Disney. I kid you not. I still don't know why and I never had traffic from them again.

  • Of late, the most common search term that brings traffic to this site is "runway lights". Other search terms that feature often include "piaggio ape", "ms devine"/"miranda devine", "hilary harper", "bike messengers", "how to steal a bike", and "cycling is the new golf".

  • I was a bit surprised recently to get a referral from Google search results on the search term penis extension video. It appears that this site currently holds the third position for that search term—a singular and rather dubious honour for a cycling blog, I would have thought. The guys at Google must get a real laugh out of the things people search for…

Where to from here?

I'm not making too many plans for the blog—I don't see any reason to change my approach now. I reckon I'll be happy to continue at the recent output rate of about a dozen posts per month.

I have decided to stop regularly commenting on road trauma because I've found that it takes more time and gives more emphasis than my interest in the topic warrants. I'm ever hopeful that I won't be provoked into ranting about hit-and-run crimes again, but it's a pretty forlorn hope.

It's unlikely that I'll be able to follow the media coverage of cycling as closely in 2007, but I still hope to keep across the major issues when they arise. We'll see, I guess.

Other than that, the content will continue to follow whatever whimsy my mood takes me. If you've got any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks

A good six months ago Phil handed out a few digital hugs, and it's well overdue for me to do likewise. So thanks go out to the following bloggers whose sites have referred the most traffic here:

  1. pedaller
  2. Phil Gomes
  3. The Squeaky Cyclist
  4. The Cycling Dude
  5. Surly Dave
  6. Andrea Casalotti
  7. Long 鬃 goat 哺 grass 會 Shelves (Japanese)
  8. Graham Tracey
  9. schmadzie
  10. kimbofo

I also note with thanks the recent guest entry made by Paul N of Adelaide.

And, of course, thanks to all who link here, read here, and particularly to those who leave comments here—it wouldn't really be a blog without you all.

We two have pedalled on the trail,
from morning sun till dine;
But cars between us loud have roared
since auld lang syne.

[apologies to Robert Burns]

Comments

kimbofo

Congrats on a successful blogging year! I always enjoy coming here and finding an interesting post to read. I love the Melbourne element too -- my home town!!

Best wishes for a truly cycle-filled 2007!

Paul

Well done! Congratulations on a whole year's worth of entertaining blog. I'm looking forward to the next year's worth. Like kimbofo, I like the Melbourne flavour - haven't ridden in my home town for years so it's nice to have a read for nostalgia's sake - though 'tis good to find you're not totally Melbourne focussed. Gives a nice all round appeal to those of us who live elsewhere but enjoy urban cycling where we live.

Phil

And I look forward to seeing you here this time next year too. I always enjoying reading your stuff.

Crowlie

It's a great blog. You should be very pleased. Congrats.

Treadly and Me

Thanks for the comments folks.

I'm glad that the ex-Melburnians are enjoying it and I'll do my very best to still be here at the end of this year!