This year has been a mental year for me riding on my Orange 5. 

After having trick pink Hope brakes fitted in the Christmas break, New Year's Eve 2007 was spent bedding them in at Thetford... A place we all know and love for all year round riding, so all good for the late December jaunt.

The month of January was pretty quiet as my stead was bike-napped for a while and was later to return with newly fitted Fox 32 Talas RLC forx... top stuff, just an initial ride along the golden mile was to test these out, with a new introduction of me taking rolling kickers...be it only the storm shelter curb surmounting to ½  a foot.

February, yet again saw a trip to Thetford, more confident now with my brakes and Forx working great.

A week later and early March for Ickle_Pops 11^th Birthday was yet another Thetford blast, this time taking more family members along to encourage and promote our sport.

TomTomks and I also manage to squeeze in a Cwmcarn visit, so test out new skills learnt... I was really beginning to get to know my bike and enjoying my time, as I finally took the wooden kickers at the summit.

April although beginning with the ClimachX, just saw local rides done, was to make way for a mental birthday month of May, when along with the normal local stuff, Wales was visited in abundance. Starting with Afan, then Cwmcarn, then a weekend away to the North to visit Coed y Brenin and the ClimachX.

Straight into June and going further west, a new trail for me at Brechfa was conquered.

July met with Swinley placed on the map of MTB for me as a warm up for the epic trip to Scotland to ride Glentress and Innerleithen in August.

September was relatively quiet, staying just local and with a busy swimming calendar in October again only allowed for the tarmac of Essex to be ridden, but with a new found centre at Hog Hill to practice skills, locality was utilised to the full in November.

A full year on and more trips to Wales in December, squeezing in a long weekend to Afan, then following week to finish off with Cwmcarn.

With as many local rides squeezed in around Essex, taking in Hadleigh castle, Epping, Langdon Hills, Warley, Hog Hill, the Thames Estuary sea wall at various points, my major rides have been in more than a plenty and I have enjoyed, learnt and improved my skills as the months have ticked on... from rolling kickers at the shelter in Shoebury progressing to the wooden kickers at Cwmcarn a few months later, to the pinnacle of my achievements of the massive drop offs at Caddon bank, Innerleithen, just 7 months on, not only have I pushed and tested my bike to the limits, but myself as well, with the thirst for more.

Within that time I have also learnt how to bleed brakes, change a bottom bracket, fix a puncture without anyone's help to get the tyre off! Use and adjust my forx according to where I am riding. And more importantly, properly maintain my steed.

Meeting all the people throughout the year from ibikeride has been fantastic, meeting up with Waynerock64 in Coed y Brennin, Stumpy_Dan and Shazimat in Swinley, with also the impromptu meeting with the then to become Appleyam .

Taking part in the Freewheel in September, again meeting up with Dan and Shaz... with the additional company of i4_uk  and Penfolduk.

Then on to meet up again with Appleyam this month and also meeting Sparky as we rode Afan.

With our growing community here on ibikeride, despite all our members, the number I have met is so very small in comparison.

I'm looking forward to the coming year of 2009 when hopefully the number of new riding buddies will grow, along with the passion for riding we all share.

I think the only thing I have left to say, apart from I LOVE MY BIKE!!! Is.......

.........Where Next...............???!!!