Yesterday I reached my 2007 cycling mileage goal of 5,000 miles. Back in August, I didn't think I was going to make it. But thanks to a huge September and October, I whittled the gap down to a manageable amount before colder weather and short daylight set in. Here's the monthly breakdown:

5,000 miles is my largest annual total to date. In 2006, rode 4,858 miles.

My key in reaching the goal is consistency. When the weather was decent I tried to ride at least 100 miles a week. In May, June, September, and October, I got enough extra miles in to cover for the winter shortfall. The drought wasn't good for the environment, but it was good for cycling.

I've been fortunate this year: no accidents, no flat tires, minimal mechanical problems, and I didn't even get rained on very often. In short, virtually all of the 5,000 miles were good ones.