Good bye 2022… HELLO 2023!

It’s that time of year when you just cannot miss the highlight reel for the outgoing year AND all the predictions, resolutions, hopes, and dreams for the year ahead. Here’s your FOR THE RIDE INSIDE edition!

2022 – a mixed bag

The Blog:

Traffic on this site plummeted March 2020 and has barely returned to pre-pandemic levels, but for ’22 there were over 32K views (up 25% over 2021…for 2019 about 80K views), about 14K visitors, 240 likes (up 1,500% over 2021!), and 27 comments (up 440%).

My fellow Americans are the most frequent visitors. After the USA, top international views are from Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and South Africa.

My posts since COVID are also down…about 55 posts in all (including a few encore posts). Top viewed posts include: N is for NEW Year 520, Make It Look Easy 526, So Good 534, Beautiful Day: St. Patrick’s Day Ride 359, Curating Perfection in the Cycle Studio.

I continue to explore ways of making this a better resource for all visitors…instructors, riders, studio owners, wannabes, etc. PLEASE share your thoughts about what works well and what needs more attention.

This site is a labor of love, but also has a small monetary benefit via the WORDPRESS platform…I earned less than $50 in AD revenue in ’22, but in a good year it’s never been more than $150. My original goal was to cover my Spotify Premium subscription and the cost of website domain and hosting fees. Maybe next year.

The Music:

Spotify is THE BEST! A total game changer for music enthusiasts and group ex fitness instructors. Please join 1,400+ others and follow me.

From Spotify’s 2022 Wrapped: 93 genres (top 5 are EDM, Pop, Modern Rock, Pop Rap, Vapor Soul) – 38,862 listening hours and 4,005 songs (top 5 are Waiting To Feel Like This, Lay It All On Me, Check Out, See You On The Other Side, WONDER) – 3,196 artists (top 5 are Tep No, Ricky Romero, Louis The Child, Ed Sheeran, mike.) – Spotify calls me The Adventurer, “You’re a seeker of sound. You venture out into the unknown, searching for fresher artists, deeper cuts, newer tracks – especially gems yet to be found. ENVU for Exploration, Newness, Variety, Uniqueness.” Damn…I LOVE IT!

The Studios:

My schedule has been COVID-lite by design, working a simple schedule at one location (Mary Free Bed YMCA) and subbing as available at most other Greater Grand Rapids YMCA branches (David D. Hunting, Spartan Nash, Wolverine Worldwide). I am grateful for this remarkable association: the team of leaders…instructors…support staff….AND DEDICATED MEMBERS!

I logged just about 45 instruction hours in all, with most classes running 45 – 60 minutes.

As a rider, I enjoyed several classes at one of the newest (and recently closed) studios in the area…CYCLEBAR. The studio, equipment, instructors, support staff, owners – ALL GREAT, so its very sad to see this location close.

The Industry:

I’ve discussed much of this in an earlier post…I’ll leave it at that.

2023 (I’m hopeful!)

The Blog:

I’m giving FOR THE RIDE INSIDE a fresh look, but content will be familiar. My goal is to post more frequently…once a week sounds doable and appropriate with everything else in my life these days.

I also want to get back to doing more Surveys, FIRST RIDE studio reviews, Theme Rides (by far the most popular of my posts), and Other fitness-forward posts.

The Music:

No big changes here…but I always look to my class participants for ideas: genres, artists, specific tracks, theme rides, etc.

Spotify will continue to be my one and only music streaming source!

The Studios:

I hope to visit other studios more, both locally and those in other cities. In the area, these locations are on my short list: Spoke, Yoga Fever, Evolve Fitness. I’m not aware of any new locations set to open in west Michigan for ’23…it feels like we have many good options to satisfy the demand.

The Industry:

I cannot wait to see what innovative trends develop in our increasingly VIRTUAL world. Immersive experiences will be the key for success…something that triggers all the senses!

AS ALWAYS, while I cannot always see you, I am thankful for your views, follows, likes, shares, and comments. But mostly, I am grateful for our shared passion for Studio Cycling!

Take care, stay safe, be well and wishing you ALL THE BEST in 2023…Enjoy the Ride (Inside)!