I, for one, am really excited about 2012. There’s never been a greater interest in cycling, and apart from the environmental, health and economic benefits, we’ve seen some truly beautiful bicycles. This year’s most popular bikes on Cycle EXIF include some surprises, so without further ado, here’s the bikes that captured our hearts in 2011:

1. MLS Gravity Bike (above). Jeff Tiedeken’s Gravity Bike continues to build incredible momentum, online and on the mountain. Every day it appears at the top of the Cycle EXIF stat sheet for the most clicked page, and even Facebook has lost track of how many have Liked it.

2. World’s Lightest Bike. As the name suggests, every Google search eventually leads to Portland’s Het Fairwheel Podium and the latest iteration of Günter Mai’s carbon fiber weight-weenie. For those that obsess over those details, it weighs 2.7kg.

3. Bishop Bikes NAHBS Track. Photographer John Fabrizio perfectly photographed Chris Bishop’s NAHBS award-winning track machine, and the plethora of details that enamored the judges and the readers of Cycle EXIF.

4. Almond X Linus Summer Bike. The collaboration between California’s Linus and Almond Surfboards seemed to capture the joy of the Endless Summer, combining beautiful photography by Cam Oden with elegant functionality.

5. Kinfolk Autumn. John Buellen’s personal build by Kusaka-san has been featured twice on Cycle EXIF, this photo session by Will Goodan celebrates the patina developed over a year of loving riding.

6. Icarus Frames Show Bike. Ian Sutton’s entry for the 2010 Philly Bike Expo summarizes the elegant lines for which he is famous. Fellow Boston local Millica Wren’s photos ensured it became the cover girl and Miss January for the 2012 Cycle EXIF Custom Bicycle Calendar.

7. Pereira Cycles Groves Tourer. Tony Pereira certainly knows how to construct robust and refined bicycles, capable of many years of long distance touring. This camel-colored tourer will age nicely, and be able to tell many stories, if it could talk, of life on the road.

8. Chiossi Cycles Maino. Cycle EXIF enjoys profiling bikes from cycling’s past as much as the new creations by custom builders, and Modena’s Paolo Chiossi is a master of restoring these former beauties. Quality will always endure.

9. FeO2. There were a multitude of ‘curated’ bikes this year, but FeO2, with a forced rusted effect and leather details, blew the counters apart. Not a bad piece of marketing for Germany’s Partisan Vodka, organizers of the competition that FeO2 won.

10. Fast Boy Cycles Randonneur. A Fast Boy was featured the first week Cycle EXIF went live, and I wait impatiently for each new build by Ezra Caldwell. Each bike of his is a true work of art, by a true artist of life.

Since Cycle EXIF went live on the 25th of August 2010, we’ve had almost 2,500,000 unique hits. Not bad for just over one year of beautiful bicycles. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved with Cycle EXIF over this year: our advertisers, the builders, riders, designers, photographers and especially our readers and subscribers. I’m really excited about next year and can’t wait to see where we’ll be in December 2012. See you then, enjoy the ride!