Your rides this year: 2014 Review of the year.

[Donger]

So another calendar year has come and almost gone. Another year of cycling adventures, triumphs, disasters, achievements and failures.

Since first signing up to the Cycle Chat forum this Spring, I have been constantly amazed by the humbling achievements of some of my fellow cyclists … long distance rides that put my own efforts in the shade, and tales of triumphs over adversity. I’ve also enjoyed many of the write-ups and admired so many of the photos that have been contributed in my favourite “Your ride today” thread, and have been inspired to cycle further afield myself.

So come on, Cycle Chatters …. Let’s hear how 2014 was for you. Where you rode, what you achieved, what went wrong and rides you would recommend.

 

[ScotiaLass]

It's been a year since I started cycling.
I have; bought a new MTB, cycled my first 30+ miles, started a Belles on Bikes group and become a Ride Leader.
This was all achieved while fighting various medical conditions, including depression, and having my gallbladder removed.
Yes, it's been a very good (cycling) year!

 

[BrynCP]

I also started cycling a year ago. I have ridden 5100 miles in 230 rides.

Bearing in mind I started at 18.5 stone and doing no exercise whatsoever, everything was an achievement right from the first 3 mile ride. I am now 13.5 stone.

I started on a Giant hybrid bike, sat upright, wearing no cycling specific clothing. I now ride a Felt Road Bike (since May) and this week complemented the look with bib tights and shoe covers

Achievements:

Longest Ride: 68 miles
4 rides over 62 miles (>=100KM)
Biggest ride elevation: 2500ft (it's flat here!)
Fastest Average Speed: 17.5mph over 43 miles

What went wrong:

Sunburn: never even considered the impact of riding into the sun for 30 miles, and as early as Good Friday I got bad sunburn on my arms
Unprepared: Christmas Eve I got stranded with a puncture about 15 miles from home because I hadn't yet bought a pump
80 miler: never did try my 80 miler I wanted to get done

Recommended Rides:

One of my most pleasant rides was a few weeks ago. Hull, Beverley, South Dalton, Middleton on the Wolds, North Dalton, Huggate, Millington, Pocklington, Market Weighton, Brantingham, Cottingham, Hull. It was very foggy, but the route was almost entirely without traffic and definitely a nice summer route I am sure.

Closer to home, the climbs of Brantingham Dale, Trundlegate and Elloughton Dale are nice.

The Humber Bridge is also a nice night ride. Very few pedestrians and entire darkness either side with the city all lit up ahead.

 

[Donger]

OK, so I'll help to kick it off, then. 2014 has been, without a doubt, my most enjoyable year yet on a bike. This is the year it really kicked on from being a hobby to an obsession for me. My personal highlights:

1. A brilliant week in Languedoc. Lovely quiet roads everywhere. Just a perfect place for a cycling holiday, but I was there for a week with Mrs Donger, who doesn't cycle. I made do with a handful of shortish rides, but loved every minute of them all. When I saw this ridiculous little tourist road up to the ruins of a mountaintop Cathar fortress, I just had to go for it: The missus said I'd never make it, so it had to be done.

Made it to the sky walkway at the top. (I won't admit to how many times I had to stop on the way there).

2. Rode the BHF London to Brighton Overnight ride. Was hopelessly lost in the dark for over 60 of the 68 miles, and survived catastrophic front light failure by riding for over 2 hours by the light of a hand held pocket torch! Received several calls of "Rozzer!" in Brixton for wearing this clobber:

3. Invented my own "Top Gear" style cycling challenge by chasing the Severn Bore, and being able to watch the same bore three times in half an hour (Great fun - next year is set to be a good one for large Severn Bores if anyone is tempted to follow suit):

4. Wonderful trip to Scotland with Mrs Donger, starting with a few days on the Outer Hebrides. Got up before sunrise every day to fit in as many rides as I could while we were there. Miraculously lovely weather made the whole experience just magical:

5. Followed that up when back on the mainland by cycling Bealach na Ba - 2,053 feet of continuous climbing from sea level up to a summit with tremendous views of the Isle of Skye. Britain's biggest climb, and one I had been itching to do for a couple of years, but I had chickened out last time. Felt amazing getting to the top, though I don't claim to have "beaten" it as I had a couple of short stops on the way up, at the point where the gradient got to 20% near the summit. I would recommend it to anyone who likes climbing, though, for the amazing views:

6. Joined Cycle Chat, and am now totally hooked. Also joined my local informal cycling club, Kingsway CC ( a great bunch). Sunday mornings will never be the same again.

The lowlights: This little beast of a hill, Haresfield Beacon, roughly half way between Gloucester and Stroud and one of the nastiest ways up onto the Cotswold escarpment, has been my nemesis. This picture, taken where the Cotswold way crosses the road, almost within sight of the summit, is becoming a depressingly familiar sight to me. It is here that the road ramps up in gradient for the fourth or fifth time and hits 25%. I invariably start to pull a wheelie and lose all control of the bike. If I'd had any hair left, I would have been tearing it out by the time I failed here, yet again. Maybe, just maybe I'll manage it one day ..... I have nothing but respect for anyone who can climb 25% hills.

Aproaching 2,200 miles for the year so far, so bound to go at least 500 miles further than ever before. Can't wait for next year now. Planned holidays in Languedoc (again) and in the French Alps near Annecy, where I have identified a couple of suitable Alpine passes just waiting to be climbed, and that are just a bit tougher than anything I have done before. I'll be hitting the hills again practicing for the Col de la Colombiere and the Col des Aravis. If anyone else goes near my practice climb (Frocester Hill) next year, I'll be that massive 20 stoner grunting my way up at 4mph. Do say hello, but don't expect me to be able to answer until I get to the top.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[BrynCP]

I forgot to include some pictures, although they're in other threads.

Here is Millington:

Here was the Fog at the top of Brantingham Dale, it got worse as time went on

And here is the View from the top of Trundlegate, although the view is quite out of focus!

And a picture of Withernsea, taken from my first 100KMer

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I spent amonth in April riding in Cyprus, then I came back to the UK to sort out some domestic issues and did a fair amount of rides through the summer here. Then I spent two more months riding out in Cyprus during September and October, Nov......then I came back, but I found things here so bad for riding by comparison that I'm flying back on Wednesday, dunno for how long but I have no return ticket.

 

[Accy cyclist]

The same old stuff. More rides happened from April to October than the months before or after. I came off once,nothing serious i just touched the kerb and rolled over. I had 5 punctures either close to home or Samaritan assisted so not bad. I've done more miles this year than for a long time but next year i'm doing less miles and climbing more hills. Touchwood as this is posted on the 6th of December and not the 31st!

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

No particular highlights, just another enjoyable year enjoying views, cake, clubruns, climbs and descents.

 

[Brandane]

Highlight of 2014 was flying over to Bordeaux then cycling back to the channel. Well it actually ended up as cycling Bordeaux to Angers, train to Normandy, then cycling from the channel back to Angers, and train back to the channel (the D-day 70th anniversary brought on the change of plan). A fine couple of weeks, even if a strike by French train drivers made the last couple of days a bit of a challenge!

 

[Moodyman]

highlight for me was the reverse of Brandane - Caen to Bordeaux and then train back to Caen for the ferry home.

 

[vernon]

• Pedalled to the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in the country on New Years Day
• Cycle camped in sub-zero conditions Feb/Mar in Teesdale
• Cycle camped Dieppe - Paris at Raster
• Cycle camped Thurso to Aberdeen via Crask Inn and Inverness in June.
• Cycle camped Budapest to Belgrade in July/Aug
• Extolled the virtues of pie eating on cycle rides as a weight control method on Radio Four November.
• Several expieditions in search of good pies in the Yorkshire Dales.
• FNRttC York to Hull
• FNRttC Hyde Park Corner to Southend
• A couple of 100km audaxes

That's about it. Loved them all.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Some good stuff going on upthread.

@Donger - Fantastic year for you - you'll get that 25%er one day! Really interesting post that.

My year has been pretty crap.

Thyroid treatment left me flattened and unable to cycle Jan - Jun. Currently have nasty inflammation in my right hand which means I cannot ride.

All in all; rubbish! Around 600 miles this year vs over 2000 last year.

2015 I hope will be a whole lot better.

 

[Dave 123]

The lowlight for me was having a tick bite me at the beginning of May, I felt awful for a couple of months. I went to Mallorca on the last day of May for 2 weeks, me and my brother Keith we're hiring bikes for some of it. We had to stick to flat long rides (which were great) as any incline instantly had me feeling like my lungs were being ripped out.

But Mallorca was also a highlight. Warm, smooth roads, cafe stops, ice cream, an assortment of bird life, and then ride back to the villa to jump straight into the pool!

I've done three big rides with two of my brothers this year, the first from Oxford to Cambridge. The second was Pete's ride from the Wirral out through N Wales, taking in the infamous worlds end climb and finally Keith being a lazy bugger in organising nothing, but entering us into the autumn day out audax.
He did very generously pay for a curry for 10 people that night, so I'll let him off!
We've got rides planned for 2015 too!

It was nice to meet up with fellow CC'ers @robjh and @Stephen C for a spin through Cambs, we'll have to organise another soon. You're all welcome to join us.

I think I've covered about 6,000 miles this year with my commutes and thoroughly enjoyed about 5,900 of them!

Roll on 2015 when I'm toying with the imperial century a month. There, I said it publicly......

 

[chewa]

I'm due to do just over 5000 miles this year. helped by spending 3 months of summer in France cycling every day (just over 2000 miles).
Highlights (or not) were my wife running into the back of me on her brand new Orbea Orca when I slammed on the brakes to avoid a car emerging on a "priorite a droite" road. She went over, but threw herself onto the road to protect the bike, which emerged unscathed.

Also, me riding an extra 30 miles trying to find her when we managed to lose each other on a straight road in a small village (no I don't know how it happened either)

Also, the sound of her laughter echoing through the Foret Reno Valdieu as she (with the agility of a cat) negotiated every obstacle while I fell off (usually into something big, wet and muddy) or hit something hard (basically anything I looked at - I became very good at "Target fixation") or swore, swore and swore!

I also managed to get my 10 mile time down to just under 26 minutes (on a Cinelli Supercorsa)

 

[gavgav]

Been far and away my best year of cycling. My previous highest mileage in 12 months was 425, but I am so far at 1717 miles in 2014! Hoping to add a few more in between the xmas prep and celebrations.

Highlights have been:-

My 1st half century ride, in 30c temps in July.

My 1st sportive in September, which was also my new highest mileage at 64.

50 miles along the Tarka Trail in Devon.

A 125 mile week of fantastic cycling in the Lake District, 1st week in September, with glorious warm sunshine on all 5 rides.

Roll on 2015 and the better weather again. Dare I set my aim for 2000 miles next year?!