Best rides of 2018

[tallliman]

Now we are approaching the end of the year, I was thinking back about my favourite rides of the year. I think they've majored on more solo achievements as a result of illness taking time out of my year. Top 3 as follows:

1) Home to Skegness: its meant to be a right of passage for anyone in the East Midlands but I'd not done until September when I wanted one more big ride for the year. My normal riding buddies didn't fancy it so it was done on my own. 30 miles in an absolutely shaking with cold (September!!), I pulled into a favourite cafe and warmed up. Headed due east for much of the rest of the ride down fen lanes and wide, flat vistas. A brief stop at RAF Conningsby chatting to the Typhoon display pilot was fortunate. The last 2 hours to Skeggy were beautiful and fast despite tiring legs. Best Subway ever on the train home.

2) Tissington and High Peak trails. A long and lumpy solo ride on the May Bank holiday with 30 odd miles on the disused railways of the above trails. Beautiful scenery and a reminder of the wonder of Victorian engineering causing numerous stops to take it all in. The Kendal mint cake at 100 miles near home was sublime!

3) Derby to Home the very long way. A ride to get a friend to her first ton. Started off as an easy ride to Lincoln marred by a headwind. Ended up as a freestyled route to 100miles to get some tailwind. 3 cafe stops and melting tarmac on a beautiful day on the bike. Got my friend to her ton with 5 mins to spare before the train. A wonderful day out.

What were your best few rides of the year?

 

[Dave 123]

French ones for me

Goes without saying...

Nesque gorge

Sunflowers

Lavender

And all with Mrs Dave too. Perfect.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

200km ride up to York with @13 rider for the York to Humber Bridge to York forum ride (another 200km ride) followed by a leisurely 70+mile ride to Market Rasen. Well over 300 miles over three days for the pair of us and if memory serves me right it didn't rain

Scratch all that, that might have been last year - scurries off to check

Nope, it's okay, it was June this year 356 miles in 3 days

 

[cosmicbike]

I had some nice rides in France, but never really hit the distances I wanted too as it was far too hot. The ones that stick in mind from 2018:

1. London Midweek Sightseer. My first (and only, so far) audax which I completed with my then boss. Lovely weather, and the first time I'd ridden in London proper. Great sights, great route, great friendly company from all fellow riders and the organiser.

2. My first ride to the coast, Brighton via the Downs Link. Badly timed as it clashed with the BHF London-Brighton off road, so I was against the flow all the way home, in the pouring rain. Don't think I've ever been wetter, but I was warm, and it got me my first 200km ride.

3. An evening ride over to the park with mini Miss CB on the tandem. Great fun with football and ice cream before the ride home.

 

[HLaB]

Despite suffering from Chronic Fatigue (Doc thinks I should of had a heart attack) this was my favourite ride:

 

[JhnBssll]

I think my favourite was a Sportive and one of the first trips out on my Bianchi on a pleasant Sunday morning. After 15 miles or so the pleasant morning turned in to a full-on thunderstorm with sideways rain and lightning leading to flash floods and rather treacherous conditions. We pushed on through the worst of it and gradually dried out once the skies had cleared but the occasional flood endured. I think it was only sixty odd miles but that was enough

When we crossed the line at the end we both summed the experience up with the same word; Epic.

 

[Ice2911]

Normally I would say my next ride bit highlights have been

Touring in Holland and crossing the IJsselmeer, 20 miles with sea on either side was just bizarre.

Weirdly 6 hours in the rain, Ride London. A pleasure to ride on closed roads and past such historic sites even if it poured continually.

My first ever 150 mile ride, 9 hours solo around Norfolk in blistering heat.
Seems to be rides at the extremes

Happy Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and safe riding New Year to you all.

 

[OldShep]

Top 3 rides this year are all within a14 day LEJOG (CUK Wimps) with no rain
Ludlow to Chester: The Shropshire lanes and hills were magic
Blair Atholl to Inverness : Stunning scenery easy very rewarding climbs.
Inverness to Brora: again stunning scenery and lovely climbs and best location campsite all trip.

View from tent

 

[OldShep]

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Despite suffering from Chronic Fatigue (Doc thinks I should of had a heart attack) this was my favourite ride:

View attachment 443610

Is the road surface in good shape riding to New York?

 

[HLaB]

Is the road surface in good shape riding to New York?

It gets a bit choppy at times

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A tour of the West Highlands and a Dolomites tour for me.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It gets a bit choppy at times

And you tire of waving at other cyclists after a while

 

[13 rider]

Unfortunately for @Supersuperleeds it's not the same ride as his but that was a brilliant weekend . Mine was Etape Loch Ness a closed road sportive from Inverness around the Loch back to Inverness with over 4500 other riders . 66 miles in absolutely stunning scenery and for late April lovely conditions . Target time was under 4 hours but thanks to some chain ganging and a sprint for the line did it in 3.29.55 . Finished in 490th position and on the timed hill climb finished in 385th place and it still took me 29 mins to climb the hill .Just a brilliant day on the bike I'd be doing it again if it wasn't a 500 miles journey to get there

 

[Domus]

Two dayer on the Bay Cycle Way in March with 5 mates, overnight in my caravan in Grange.
Week away in Mallorca in April, nothing too strenuous but fabulous riding in warm sunny weather.
Two night rides with the Fridays, Manchester - Blackpool and York - Hull both very enjoyable

Looking forward to 2019, another April visit to Mallorca and hoping for more Friday night rides.