End of year round up: What was your BEST ride of 2012?

[Cheshire Celt]

Only been back in th saddle 6 months 3 bikes a charity ride that I rasied 550 pounds. And last week took on the welsh mountains and completed the challenge of my life 111 miles and 11000 ft of climbing . Can't wait for the new season

 

[Herbie]

Evening all,

We're shortly heading into November, and as the nights draw in, I'm having to acknowledge that I've not really ridden much this year. I did a lot of miles, but mostly between home and the office. Nothing to generate a narrative, so, lend me one of yours. I'm all ears.

What was your best ride of 2012? It can be a 3 miler with your child, a land speed record attempt, a pootle with friends, an unexpected view, beating the rain home, clocking a target distance, or simply something that brings a smile to recall.

Mine was probably a couple of weeks back. I took Ted (my 4 year old) up onto the local common for a birthday meal (mine, not his). We rode up, shared food, met up with my baby sister (35), and all barrelled down together.

Getting distracted and accidentally leading them down a gravel singletrack I used to use as a quick way out of the woods in fading light was many shades of hilarious. I've not ridden that way for 20 years or so, and I'm not sure my sister will ever do it again... Ted thought the whole thing was brilliant.

I have a few others, but this is the one that makes me think, "yes. I didn't entirely waste this year".

What's yours?

My weeks tour with my son from Ullapool round the top of Scotland finishing at Inverness...Spectacular scenery and sunshine all week...in that week my ride to Cape Wrath stood out, very bumpy track to cycle on but quite satisfying to have done it..one of my boxes happily ticked off

 

[Herbie]

Etape Caledonia. So many bikes, epic weather round Loch Rannoch and the post ride Guinness.

Aye a great ride indeed but the weather spoiled it for me a wee bit....can't have everything eh

 

[HLaB]

There's been lots of group rides that have been great but I think my most memorable one was my last solo ride up north before heading down here. It wasn't fast but it was in good weather and took me to places where I hadn't been in years.

 

[potsy]

Non family ride - probably the 100 mile Trans Pennine Trail ride from Altrincham to Southport we did in a day - @potsy, @edwards80, @sportmonkey and @i_like_ skol. Brilliant being able to ride about 85 miles off road.

Was a great day and probably my joint favourite ride of the year along with Colinj's 100 miler to Knott End

 

[MattHB]

2 for me..

1. Doing the Macmillan Dorset bike ride. My first imperial century and all I had thought about for the previous 6 months and 2 stone.

2. Keeping up with the 8am fast group club ride into burley having done an additional 13 miles to reach the start line.

Lots of other club rides since then where I'm now in the front bunch across the burley sign finishing line really feel like I'm getting somewhere!

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Im not sure this counts as the best ride as I was not actually part off it but my Venge was. I was out a ride with a few guys I know through cycling and we were sitting in a cafe, think it was after someone had won shed loads on the Lottery and the discussion came to the question of what each of us would buy if this happend to us.. The usual big houses, lambo's, ferrari's, boats etc came up.
One of the group is a full time carer for his child who has extreme special needs and cycling is his escape, release.. said that he would buy a bike like mine and make his familys life better.
This guy rides a bike which was given to him and he really does not have two pennys to rub together. It was humbling knowing this, so I decided I was going to give him his dream for a bit, and let him have my bike for a weekend.

When he told me about the ride, the look on his face was worth my bikes value and to be honest it made me cry, knowing just how cool he thought it was. I really appreciate the bike so much more. He still goes on about the experience even now. How many people get to live their dream even for a while, how many people get to be part of someone elses dream.
Got my Venge back, but if I ever win the lottery, you know what im going to do, im going to buy someone a Venge

 

[PoweredByVeg]

Doing the National 400km Audax, all went according to plan (except chucking ATM card in bin with receipt after buying supplies 25 miles in!)

 

[NormanD]

Funnily enough it was an unintended ride out that I enjoyed the most .. woke up early one Wednesday morning, bright sunshine (remember the few hot days we had) made a coffee, looked outside and thought why not!
Got dressed in my cycling stuff (bibs/ top/ shoes) and headed out the door to nowhere in particular, just ride somewhere. Covered 20 odd miles and found myself at the train station (no particular reason I just ended up there), jumped on an early train (it was a free ride too).
Left the train 60 miles from home and began to cycle back, made a pub stop half way home for a spot of lunch, headed home.
Really enjoyed it as I had no particular place to go or be, it was one of them "spur of the moment" type deals that turned out to be a great ride.

 

[derrick]

My best is yet to come

 

[Alan Frame]

For me, it was my first attempt at cycle touring last week.

I made the classic error of taking far too much with me... a fully loaded trailer and two front panniers. Even had two people asking me if I was on an "expedition".

In spite of the humungous weight I was pulling and carrying I managed 383 miles in the week , based loosely on NCN 81 and NCN8 taking me from near Birmingham to the Harlech area.

During the week I increased my daily best mileage from 55 to 70 and on the last day did the journey from Harlech back home in one go, recording 112 miles that day.My previous best weekly total was only about 100 miles too.

Please forgive my trumpet-blowing, but as a 56 year old I'm feeling a bit chuffed with myself after getting in a fit state to even consider doing something like that.

More trips are in the pipeline, but that blessed trailer will be staying at home !

 

[Jefferson Meriwether]

My ride up to Gloucester back in May is a big highlight for this year as it was my first imperial century. My favourite ride of the year (So far.) was back in June/July time. I caught the train down to Exeter then cycled along the coast to Dartmouth through Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay and Paignton; the short ferry ride between Kingswear and Dartmouth was pleasant. I then made my way inland; I skirted round the edge of Totness and on into Newton Abbot before making my way back to Teignmouth and back up the coast to Exeter where I caught the train home.

I'm planning to cycle the Kennet & Avon canal in a weeks time; that might become my new fav ride of the year

 

[Eribiste]

I'm a beginner, but a couple that stand out from this year are a ride to and from the Malverns which racked up 45 miles, and the charity ride I did last weekend where I added a few miles on to notch up my first metric century. The Malvern ride had the better weather, but the hill at Little Malvern Priory had me walking for about 50 metres or so.
On the 100 klicks I ran out of steam a bit on the last 10, and had to talk to myself very sternly and finish off the wine gums to continue! Whatever the ride, I've had an enjoyable year's riding, with more to come next year.

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

No real biggies for me this year unfortunately.

My best was the Virgin Money Cyclone 33mile with my 7-yr old seated on a trail-a-bike.
Total 38 miles to n from the car.
Great ride, was tough and my daughter loved it so much, she's doing it the coming year on her own bike.
Trying to persuade mrs TonyEnjoyD to come along too.

 

[hoopdriver]

Still two months to go. I ride right through the winter and some f my most enjoyable rides in the past have been in November and December, so I will hang fire and nominate by best ride if 2012 in January 2013