2014 - best rides

[Wowbagger]

A very poor year for me.

I had a lovely ride with Jane in January, but for a variety of reasons that was the only time we have ridden together this year.

In Feb, Mrs. Wow, Ruthie and I went to Alnmouth for a weekend. We had one very good ride which culminated in us taking a taxi for the last bit, to Berwick. That was all too short. I'd like to do more of that sort of thing.



There were one or two very local rides which were memorable for the unseasonably warm weather. Here's a photo of Southend sea front taken on 9th March.



Mrs. Wow and I went to Mull, a trip which was marred by Mrs. Wow's asthmatic reaction to histamine/early season midge bites. The weather was lovely, but I did a lot of riding on my own, which wasn't so much fun.

We had a good week in Kempen with Auntie Helen. This is Mrs. Wow in AH's Velomobile.



Andrij guided me on an excellent day out along the Lee Navigation, from Stratford to Hertford. This was a splendid ride, almost entirely off road, and was probably my pick of the year.



And the following week it all stopped when I injured my leg. I've done less than 50 miles since the middle of August.

[Canardly]

AH's velocipede still reminds me of lipstick on wheels. I am sure once you are fighting fit amends may be made.

[Ruthie]

A very poor year for me.

Me too.

I'd like to do more of that sort of thing.

Me too.



I think my best ride this year was also my longest, the 100km I did with mcshroom from Galashiels, because it's given me hope of doing decent distances in my future.  The ride with the Wows was also lovely, and was in Northumberland.  That's always a good thing.  My funniest ride of the year was the one with SlowCoach and Phil on the tandem the other week.

In fact, on reflection, not such a bad year after all - I've done some great rides with some excellent people.  You know who you are 

[Butterfly]

I've had a few nice rides this year.
A ride from Ramsgate via Sandwich to a campsite in August was particularly lovely but not long. We had some nice riding later in August too. The test valley ride with Nikki was beautiful as was the ride from Long Itch in September. The longest ride I've done for a couple of years was the ride to Brighton with the veteran cars at the beginning of November which was epic - lousy weather, but lots of fun with a great atmosphere 

[clarion]

All those.  Good rides; good company; not always good weather.  Hey-ho!

[tiermat]

Like Wow, and others, a shit year, quantity wise.

Quality wise, though, it is up there with the best. A couple of social rides, one night ride and a couple of pootles, including the hilarious tandem ride that Ruthie mentioned.

Next year has to be better (hopefully it won't start with a car crash and progress to whiplash and sciatica), especially if I can persuade more of my friends (from here and notp) out on the bike. Incidentally it may just be posdible that my Catalonia trip is back on!

[velosam]

After a good start to the year, it all went rapidly downhill and stayed there.

However, I did achieve a metric century, twice or thrice which was nice and managed to do a couple of 50 mile days as well.

However nothing more of any consequence.  Hopefully next year will explore the chilterns a bit more. I keep saying that but never end up going much further than Denham!

[Jurek]

An annual commuting mileage of around 7200 has curtailed my social riding considerably.
However, Auntie Helen's Joy of Essex 3 ride was marvellous for the company and the FNRttC York to Hull was superb for its surrealness.
The sad thing is, that those aside, and one training ride with NSTN  - I think that's all the social riding I've done this year 

[αdαmsκι]

Jurek, you've forgotten about the FNRttCThree Bridges back in April...

[JonJo]

An Atlantic/Med C2C based on the Raid Pyrenean route in June (we took five and a half days rather than the four and a half allowed for the Raid). We had perfect weather and I was as fit as a lop so really enjoyed it.

Next was the Hartside 200; my first proper audax. The road from Swaledale to Kirby Stephen was closed to cars cos the menders were in. We got through on the bikes and it was sensational descending into KS knowing there wouldn't be any cars coming the other way.

Done plenty of miles this year but dropped off lately due to work and illness. I'm going to do the Festive 500 so I can finish the year on a high.

Jurek just reminded me of my low point of the year, the FNRttC from York to Hull. I hated it and bailed out at Goole. Nights are for burglars, everybody else should be in bed 

[Jurek]

Jurek, you've forgotten about the FNRttCThree Bridges back in April...

I think I probably remember things selectively. Trying to forget those things which trouble me 

[Kim]

It's been a year of meh for me cycling wise.  Some excellent forum camping weekends, but other than Long Itch and the Test Valley one, they were quite low in actual cycling content.  So, amongst a handful of FNRttCs, weathery forum rides and assorted 100k audaxes, it's got to be the Random Last Minute Welsh Coast To Coast.  The weather karma was good, in as much that I'd traded the usual Welsh rain for incessant headwind.  I got to do some Proper Touring on some splendid roads, stay at a couple of rather nice campsites, and sneaked in a ride on the Snowdon Mountain Railway when there was actually a view.  What's not to like?

Runners up?

July's Tamworth 100, which gerwinium and I trundled round in some fantastic weather.  Other than a bit of hayfever and a zillion little black flies leaping out of hedges and getting into everything, it was one of those rides where it all just worked.

June's FNRttS, which the regulars all pulled out of at the last minute, providing a rare opportunity to do it at Wow Factor 1 without compromising Rogerzilla's breakfast.  An interesting (and somewhat chilly) new perspective on a familiar route by doing it at a different pace.

And of course the Test Valley Pootle.  Mission, as nikki says - accomplished.  Silly bikes, silly insects, and I got my own bridge.

[Feanor]

It's been a low-mileage year for me.

My change of workplace has killed my commute miles, but I'm not sure why.
My new workplace is only 10 miles away, and is on the route of my previous epic 40-mile each way route.
It was the 'warm-up' before hitting the big hill.

Now, that 10-mile ride is the whole thing.
I've had an attack of the CBAs about it.  It's like it's not worth bothering about.
It's also the time-of-day.
Previously, I was riding that section at 06:00, when it's quiet.
Now, it's at 08:00, when it's twat-o'-clock.

I plan to do better next year.

But best rides...

I think my first Easter Arrow has to be up there.
And my first trip to the Western Isles too.

[IanDG]

^ 

[IanDG]

My 4 day tour of Donegal in May (especially day 3 from Corcreggan to Malin Head) was my best ride, but organising my first audax events from Stornoway topped it

[Wobbly John]

The only social rides i've done, I think, are Long Itch and Cyclechat 'FNRRTNC' (Friday night ride round the Norfolk coast) ride. 

Contraversively, I think some of my best rides of the year were the 1 am rides back from the pub (6 miles). - A completely still, clear, warm night riding across the deserted, inky black Fens which are then lit up by a spectacular lightning storm 20 miles away sticks in the memory. 

[andyoxon]

FNRttS (May)  - great fun, overnight ride to Cafe Paolo in London, and weather was spot on.

Welders Lane by ao, on Flickr


A short longest-day sunrise ride to Wittenham clumps with daughter...

From the Clumps by ao, on Flickr


The Old roads and Drove roads 200 Audax - across the Salisbury Plain Training area...

Imber Range by ao, on Flickr

[Ian H]

Family illness and bereavement meant no training to speak of earlier in the year. So it was a disappointing Mersey Roads.

But a little before that a certain Mr Rigby's ludicrous combination of skoggy lanes, tracks and hills, and all on one of the hottest weekends of the year, delivered full-value entertainment.

I should also mention a delightful 4-day tour (me on fixed), to and from the AUK reunion, with a dear old friend.

[eck]

But best rides...
I think my first Easter Arrow has to be up there.
And my first trip to the Western Isles too.

Your first Easter Arrow? You mean you might do another one? 
Feanor, sit down and listen. If you liked the Easter Arrow, you were doing it wrong. (Except for Tiermat's ride-saving hospitality, obv.)

[Wowbagger]

Quite ungraciously, I had forgotten about Kim's excellent ride from Oxford to London. That was a definite highlight of the year and was immensely enjoyable. Cycling almost the entire width of the capital, which pretty much starts around Gerrards Cross (I would imagine that he does that quite often), was a new experience for me.

[bikepacker]

Having had a mixture of cycling and walking this year I would have to put my best ride as my north coast of Scotland tour. Two weeks of solo cycling in mainly good weather following the coast as close as possible including Bealach Na Ba.

My best one off day though has to be walking in Switzerland. Following the Eiger trail from Wengen up to Eigergletscher and on to Grindlewald on a stunningly sunny day was hard work but tremendous. Walking across the base and looking up the famous Eiger North Wall was awe-inspiring.

[CrinklyLion]

I've barely turned the pedals all year.  So I shall nominate the tandem commutes.  Every single school run that has departed or arrived at the Den  since September, bar the day when the bike was in for a service - when the SmallestCub looked at me in a totally bamboozled manner and exclaimed, with eyebrows meeting hairline in astonishment, "You mean we're WALKING?!?!?!".

[SlowCoach]

Well, 2014 has been a year of a not a lot of riding, despite all the best intentions. I think I can list my highlights as:

1) my one only ride ever on a fixed wheel - round the Olympic Velodrome track (a birthday present from my son). What's more, I didn't even fall off, despite having a little panic when I realised that somehow, I'd managed to creep to the very top of the banking.

2) my ride round a closed off Ripon ring road on the first day of the TdF Grand Depart with Tiermat. It was one of my early trips out on the recumbent and we travelled in style (red wine in the bidon, smelly french cheese in the rackpack and a french stick strapped across the pannier rack). The weather was good, the company excellent, and we spent an enjoyable few hours sitting by the roadside watching the carnival that the TdF truly is.

[Jayjay]

To buck the trend here, I've had my best cycle year ever, first hotel tour, first camping tour and about double my historic yearly miles. May you all look back on next year as happily.

High point? Harrogate, TDF. Probably Saturday, riding out to Pool to see my first ever actual road cycle racing, then back to Harrogate centre to see them all again.

[Jurek]

To buck the trend here, I've had my best cycle year ever, .......

News, most excellent!