Best Ride of 2023

[roubaixtuesday]

The bike is encrusted with endless dirt thrown up off the soaked roads, and cycling is a constant battle to overcome darkness, cold, floods or ice.

So it’s time to look back at the best of 2023!

What was your best ride?

It could be epic and adventurous; that 600km Audax or completing the length of South America to Tierra del Fuego.

But even better, perhaps, the smaller joys; first time with grand-daughter on a bike, first ride back after injury or illness, or just that perfect commute with the rising sun illuminating the mist.

Photos and reports encouraged.

Have at it.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I’m going to cheat and have one for the solo bike and one for the Tandem.

Best of all for me on the solo was to climb the Stelvio. A group of us did it from the Val Venosta side, and it’s quite an extraordinary climb. The hairpins are numbered in reverse order, starting from 48(!) and it’s pretty much constant 10% for 20km or so. One of the reasons it’s so memorable for me is it motivated me to get properly fit for the first time in several years, and it really does feel good to start a ride 10kgs less than normal!

The climb starts through a wooded valley, views of farmland and villages gradually giving way to the high mountains and glaciers above.

We were a fairly mixed group, from one superfit making a frenzied assault to one struggling to complete it at all, so we split close to the bottom. After helping a friend with a puncture, the two of us rode the climb together, slightly below the pace I would have done alone, and more enjoyable for it – who cares if I’m 15,000th of all time on Strava or 18,000th?

Half way up the road turned for the final assault. This is hairpin 24 and is also about half the climb ascent. The entire second half was revealed, the summit dizzyingly above and the road crazily zigzagging up to it. High above the opposite side of the valley the glaciers glittered in the sunshine.

We were lucky in that the Junior Giro finished at the summit ascending the opposite side from Bormio, so there was very little motorised traffic and we were free to enjoy the Alpine scenery and flowers unbothered. The road towards the summit is a truly incredible engineering feat, every hairpin perched out over the steep hillside. A couple of hairpins from the top one of the group was waiting to record for posterity.

We descended via the Umbrail pass into Switzerland, which is a wonderful smooth surfaced delight through Alpine meadows, and found lunch at a Romansch speaking restaurant with a stunning view over the Val Mustair.

Afterwards, yet more perfect hairpins to descend, before an extra, and rather stiff climb to the Haidersee to swim.

Then a final descent home in the rapidly cooling evening sunshine.

Perfect.

 

[13 rider]

For me it was the Lincoln GP sportive in May . I had entered this in the depths of winter to give me some motivation to keep at it after stopping cycling to work . After a winter of smashing myself on Zwift and outdoor endurance rides I was as pretty much fit as I've ever been . The week before the event after treating the bike to some race tyres I went down with a cold and up until the Friday I wasn't sure I was going . Saturday saw me at the start and instead of taking the sensible options of going for the shorter 65 miler I stuck with the imperial ton route .
Went off fairly early found a fast group hung on for grim death on the mainly tailwind ,flat section to the 1st feed station at 28 miles in 1hr 20mins about 21mph super fast for me . I knew I had to throttle it back as the climbing began over the Wolds ( Lincolnshire is not completely flat ) I rode at a much steady pace just before the next feed station a guy caught me who apparently had been chasing me for 15 miles closing on the flats then dropping back on the climbs . We then rode the to the feed stop and the last 20 miles together amazing how you can meet random person and chat rubbish while riding along .Then comes the sting in the tail the finish is in the centre of Lincoln by the cathedral up the cobbled climb of Michealgate

It's a bit steep
Got round in 6hrs 15mins ( not the sub 6hr I was hoping for but considering I how felt 2 days prior more than happy )16.5mph ,with over 4500ft of upness told Lincolnshire wasn't flat

 

[chriswoody]

I've had some great rides this year, but as always it's the trips that are the most memorable for me. I started in May by riding with a friend on his first overnighter in the Harz Mountains.

I also had a great solo trip to the Swiss Alps on the mountain bike, crossing a 2700m high pass on the way. https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bikepacking-with-the-marmots-in-the-swiss-alps.292987/

The absolute highlight though is riding with my son, first we rode home from Hamburg together during an unseasonably cold Spring.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/riding-home-from-hamburg-with-my-son.291232/

Then in late summer we completed a shorter overnighter in the nearby heathland.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/another-overnight-adventure-with-my-son.294307/

 

[craigwend]

Not the fastest (under 12 mph) or furthest (about 44 Miles), but enjoyable as with friends, planned route in 'my head', not getting lost, seeing a bit of history (Trawlerman Memorial), the future (Wind Turbine Blades) & the 'I thought you was joking section' (Riding accross the roof tops of old dock side sheds) A Grand Day Out...

 

[C R]

The Cotswolds Sportive for me, out of Cheltenham, round south Worcestershire and back to Cheltenham via the Severn Valley.

I was on my own, but soon joined forces with a couple of other people and ended up doing the 104km at almost 16mph, which is blazing fast for me.

No photos as it was a grey misty day, but a lovely ride.

 

[Bollo]

Chasing the Ronde van Vlaanderen was probably my highlight. There was a lot that could have gone wrong but, barring being a little underdressed for the stops everything worked as planned.

 

[robjh]

I’m going to cheat and have one for the solo bike and one for the Tandem.

Best of all for me on the solo was to climb the Stelvio. A group of us did it from the Val Venosta side, and it’s quite an extraordinary climb. The hairpins are numbered in reverse order, starting from 48(!) and it’s pretty much constant 10% for 20km or so. One of the reasons it’s so memorable for me is it motivated me to get properly fit for the first time in several years, and it really does feel good to start a ride 10kgs less than normal!

The climb starts through a wooded valley, views of farmland and villages gradually giving way to the high mountains and glaciers above.

View attachment 716149

We were a fairly mixed group, from one superfit making a frenzied assault to one struggling to complete it at all, so we split close to the bottom. After helping a friend with a puncture, the two of us rode the climb together, slightly below the pace I would have done alone, and more enjoyable for it – who cares if I’m 15,000th of all time on Strava or 18,000th?

Half way up the road turned for the final assault. This is hairpin 24 and is also about half the climb ascent. The entire second half was revealed, the summit dizzyingly above and the road crazily zigzagging up to it. High above the opposite side of the valley the glaciers glittered in the sunshine.

View attachment 716150

We were lucky in that the Junior Giro finished at the summit ascending the opposite side from Bormio, so there was very little motorised traffic and we were free to enjoy the Alpine scenery and flowers unbothered. The road towards the summit is a truly incredible engineering feat, every hairpin perched out over the steep hillside. A couple of hairpins from the top one of the group was waiting to record for posterity.

View attachment 716151

We descended via the Umbrail pass into Switzerland, which is a wonderful smooth surfaced delight through Alpine meadows, and found lunch at a Romansch speaking restaurant with a stunning view over the Val Mustair.

View attachment 716152

Afterwards, yet more perfect hairpins to descend, before an extra, and rather stiff climb to the Haidersee to swim.

View attachment 716154

Then a final descent home in the rapidly cooling evening sunshine.

Perfect.

Fantastic pictures

 

[Cathryn]

For me, it was the day we rode over the Simplon Pass from Brig to Domodossola. I was so nervous about the whole thing but it was an incredible experience. We started at 6am as dawn came up over the mountains. The first few miles were quiet and steep on back lanes. Then we joined the main road and experienced cycling through the galleries, which was not quite as terrifying as expected. The feeling at the top was like nothing else - utter joy and triumph.

The descent down was both exhilerating and a little terrifying but the views were amazing.

The final kick was that the country road into Domodossola was blocked so we had to risk the Tunnel of Death, a 2km tunnel where cyclists were banned. It was like entering the jaws of death and yet somehow we emerged unscathed, if shaking, and demolished an entire pizza each as a reward.

The whole day was a roller-coaster of emotions and I will never forget it!

 

[robjh]

There have been several really great rides, but I'll pick two as the best of the year.

One was a solo three-night from York to Edinburgh in August, wild camping near Brough in the Pennines, Byrness on the Scottish border, and near North Berwick on the Firth of Forth. It was mostly on-road apart from forestry trails through the Redesdale Forest to Byrness, but was just the best of the cycle-camping - maybe nowadays some call it bikepacking, though I carry too much gear for the purists - that I love. I arrived in Edinburgh early on the fourth day, and caught a train back into the hills to Tweedbank so that I could ride again down to Edinburgh on the magnificent road from Innerleithen.
I have many good pictures of the four days, but this one illustrates the camping/bivvying side of it - my idea of a great night out!

The other was the 'Bare Bones' 400km audax in early June, from the edge of London to the Severn Bridge and back. It largely follows the London-Wales-London audax, but starting in the evening rather than the morning, and without the support so that you are on your own, depending on occasional shops and 24-hour garages for sustenance. We rode through a beautiful moonlit night across the Cotswolds to the Forest of Dean, and came back across the Severn Bridge around breakfast time. I teamed up with a few other guys during the night and rode with them for 12 hours, until my legs eventually stopped working properly on the hills near Swindon and I dropped back. In the end I didn't finish - I was at the last control at Henley, and might have been just able to limp back for the 9pm cut-off, but it was a train strike day and I worried that I'd never get home at that time, so diverted to a nearby train station - and I still didn't get home until after midnight. It was nonetheless an awesome experience, and I loved the sense of team spirit with the others in our little group - most of whose names I will never know, as is often the way on these events.
This photo shows the moment we realised that a key road near Symonds Yat was closed - and boy, our alternative route was steep!

 

[robjh]

For me, it was the day we rode over the Simplon Pass from Brig to Domodossola. I was so nervous about the whole thing but it was an incredible experience. We started at 6am as dawn came up over the mountains. The first few miles were quiet and steep on back lanes. Then we joined the main road and experienced cycling through the galleries, which was not quite as terrifying as expected. The feeling at the top was like nothing else - utter joy and triumph.

The descent down was both exhilerating and a little terrifying but the views were amazing.

The final kick was that the country road into Domodossola was blocked so we had to risk the Tunnel of Death, a 2km tunnel where cyclists were banned. It was like entering the jaws of death and yet somehow we emerged unscathed, if shaking, and demolished an entire pizza each as a reward.

The whole day was a roller-coaster of emotions and I will never forget it!

Looks fantastic. You were lucky that you were going DOWN through that tunnel at (I presume) a good speed, imagine doing the same slogging uphill!
I went from Brig to Domodossola this April but by train. I enjoyed that too but not a patch on riding over the top.

 

[Cathryn]

Looks fantastic. You were lucky that you were going DOWN through that tunnel at (I presume) a good speed, imagine doing the same slogging uphill!

I’m quite slow descending but my husband remarked on how speedily I shot through the Tunnel of Doom! 😂

 

[Donger]

No really long rides or big climbs this year, and didn't get to go abroad. I did get to ride in some lovely parts of Britain, though and the beautiful Tarka Trail in Devon was a real highlight. Started just to the South of the Puffing Billy and carried on past Barnstaple and out to the viewpoint above Saunton Sands before turning back for a nice relaxed 50 miler. If the weather had been better it would have been perfect. Loved it, and can recommend it for family friendly cycling.

 

[figbat]

For me this is definitely the four-day ride of the King Alfred's Way, reported earlier in the year here. It was my first, and so far only, multi-day ride, my first carrying any kind of luggage and was done in perfect weather with a group of friends that have generated a load of common memories to be replayed and embellished for years to come. Many highlights, some dark moments but the euphoria of finishing a ride that had been planned for months and that I had initially thought was beyond my capability will stay with me for a long time.

 

[Sterlo]

Not the fastest (under 12 mph) or furthest (about 44 Miles), but enjoyable as with friends, planned route in 'my head', not getting lost, seeing a bit of history (Trawlerman Memorial), the future (Wind Turbine Blades) & the 'I thought you was joking section' (Riding accross the roof tops of old dock side sheds) A Grand Day Out...

View attachment 716187

View attachment 716188

View attachment 716189

I'm looking out of my office window at the old dock sheds as I type this! I've walked it but never done it on bike, must be a bugger to carry them up all of those steps.