Your best ride of 2024

[roubaixtuesday]

It's that time of year when what we need are memories of sunnier times with the wind in our hair.

So: your best ride of the year, by your own definition. Could be anything from a tiny trip in the park with a grand child, a first ride back after illness, that beautiful rainbow remembered, to an epic conquering of the Karakorum highway.

Pictures if possible please.

Have at it!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

My solo entry (tandem reserved for later...)

Meeting up for a big birthday for my own father, two of our boys young men came bike equipped and we had a cheeky hour's ride from Alstonefield around the Peak before breakfast.

I was feeling pretty fit after a long tour and reckoned I'd put them to the sword on the hairpins out of Crowdecote.

I duly put in a massive PB... ...whilst watching them both disappear up the hill in front of me.

A wonderful ride with my wonderful boys in wonderful scenery, here descending Long Dale to Hartington.

 

[ColinJ]

That is a tricky one! I will make a shortlist later and try to pick the best from that.

Actually, I think that I will pick two - best solo ride and the best with company.

 

[chriswoody]

Lots to choose from this year, it's been a great year of cycling.

Firstly, two fantastic trips in Spring and Autumn to the Greek Island of Thassos.

Then a couple of great group rides, one in May riding the Gravel Chase event in the Harz Mountains with friends,

then back to the Harz in Autumn for a great overnighter with the same friends.

The big highlight though has to be the 10 days I spent in the Scottish highlands. Two days between Contin and Ullapool were sublime, endless blue skies, wonderful singletrack and no other soul in sight, sheer cycling bliss.

 

[All uphill]

My most enjoyable day was back in May in the Netherlands. I left the comfortable hotel just outside Apeldoorn after a delicious breakfast of fruit and cheese.

I cycled into the Hoge Veluwe nature reserve in the warm sun. The cuckoo's were doing their thing, there was lots of evidence of wild boar and skylarks were imitating Vaughan William's famous music.

Radio Kootwijk was an enjoyable pause on my journey, and I loved chatting with a couple of Dutch cycle tourists.

Later I came across a rail museum and gradually made my way back to the hotel in time for a long shower and dinner.

 

[13 rider]

A metric century ride on the Isle of Man including a full lap of the TT mountain course ,starting from the pits after riding from my holiday accommodation

A photo of mile marker 13 seemed apt . The climb up the mountain all 1400ft of it was followed by a very speedy descent which was great fun where according to Strava I set my fastest 5 mile ,10km and 10 mile .65 miles in total with 4900ft of upness in lovely weather despite a bit of mist hiding the very top of the mountain Snaefell

 

[sevenfourate]

My first year of really consistent, enjoyable cycling. Where I’ve changed tact, slowed down enough to ‘smell the coffee”….and stopped to take pics and truly enjoy the process.

Hence every ride this has been great ! Nothing stands out amazingly. So I’ll just post a few of my favourite pics from 2024 😁

Oh…..and of course another ride I enjoyed hugely - but that wasn’t actually ‘mine’. But when the Tour of Britain’ passed through my home Town of Lowestoft. Starting on the UK’s most Easterly sea-front:

 

[Cathryn]

My first year of really consistent, enjoyable cycling. Where I’ve changed tact, slowed down enough to ‘smell the coffee”….and stopped to take pics and truly enjoy the process.

Hence every ride this has been great ! Nothing stands out amazingly. So I’ll just post a few of my favourite pics from 2024 😁

Absolutely beautiful photos! Loved them.

 

[sevenfourate]

Absolutely beautiful photos! Loved them.

Something I really enjoy (Just documenting life’s adventures per-se). So glad you enjoyed and Thankyou very much 🙏

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've tried a couple of different routes this year rather than doing the same variation of what I know. This is from long day ride around 50 miles ish, needs some tweaking as a couple of the roads were either too busy or too rough but I got to see some things I don't normally.

Just North of Wakefield somewhere, funny farmers gate.

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Leeds Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) works


Viewing Platform for Twitchers near Woodlesford Lock on the Aire and Calder Navigation

 

[EckyH]

Clearly the ride to Winterswijk and back was the best ride for me in 2024.

E.

 

[potsy]

Mine was back in July, charity bike ride with some colleagues after starting a new job earlier in the year.
Had no intention of joining it a few weeks before, then got a burst of energy and got back on my bike after not riding at all in 2024.

I managed 38 of the 50 miles and it rekindled my love of cycling, so much so that I joined a local cycling club not long after and have been riding most weekends since.

 

[fossyant]

Couple of big challenges this year. Did the Mad Manc full 203km with a stupid amount of hills and no walking in early May. Then did the King Alfred Way bike packing and camping with two others from here. Both were hard work.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

My favourite ride was when I bought a crappy old Dawes Audax for £65 on eBay, got the train to Stratford on Avon with a saddlebag full of bits, gave it a quick service* and rode it home (almost) to Ross on Wye in an attempt to get a metric #tonoshite under my belt. I failed by 25km largely due to a struck stem which was too low for me to ride in anything other than an 'arse in the air' time trial position, but it was still a fun day. I've still got the bike, now in bits and in the queue for a refurb when I get around to it.

*Quickness of service may differ significantly from reality.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I must admit to having had a year when my enthusiasm for cycling has waned due to a combination of my and family health issues. I have tended to go for shorter and easier rides but in September decided to go for a longer, hillier ride in Bannau Brycheiniog, where I started my enjoyment of cycling 60+ years ago. A great day out made me realise what I was missing and, while still not out of the woods, I am determined not to fall into the same old rut in 2025. (sorry for the mixed metaphor)