Tell us about your best ride of the year

[Bike Writer]

I'll start, mine was yesterday and it had all the elements of what I like most about cycling

.
exploring new territory
discovery
fun fun fun
great biking weather
adventure
challenge


I smiled so much my face hurt.

I posted a video on YouTube of some BMX bikers that were having fun on the Dirt Bike Jump Course that was off to the side of the path in Ann Arbor, the link can be found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6_meILI8XQ here. :D:D

[Becky]

Sounds like a great day!

I dunno if this one is my best of the year, but it's recent and I had a blast. DH and I met some friends in PA to ride a trail system near my parents' house. It was much rockier than anything we have in DE, and I was a little anxious that I wouldn't be able to hack it. My fears were for naught- my skills have improved enough that I did really well. I walked a few unanticipated obstacles and steeeeeeeep hills, but I was nailing rocks and small drops, and having such a good time :)

I can't wait to go back there!

[jessmarimba]

Last Friday on the recumbent stationary bike at physical therapy! All ten minutes :)


Besides that, I had a beautiful ride out in Uncompaghre National Forest back in June - perfect weather, gorgeous aspens and pine trees and desert landscapes all in one ride.

Oh and a beautiful ride somewhere by Missoula on an awesome demo bike. I don't think I've ever gone that fast before, up OR down.

And I'm very proud because I didn't get lost on either ride despite having maps with outdated trail numbers. Yay!

[marni]

the best ride all year is the one that I just finished and the next one will be even better. There is always something to love.

marni

[DarcyInOregon]

The good rides are so numerous they blur together in my memory. However the Rides from Hell I can remember in vivid detail and the exact dates.

[crazycanuck]

Whenever i get to ride new singletrack without pea gravel!

On Wed a friend & I went n found the state champs trail...oooooooo....sweeeeet...:cool:

[Catrin]

What Marni and Darcy said - they are all fantastic! The painful ones do seem to stick in the memory a little longer...

That being said, a club ride I did this summer in southern Indiana comes to mind. It was the Southern Tour? Can't remember the actual name but IndySteel was one of the ride leaders. I was dropped, by everyone, in something like 3.2 nanoseconds, and I arrived at the last SAG stop 45 minutes behind everyone else....however...

The route was beautiful, the roads in almost perfect condition, I made it up ALL of the hills (outside of a hill where my chain fell off the front), it wasn't too hot and I didn't bonk.

I didn't actually complete the ride, I allowed the SAG vehicle to give me a ride for the last 4-5 miles as I had already been on the bike for 5.5 hours (something like that) and was tiring. It was a great ride though!

Then there was this other ride... they are all great :D

[indysteel]

Awwww; I'm flattered, Catrin. I'm glad you liked the ride so much. I'm partial to that route myself. We'll do it again next year, so I hope you can make it.

My best ride was Day Two of the Horsey Hundred. Admittedly, this hasn't been my best year on the bike. Between some injuries, life events, a busy schedule, overly hot weather and a host of other things, I don't always feel great on my bike. I felt good on the second day of the Horsey though. It's one of my favorite routes through the rolling hills of Kentucky. There's one stretch of road that is just roller upon roller as far as the eye can see. I remeber getting into a great rhythm on just cruising over them.

I did the ride alone. I really like riding alone at event rides. It's the best of both worlds IMO. As much as I love riding with DH or friends, there's just something about being alone on the road. Just me and my bike.

[redrhodie]

The day I rode through the flock of birds at the bird sanctuary was really magical. They were tiny, and there were thousands of them. Flying through on my bike, I felt like one of them.

[azfiddle]

My most memorable ride this year (so far) is the day I rode on Mt. St. Helens. My husband and I went on a 2 week road trip together, and got to meet several on-line friends in person. One of them took us Mt. St. Helens. My DH and I took turns riding and moving the car, but I got to ride about 2/3 of the time. It was absolutely stunning scenery and perfect weather. The route had long climbs and some exhilarating descents. Reminders of the volcanic eruption were everywhere, and we enjoyed the view and displays at the visitor center at the top. It was great to enjoy the company of our friend, who was so familiar with the area. But every ride seems to have special moments, and I am trying hard to appreciate being "in the moment" this year.

[missjulied]

Mine was renting cruiser bikes and riding around Versailles when the Mr. and I were in Paris last month. Perfect summer weather, lovely scenery. It ended up being my favorite day of my whole European vacation.

[hebe]

What lovely snapshots of perfect rides :)

I think I'm still in single figures for solo rides. I think the best was doing that bridleway this week and making it up part of each of the hills. Definitely for making it down, that was so cool! The one when I rode past a stationary Porsche without panicking and riding into it was a close second. But I'd do every single ride again, even the less satisfying ones because every single ride taught me something new.

[Crankin]

I think my favorite ride this year was the first 50 mile ride of the year I did in June. It was a club ride where I rode to the leader's house in Lincoln (8 miles), and we headed back through Concord, onto very familiar roads. Since most of the riders in the group live nearer to the city and had no idea where they were, I stayed up front and helped with the human arrowing. I felt strong and fast. When they got near the lunch stop, it was clear that 50 riders would not fit into the place the leader had made a reservation at, I decided to leave and ride home. Even though it was like 1:00 and I was starving, I flew the last 9 miles, and even went past my street and into my neighborhood an alternate way, so I would get my 50.
I also learned of a cut through that goes through the Cysco Systems campus, that avoids one of the steepest hills around here. I've used that street a few times this year, and on July 4th, DH and I replicated this ride.

[AppleTree]

So many this year, but one of the most beautiful was the Skagit Valley Spring Classic this past May. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, quiet roads. (And not TOO many hills!) I came to realize I could probably add a few more miles to my average speed if I didn't stop every 15 minutes to enjoy the scenery and take pictures! :p But I can't help it. It was a great ride! Hopefully still a few more to come this year too.

[buffybike]

Today's ride was great b/c it was the longest ride I've done completely alone (67 miles). I was riding past cotton fields, old plantations, crumbling barns, horse and dairy farms...rural South at its best. My most exhilerating ride this year, however was with my husband on the Pacific Coast Highway from Cannon Beach, OR to Manzanita, OR. The scenery was just gorgeous and the hills were really challenging. Beating him on the way back against major headwinds just made it that much sweeter. ;)

[warneral]

As much as I love riding alone on my roadie, my favorite rides were with my family. One was the sparta elroy trail and we rode about 22 miles. My daughter rides a novara sideburner which is a tow-behind pedalling trailer. She is 6 and is a hard little worker! I call her my turbo. DH pulls our 8 year old boy. It was a great ride b/c we drove the 1.75hrs to get there, rode up and down a portion of the trail, and then stopped at our favorite-ever pizza place for dinner. It felt like vacation even though we accomplished it on one Saturday.

Likewise on labor day, we rode from Verona to Mount Horeb on the military ridge trail in the same fashion. We stopped at the grumpy troll (which is a fun micro-brewry pub) and ended up riding 30 miles. Not too shabby on heavy bikes pulling heavy kids :)

[buffybike]

As much as I love riding alone on my roadie, my favorite rides were with my family. One was the sparta elroy trail and we rode about 22 miles. My daughter rides a novara sideburner which is a tow-behind pedalling trailer. She is 6 and is a hard little worker! I call her my turbo. DH pulls our 8 year old boy. It was a great ride b/c we drove the 1.75hrs to get there, rode up and down a portion of the trail, and then stopped at our favorite-ever pizza place for dinner. It felt like vacation even though we accomplished it on one Saturday.

Likewise on labor day, we rode from Verona to Mount Horeb on the military ridge trail in the same fashion. We stopped at the grumpy troll (which is a fun micro-brewry pub) and ended up riding 30 miles. Not too shabby on heavy bikes pulling heavy kids :)

That sounds fun! I forgot how much I enjoy riding with my 6 year old pedalling her little WeeHoo. Maybe I'll take her out tomorrow for a ride and some pizza!

[sandra]

I rode this past weekend in the Ride for Wishes which is a part of the Make a Wish Foundation. The weather could not have been any more perfect nor could the scenery have been any more gorgeous!!! It was exhilarating! Just great!

The best bit of all was that I rode over this bridge (and believe me, it is worse than it looks. Where I live is pretty flat and this is probably the most incline I've done. Once I got to the other side and saw that I could do it, I turned around and came back. It was much harder the second time. :D

I know this is nothing for most of you but I was pumped and proud!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Sandradav/IMAG0063.jpg

[Owlie]

36 miles on July 4th. My longest ride, in some very hot and humid weather. Just felt good to know I could do it. :)

[DebSP]

Today was perfect! The weather was perfect, sunny and about 18 degrees Celsius. The trees are turning so the scenery was perfect. I discovered that a road just up from my house has been entirely paved (it used to be partly paved and partly gravel) and the traffic is very low so the road was perfect. And to top it off, I have been in a slump for the past month and just to get out and ride feels like an enormous effort so to actually follow through was perfect. It was only a ten mile ride but it did so much to lift my spirits! :)

[Aggie_Ama]

Back in late summer I had an amazing mountain bike ride, everything clicked and I made progress on a lot of obstacles. It was a big boost in my confidence and made me really proud.

[featuretile]

Today was a great ride. The sun was out (after a summer of fog), the temp was about 65. I rode with a friend who is about the same speed as me, instead of trying to keep up with the faster riders. Instead of burning out after 30 miles, I felt great after 47 miles!

We rode along the Pacific Coast from Marina, through Monterey, to Pebble Beach Golf Course on the 17 Mile Dr. (famous place). They pay about $400 to look at the same views and golf there. I get to go for free. It is about a 45 minute drive from my house and well worth it. Today it felt like they turned the color on - the ocean was turquoise, the breeze felt like an air conditioner, the ice plant on the dunes was red and green. It was just gorgeous. Most of the ride is bike path or the road has a shoulder. I feel so lucky to live here.

[Bike Chick]

I don't think I've ridden it yet:D I've been training for triathlons all year and now that the season is over, I'm looking forward to some casual charity rides in the coming weeks. Haven't done one all year.

[Jaclyn]

this past Sunday (10-10-10). We were married outside along the river, and then invited our family and friends to bicycle with us on our first ride as husband and wife.

We'd put bicycle bells in the favor bags, and five guests had screwdrivers to help install them while the photographer finished our photo's. Then we rode a short, slow ride to the sounds of "Daisy Bell" on a vintage Schwinn Twin tandem we'd restored.

The ride route was just off familiar territory to most of us, so our guests were surprised by the old mill with paddle wheel, the winding lake, and the peaceful setting. Oh, and may I mention that it was the warmest October day in memory (85 degrees in northwest Ohio)?

Every ride for me is memorable and beautiful in its own way ... but I was thrilled to have so many people join us on this special day. There was some concern about hairdo's under helmets, what to wear, etc ... but in the end, I think everyone had a wonderful time.

And our young grandson was so proud that he was first back, beating the Ironman and Cat I racers who were among our guests!

[sandra]

awwwww, I'd love to see pictures! Congratulations and may you have many happy years of married life ....riding together along the way. :)

[inkspot]

Then we rode a short, slow ride to the sounds of "Daisy Bell" on a vintage Schwinn Twin tandem we'd restored.

Sounds like a perfectly wonderful day! I would love to see photos!

[Jaclyn]

I don't have photo's from the wedding yet, but a friend shot some pictures of the restored tandem a few weeks earlier. I'll post a photo or two of the entire wedding party on bikes when I get them. There were 50+ who joined us with the remaining 30 or so enjoying the fall trees along the river.

[sandra]

Oh that's gorgeous! I can't wait to see the other pictures!

[Jaclyn]

My husband and I met at a charity bicycle ride - and our first date was on our bikes. So when we started to plan our DIY wedding, we knew it would have a bicycle theme.

So here's a few shots of my best ride of the year - my wedding day. Most of our 85 guests rode with us on our "first ride as husband and wife." We'd restored the vintage Schwinn Twin tandem.

Favor bags for our guests included red bicycle bells, the lyrics to "Daisy Bell," his (Cliff) and her (Luna) bars, bicycle wine charms, packets of daisy seeds and much more all in hand stamped bags with his, her or tandem bikes based on the guest. And we raided our house and garden to decorate the stone hall with bicycle accessories. My best friend commissioned an artist to hand blow the red bicycle glass wine goblets (I'm a amateur glass blower).

The photographer, who was awesome and rode as stoker with a friend (her first ride on a tandem) to capture the ride photo's, has more pix at http://marywyar.com/blog/2010/10/jacqueline-mike.html

[sandra]

OH! I just looked at the photographer's pics and they are just gorgeous! What a wonderful and special day. You both look so happy. I love it all, especially your dress and red shoes. You look beautiful!

Oh, and I gotta know...what is the little charm on your pearl necklace?

[indysteel]

My husband and I met at a charity bicycle ride - and our first date was on our bikes. So when we started to plan our DIY wedding, we knew it would have a bicycle theme.

So here's a few shots of my best ride of the year - my wedding day. Most of our 85 guests rode with us on our "first ride as husband and wife." We'd restored the vintage Schwinn Twin tandem.

Favor bags for our guests included red bicycle bells, the lyrics to "Daisy Bell," his (Cliff) and her (Luna) bars, bicycle wine charms, packets of daisy seeds and much more all in hand stamped bags with his, her or tandem bikes based on the guest. And we raided our house and garden to decorate the stone hall with bicycle accessories. My best friend commissioned an artist to hand blow the red bicycle glass wine goblets (I'm a amateur glass blower).

The photographer, who was awesome and rode as stoker with a friend (her first ride on a tandem) to capture the ride photo's, has more pix at http://marywyar.com/blog/2010/10/jacqueline-mike.html

That's awesome. Congrats to you both. May you have many happy days--and rides--ahead of you.

P.S. My DH and I met at a charity ride ourselves! That's the way to do it!!!!

[Catrin]

Congratulations and may the both of you have many happy years and happy miles together! Great pictures, for sure. Thank you for sharing them with us.

[Bike Writer]

What awesome wedding pictures! How nice.

[NickiSue]

It was the first ride of the year with friends. Perfect day, lovely paths and trails. Not too long, about 10 miles. Funny at times, like when i stopped for the first time and forgot i was in clips. Thank goodness I was off trail in the grass. It was the first ride for my good friend after hip surgery! She did great. One of the nicest paths is along the Willamtte River.

[bluebug32]

Between an injury and planning a wedding, I didn't ride much this summer. My favorite ride, however, was the day after my wedding. We got married in a small Vermont town that has a hundred miles of singletrack. After years of vacationing there, we've watched the trail system gradually grow. The day after the wedding, we slipped soft gloves over our shiny new jewelry and headed to our beloved trails. We'd finally traded tuxedos and corset-backed dresses for baggy shorts, and we giggled like children as we whizzed through mud puddles, flying over rocks and roots as our tires settled into the familiar grooves.