Tell us about your best ride of the year

[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! 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.

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

[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.