[Closed] Your bike ride of the year? Pic please

Tricky one but probably the Howgills killer loop with Ed as I have never done a killer loop before and amazingly enough, despite the terrain often being far more technical than my abilities, I made it round, albeit in well over 7 hours.

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/4952304810_ffdea0c928.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/4952304810_ffdea0c928.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/4952304810/ ]IMG_0028[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr

I love this photo as you can see the singletrack which in this section just goes on for miles and miles.

Oh, I might say something different tomorrow but just now, this one:

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Day 4 I think of our week with A Quick Release in the Pyrenees. The climbs were the worst I've ever done, no contest but the descents... Burned into my brain. It was a fantastic week but this was the day, the trails were great, the company was great, and i was riding as well as I can. Perfect.

This one wasn't bad either, it was the day before

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But this has been a great year of riding, for me, very few bad ones and so many great ones, it's been a gift. Even if it doesn't get better than this I'll be happy with my lot. But it feels like it will.

"monarch crest" trail on the continental divide colorado. Stunning epic scenery, endless singletrack, the highlight (literally in terms of elevation) of 2 weeks there.

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Last Sundays ride, haven't been out in weeks but oh what a ride!

[url= http://northwalesmtb.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ridedays&action=display&thread=6297 ]Pics here[/url]

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Lots of good bike trips this year. Harris at Easter was pretty amazing though.

So many for me this year 😮
The snow of Febuary and riding 45 miles in the local hills at temps down to -20C, my boot laces froze,as did sweat on my buff and my cheeks burned with the cold but it was amazing and it told me that i must one day spend a winter in Alaska...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4201260030/ ]snowride sat dec09 131[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
Summer bikepacking the Kintyre Way, crammed into 2 instead of 3 days but a nice wee solo biking experiance
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4784430714_1c638e2619.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4784430714_1c638e2619.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4784430714/ ]IMG_4547[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
Full story here... [url= http://coastkid.blogspot.com/2010/07/biking-kintyre-way.html ]Kintyre Way[/url]

lots of days on the beach...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5060280107/ ]IMG_6205[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr

And finaly all the new friends i have met to go biking with this year via the tinternet including alot on here just by offering to meet up for a ride or showing around my local trails...thanks everyone for making it another great year 😮
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4927641142/ ]IMG_5407[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5028835702/ ]IMG_6040[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5005214966/ ]IMG_5964[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4860957683/ ]IMG_5079[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4679867075/ ]road trip, fort willam 130[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4728175347/ ]IMG_4202[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/4728186077/ ]IMG_4215[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr

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mine lasted a whole week.......... 8)

Ben Lomond - amazing.....

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Kielder 100 training ride. We needed to get the miles in so decided to pick easy to navigate trails. We headed upto Glentress very early and were on the trails by 8. Rode an empty black returning to the car park as others were just arriving. Rode over to Innerleithen, round the xc route before back to GT for a final blast on the red.

We were in the saddle for about 7 hours. Covered a very hard 50 miles (great prep ride by the way if you are in for 2011) over some fantastic trails on a sunny day. I was exhausted but still wanted to carry on riding.

There was only two of us and we were motoring so no faff, no stopping just miles of singletrack in the sunshine.

Nan Bield loop from Staveley with Slugwash, qwerty and Si, of this parish.

[img][url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5009969022_9a46cfcfb9.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5009969022_9a46cfcfb9.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/5009969022/ ]DSC_0360[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url]

Nice pic

Rubbish at linking pics. However, stand out rides for me were the two Cairngorm and MacDui loops I did over two consecutive weekends in August, Whiteless Pike in October and the Fife Coastal Path on a glorious day in May.

Marvellous!

Sanny

Ps TJ. I'm not deliberately winding you up re MacDui as I know your thoughts on such things.

Pps Cross ride From Glasgow to Millport and back was ace as was the ride I did the next day up Ben Lomond which featured in the mag a couple of issues ago.

Grumm

It is special on the Ben right enough. Catch the right day and you will smile for a long time after!

This was a pretty special day

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(CHX in June)

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Long Mynd. Only photo I got before my camera ran out of battery.

This day was also awesome, hard to pick between the two as they were completely different rides! Cheers Tony for the day and pics.

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A full 8 hours on this one.Parked at Seatoller, up Honnister Pass,Warnscale Bottom,Gatesgarth, High Crag, Scarth Gap,Black Sail Pass, Wasdale Head, Sty Head, Stockley Bridge, Seathwaite and back into Seatoller

Mmmm? That is a VERY tricky one!

Santa Cruz?
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Laguna Niguel - California?
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Mammoth Mountain?
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Lake Tahoe?
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Downieville?
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Tamerancho & the Repack with Charlie Kelly and Joe Breeze?
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The Stratosphere - Las Vegas?
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this one is les arcs was pretty good and with great company too

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu_n/4880478488/ ]27 July 2010 - Monster Ride[/url]

Probably a road ride this year (ah, the shame!). Out in the Alps, 27 July, rode Samoens - Col de la Joux Plan - Morzine - Avoriaz - Morzine - Col d'Encrinaz - Pont de Gets - Taninges - Samoens.

95km and 2,500m of climbing. Monster.

oops sorry!

This might not work as its on Facebook but it was from a snowy ride in the Pentlands in the spring. There was about a foot of snow and the walkers had trampled it down into some nice singletrack which had then frozen solid. 5 hours of perfection, blue skies and no wind. Met a skier who said it was going to be better tomorrow 😆

Loch Muich, great day with friends and a fantastic desent down to the loch for sunset.

ltheisinger

Tahts cheating! One I said 😉

Keep 'em coming folks - great pics.

PS good thread Tandemjeremy, nice idea.

ltheisinger

Tahts cheating! One I said

Keep 'em coming folks - great pics.

Well...technically it was - I didn't go home in between, if that counts... 😉

[img][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5261224651_4f6d1b2e84.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5261224651_4f6d1b2e84.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/33522744@N04/5261224651/ ]2010_03022ndMarch20100052[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/33522744@N04/ ]steven160275[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Pentlands
[img][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5261836126_f9acdfea75.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5261836126_f9acdfea75.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/33522744@N04/5261836126/ ]2010_03022ndMarch20100083[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/33522744@N04/ ]steven160275[/url], on Flickr[/img]
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Only if you rode between them 🙂

NO trail centres? I did have one day at GT when it all clicked - and taking the tandem round Laggan red was a laugh and a half

In terms of pure elation, crossing Rannoch Moor having first ridden in from Killin via Bridge of Gaur.

The sun was setting over the Glen Coe/Glen Etive hills, the moor looked spectacular, and just as it got dark I reached the long, fast landrover track that led to the Kingshouse, with the hills still looming above me and the promise of a night in the pub ahead.

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Possibly cheating as I didn't ride very much of the moor...

Me riding home the day after finishing the Coast 2 Coast.

I started the ride from my home in Sheffield and started the c2c halfway through day 2. After completing the ride in Sunderland I then spent about 3 days making my way home. 500 miles in 7 days. I lucked out with the weather apart from one stormy night near Keswick.

This was my 'Panda Shot' taken next to Hamsterley forest on a loaded touring bike.

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Best ride this year was one of the very very few that I actually did this year. Snow Roads 300k audax. No pictures though.

Loch Muick in April
[img][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5261255403_fe2c50b1ed.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5261255403_fe2c50b1ed.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/33522744@N04/5261255403/ ]2010_0410BallaterApril20100108[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/33522744@N04/ ]steven160275[/url], on Flickr[/img]

This just after the last decent snowfall of the winter/spring. It was a last minute decision to go and the first climb involved a lot of pushing through snow but the two descents especially the one above made it all worth it. Chilled by the loch until the sun dropped behind Lochnagar. Bliss.

Not as epic as others, but had wanted to do Dumyat for ages. First big, hot, long day out of the year and it was just ace fun.

Speaking of big, hot and long, I was riding with these homos...
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Best/ most meaningful / significant ride was undoubtedly [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-ride-report-warning-roadtourerlongphoto-content ]my A9 trip[/url].

(a) It was the testing trip for my "dream" tourer.
(b) It was part of the mourning process for my Father.
(c) It was great to see some nice comments about it on STW and think I'd brightened up a few folks day for a short while.

Oh - you wanted a pic...
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jimmy - Member

Speaking of big, hot and long, I was riding with these homos...

Which one's which??

Managing to get myself out to Morzine, with FlowMTB, was very special to me this year.

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Rachel (in the middle btw)

Nice one Druidh - I was thinking of your and 13thfloormonks write up when I started this thread Nice pic btw

I love to read ride reports. We don't have enough

Not the best location, but certainly the funniest day on a bike this year...

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4649028613_a3cee9c67d.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4649028613_a3cee9c67d.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/iwheeler/4649028613/ ]MTB Coed-y-Brenin[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/iwheeler/ ]ianswheeler[/url], on Flickr

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I've had a bloody fantastic year riding wise. some mental trails, technically as good as i've ever been and most importantly with some incredible people (st andrews uni cycling club + others).

Picking the best has been difficult... some beautiful singletrack local to stirling, some amazing days with the uni lot in the highlands (loch muick being one of them), racing a tandem with a good friend, couple of solo blasts around the NY moors (plus a 'memorable' one with the gf) - loads more too...

best overall? the Hut trip with Bikevillage, during one of the 7 (!) weeks i was there this year. Me and Sam and another guest, trying a new route in the Beaufortaine, loads of climbing, incredible descending and tartiflette in a refuge...

quality singletrack
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plenty of hike-a-bike!
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proper 'backcountry' riding
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and a bar at the end (just waiting for our Demis)
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and yes, my blind granny did dress me...

Had a brill week in Morzine
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One way from Brampton to Hexham.

82km exploring trails that have been tempting me on the map for years.

And we had a tailwind all the way 🙂

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/4535134863/ ]P4170022[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

Grumm
It is special on the Ben right enough. Catch the right day and you will smile for a long time after!

Yup, it was an amazing day. Was extra special for me as it was my first big ride after being off the bike for several months with CFS.

A nice day in the hills

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My ride of the year?

Original Sin into Goats Gully into In Deep into Fatcrobat into Too Tight into Angry Pirate into Samurai Pizza Cat into HoChiMinh into Heart of Darkness.... or swap out Angry Pirate, Pizza Cat and HoChiMinh with a run down Crank it Up... I'm good either way

Whistler, BC, Canada.

Had too many good bike rides this year to be able to pick a ride of the year 🙂

but this one (herts shore), pushed boundaries and opened doors

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and this one (penmachno), was one where everything 'clicked' and it was clear how my riding has changed over the last year

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Despite endless miles in the Alps, the MTL, uplift at Innerleithen, hitting my max speed on a road bike of 46mph, etc etc the bike ride that gave me the most pleasure was perhaps the shortest and slowest I've seen for a while. The ride of the year, as far as I'm concerned, goes to my daughter, Lexie.

Her first solo (without stabilisers)

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Hmmm has to be the edge in Craigieburn NZ, monster climb but what downhill, super exposed high level rocky singletrack into the longest twistiest forest trail roots and loamy leaf litter to drift for 30 mintues!
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or may be it might be slovenia! velika planina, the sickest trail 40 mins of the steepest rockiest hikers track ever, or the mint bike parks!
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Hardly done any riding this year, but some pretty memorable stuff.

Glad jimmy put that photo up, as that was one of my choices - best overall ride of the year, especially after losing my Ginger Positioning System and having to ride that descent again 🙂

Most awesome single experience was seeing the sunrise over East Fife from the Pentlands:

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerfox/4906596035/ ]2minsafter[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/gingerfox/ ]Ginger F0x[/url], on Flickr

But I guess ride of the year was my slightly epic 2 week, 880 mile, East Coast of Scotland road tour up to Sheltand. Sadly no photos online, but a great experience which I had all to myself.

I've not had a big riding year myself.

If i need to choose one, it would be a day on Dartmoor with mates during a stop from walking.

Not a specific one, as they all made me realise how important riding is too me.

All rides merge into one and become a ridelife.

NickyB - some of that looks terrifying....

These pics have been up on here before - not actually my favourite ride of the year, but didn't have a camera with me. Still a cracking ride apart from being a solo - Glen Sligichan;

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Snowdon. To me, Epic

I'm also one that hasn't been riding much this year (apart from summer commuting on the canal), so it was nice to have the bikes shipped down to the parents on the Costa Blanca this October.
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This is a summary of our summer road trip round the alps which consisted of us joining guys who did the mega then doing a 2 week trip in an LDV with a couple of cars tagging along

Video instead of pics
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here[/url]

Day 1 : Manc to Geneva
Arrive at the airport to find the flight delayed, which is probably a good thing as the word from base camp was that a land slide had occurred on the road from Huez, trapping Liam and red leader. Eventually arrive at Geneva and do some car park bike box re-assembly, red leader turns up about 1am looking a little bit worn out.

Day 2 : Huez and Vernosc
Head up the switch backs to Huez to hook up with the gypsies camp, things look mostly the same as every year although a lot of folk did comment about the volume of snow on track as well as some sanitisation of the mega track. Word on the street was that Trig had slept in a disabled toilet the preceding night, following on from racing the mega then racing Sue's mate Meg up the 21 switch backs on a road bike (which he lost for a bet!); have seen Trig look better truth be told!

After a few warm up runs on the bitch track we head down to complete the obligitory 21 switch back challenge, except upon reaching the centre of Huez we find a dh track snaking through the village and down the hill. A pretty sweet race off ensues through Huez down and along the hill besides the main road. The course is brand new and has a number of tight dusty turns before dropping through some wooded sections. Hit the road about 1/3 of the way down to the bottom and meet a French chap on a Yeti who claims to know a track running all the way to the valley bottom. A few of us set off on the leisure ride while the rest roll down the road. The track is amazing, kind of like the bottom woods on the mega but a lot less used. Flying through woods at full tilt on a bed of leaves and mulch makes for some interesting line choices, the french dude on the free ride Yeti hands all our assess to us on a plate with typical french no fear down the fast stuff.

Roll into the van and drive to vernosc, manage to find a sweet camping spot next to the river by the lift and have the first of many glacial showers! Hook up with Nick and George, two chaps from Cardiff who are doing a full season road trip. There tolerance to the rolling TS catastrophe seems to pay off and they decide to join us for the trip,

Day 3 : 2 Alps
Typical day in the 2 alps with lots of death cross down the super fast red run and vernosc track. I think most people loved the twisty red run with its flat out turns, although coming close to taking out a small group of French riders who chose to stop on the fastest section is something I would rather forget! Sorted a load of food and booze out and sent it down the lift to Vernosc before loading up and heading for St P.

Day 4 : St p
After the obligatory flan eating comp, which pitted Salford and Trig in a battle of whit and flan eating agility, we headed up SP for a blast. This place is rude in every aspect, a euphoric mix of UK style tech dh cut up with some smooth high speed alpine sections. Spent a good while doing massive skids around a burm for Andy and his camera, some pretty sweet shots came out. Packed up and headed on the long drive for Pila via Beaufortain and the first of many box wine van drives.

Day 6 : Beaufortain

Arrive at one of the 3 resorts that make up the Beaufortain at some on godly hour in the morning, to the calls of "Roast Beuf" from the locals in the sleepy village bar. Drive the LDV up possibly the shadiest road to we have attempted that basically led to no where and involved almost reversing off a small cliff. Notice an interesting change in the LDV's passengers, they appear to have become a bunch of zombies. Pitch up at the wrong chair lift and watch Sue steal things from Alex.

Wake up and roll back down to the main town and up to the correct lift up the next valley (there are three areas to the resort, each of which open on different days). The track is brand new, quite free ridey but pretty rad. The lift on the other hand is nothing short of abysmal. This can sort of be forgiven as it was the first few weeks of operation as an mtb venue. Basically think of the french queuing system and lift assistants that are too small / weak to load bikes on fast enough. Track has some large gap jump at the bottom, one of the biggest things I have hit in a while. Chained Liam and Matt over it to check speed, Liam comes off mid air and I shit myself, somehow manage to not run him over.

After chatting to the lift dudes we hear of a dh track leading back down the valley to Beaufortain. Set off down the road and yoof crashes on a bend, causing a number of cars to complete an emergency stop. All is well in the end although apparently the drivers have looked happier. Another chain of death down the snyde track, quite similar to the one at Huez (i.e. flat out through alpine forests and mulch). Take part in a 5 person pile up on one of the bends (video to follow) and watch yoof go spannering off into the undergrowth down one of the faster bits. Have a ghetto wash under the town water pump and set off for Pila

Day 7 and 8 : Pila Rice
Pila is probably the fav for most on the trip, there is something quite special about riding actual WC tracks, especially ones like Pila. Best way to describe it is a mixture of fast sweeping turns and mega steep tech wooded sections. That said there is a lot of riding at Pila outside the WC track, a few red and blue tracks off the same lift as the WC track as well as some fully bad ass runs down to Aosta. The runs to Aosta were a highlight for me, they weren't really what you would describe as free ride tracks (similar to those we rode at Huez). They were actual DH tracks that went on for a good 15mins, truly amazing. To top it all off the runs finish in the actual city of Aosta, so after a 15 min badass dh run you roll through the city to the world biggest supermarket (probably not that much of an exaggeration). The chairlift then goes right back to the top at Pila across part of the city and over the main motorway, pretty cool.

We were ejected from our lodgings on the village green on the evening of the first night by the local fuzz, that said the officer did try to direct us to a suitable location outside the city limits. We ended up camping next to a church hidden in the middle of a forest, was a pretty nice spot actually. After another day smashing down Pila and Aosta we packed up and headed for Les Gets to ditch M.Winky

Days 8 and 9 : PDS

Am not sure if we brought a few too many preconceptions into Les Gets as the Zombie bus came to a drum and bass fueled halt outside Boomerang during the wee hours of day 8. It was good / bad to see nothing has really changed in Les Gets during out 4 year sabbatical from the resort. Boomerang certainly hadn't changed much, neither had Igloo for that matter. I have to put a shout out to Sue at this point, she spent the night stealing drinks from young boys. One group were seen leaving early bemoaning the fact they now had now money left between them because someone had stole all their drinks. In any other town we would probably have felt bad, but Les Gets is kind of like the bitch of Alpine MTB resorts and should be treated accordingly.

We were ejected from our lodgings in the car park by the lake during the mid afternoon by some rather angry looking police men. They gave us a lecture in french about not showing respect and told us to be gone shortly or else. The above may or may not having something to do with us rocking up in the early hours the night before blasting dj Hype, seemed a fair cop. Me and Andy bought a lift pass and managed two runs of les gets 1. I had thought I was running better forks these days than I did when we used to summer in Les Gets, that was why my arms didn't hurt. Turns out this was all rubbish, the main reason I no longer get arm pump is because we don't ride in Les Gets. You forget how big the ruts are, if anything they are bigger than ever before because so many idiots seem willing to pay to ride this shit. Fair play I suppose, keeps them out of the good resorts!

Drove to Les Linderes via an amazing lake (pics to follow), was nice having a bath for once rather than a ghetto shower. Rode Chatel the next day only to discover the Anne Caro track has been partially removed. That was a bit gutting as it was a personal fav of mine. Had a good afternoon hitting up the French Cup track, you could easily have a fun day on that one. By the end of the day we were all reminded why we never want to ride the PDS again. Packed up and headed for Val D'isere

Day 10 Val D'isere
Val D'Isere is probably the poshest looking resort the LDV has rolled into. Sadly, MTB doesn't figure that high on the list of activities at this resort. There was a red and a blue run marked out, probably the dullest tracks we rode in all our trips to the alps.

Thankfully there French Championships had taken place the day before and the track they used was fully sick. After a bit of a leisure ride from the top the track cut down on of the steeper pistes in the resort with a collection of large hucks to off camber and bonkers loose dust steep sections. Was the sort of track that was OK to ride down but very hard to ride fast.

Packed up after the lifts shut and headed for Pra Loup across a 2700m col. The LDV was loving it!

Day 11 VARS
VARS VARS VARS VARS!

This place is amazing, we had a BBQ, that is all

Day 12 Pra Loup

Most have rode Pra Loup before, its a pretty sweet venue actually. The newer masters track seemed to get heavily sessioned, as well as the really steep wooded black run to the bottom of the free ride park. Trig, Bland and Andy went out for a meal after riding was done and drank a load of this funny looking desert appartife. This seemed to have a strange effect on each of them, it caused Trig to jump of a big bridge into a lake (circa 50ft high) and Bland to pass out on the floor unable to get up. Eventually we arrived in Les Ores where peoples hang overs took hold

Too many good memories.

Local trail above Aberdour November
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San Juans, Washington, with Mme Moonteresse in September
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Jock's Road with Sanny in August
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Carn Ban Mor with Italspark in July
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Orkney cliff ride June
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Burmah Road, Cairngorms in May
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STW C2C2C in April

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Lammermuirs in January
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McMoonter - was a grand day out the c2c2c

McMoonter - was a grand day out the c2c2c

Truely epic!

The picture above is a little misleading, it involved a little more than two traverses of the bridge.

i cannot pin my years riding down to just one.

the bikemagic group coaching session i did is up there.
riding with mc and gw in scotland
chamonix
and many many more

Not particularly epic routes, probably not even the most fun riding, but there are two days that stand out for me. Both just left me feeling elated.

First was Kentmere and Longsleddale at the end of August. I had the day off work and decided I was going to ride no matter what, no idea what the weather was going to be like (it had been a bit rubbish), no idea what the route was like, just picked it out of a VP guidebook and went for it. Turned out it couldn't have been more perfect, stunning day, great scenery, great riding. Can't help but smile thinking back to one particular singletrack section..

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4945835499_79c088c79c_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4945835499_79c088c79c_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

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Second was Stanage a few weeks ago. To be honest, the ride was crap, didn't enjoy the route much, the weather was crap, spent too much time pushing uphill. But then reached Stanage Pole and it was the most stunning sight I've ever seen as the sun began to set over the fog in the valleys.

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[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5190098761_4b0d921241_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5190098761_4b0d921241_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

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Andituk

Thats the thing the memorable rides are not always the best trails - there is an indefinable "something" on a great day out.

I think we need three things to make a great ride - good company, good scenery and a good trail. sometimes the proportions vary but you need a bit of all three

It doesn't have to be a gnarly techfest - but needs a little more than forestry roads all day. It don't have to be stunning scenery for the whole day - but endless conifer forest don't cut it, sometimes even your own company is all thats need 'cos that is what you fancied but sharing a grand day out with your mates is just great.

Someday it all just clicks and you have a great ride to remember.

Its those days we do it for.

very difficult to say, i've done more riding this year than i have the last two years put together but one highlight was riding on the beach in Northumberland, hardly a soul about 25ish degress and truly breathtaking scenery at time
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4894121119_fe599c44cb_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4894121119_fe599c44cb_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/4894121119/ ]Velocake Beach[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr

every single ride this year documented here http://www.a-pic-a-ride.blogspot.com/

+1 Snowdon with the lads earlier this year.

Any more?

Hmmm... A few to choose from but not as many as in recent years.

I was tempted by the ride up a munro in the Cairngorms and the ride I did in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) through stunning scenery complete with picturebook German towns decorated for their Corpus Christi parades but in the end I opted for this...

7.5 hour ride from home along the local canal and the flat surfaced former railway line cycle paths.

It may sound an odd choice but after spend years of doing this ride as part of my winter routine and bemoaning the double digit temperatures and mild weather in January and February it was a great feeling to ride it in the cold and snows with the landscape looking again how I remembered it from childhood winters pasts.

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'Secret' singletrack on Fromme, North Shore. Amazing loamy goodness.

Hard to choose one, but here are some highlights:

Stuartie-no-mates ride in teh Lomonds in February:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4372884685_cca5ed534f.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4372884685_cca5ed534f.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4372884685/ ]51/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

The Ullapool C2C2C:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4510803505_9750be6b8d.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4510803505_9750be6b8d.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4510803505/ ]TJ worries the sheep[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4510836181_238d890b77.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4510836181_238d890b77.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4510836181/ ]100/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/4511448606_87d240f8f9.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/4511448606_87d240f8f9.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4511448606/ ]R1013690[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

Cairngorm Loop with Shortbread:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4589473969_be4f440462.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4589473969_be4f440462.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4589473969/ ]R1013818[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

Also some memorable races:

10 More in Moray - perfect weather, lovely circuit, great atmosphere.
Kielder 100 - stunning misty sunrise
Relentless 25 - usual NoFuss brilliant event but with perfect weather to boot.

And the Cairngorm Sportive circuit with my mate Neil:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5031195480_507eb92ca9.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5031195480_507eb92ca9.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/5031195480/ ]Neil[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

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Its only a short ride but I really enjoyed messing about around The Storr at mid-summer.

Bhutan road trip, trip of a life time 🙂
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Some great days & pics 🙂

Mine was the day I hit the roadgap which I bottled 12 months before (didn't bug me for 12 months....)

Was drunk that night 😀

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Looking at these photos reminds me what a rubbish year of riding I've had. Got to change things next year.

mybike that takes some balls

From a week on Skye in August.
We also rode the Duirinish peninsula from Dunvegan but unlike the route in this months MBR we pressed on around the whole peninsula which was utterly gruelling and completely epic! Unfortunately I didn't get any decent photos that day.
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"monarch crest" trail on the continental divide colorado. Stunning epic scenery, endless singletrack, the highlight (literally in terms of elevation) of 2 weeks there.

I keep being drawn to pictures of Colorado singletrack. I think I'm going to have to go next summer.

For my ride of the year? Way, way too many to even begin to pick one. This is the year that started with an amazing group of riding buddies at home, riding several times a week all over the South West. Then the summer involved moving to Whistler and riding the trails all along the sea to sky.

It's certainly been a top year for bikes.

Verbier for me

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Welsh Coast to Coast

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trickydisco do you have a route profile - looks awesome.

I've had some brilliant rides this year taking Thud out and about on the bike - and the highlight would have to be the day we got three toddlers on to the top of Dumyat. Grins all round!

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Thud before tackling Whinlatter

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LOCTs on Dumyat

For me, it has to be GT and Inners...

Catalogue pose #1

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Some of the best I've done have been with you good people on here. The bizarrely popular [b]Peaks Pootles[/b]....

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But for me, as ourkidsam has said earlier, the stand out ride by a long way was Snowdon in June. Awful weather, but a cracking trip out and weekend overall.

Grim as grim can be, but brilliant.
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and if you're interested - there's [url= http://www.vimeo.com/13904646 ]a video![/url]

Incidentally, regarding the Peaks Pootles, I fully intend to get back into organising them again in the new year. There will be more!!!

Parvis - Member
Looking at these photos reminds me what a rubbish year of riding I've had. Got to change things next year.

Probs the IoM e2e, I don't think I have any pics though.