There’s no real hard and fast rules on ‘official’ dates for seasons, but today is 1st day of Meteorological Autumn.

Did everyone have a Good Summer? I don’t mean that in a “IF we even get a summer wah wah wah” way – we always get summer, we just don’t always get the 25c every day and it never rains summer that if we’re honest, only really exist in our minds.

Personally I ride less in the colder months, time more than willingness really – I know all about lights, but I’ve never enjoyed night riding, so within weeks I’ll lose the chance to ride after work, a few weeks later I’ll lose 1 weekend in 3 because of the way my Wife’s shifts work – so I’ll go from 3 times a week at best, to 3 times a month.

Personally, for the first time in 11 years of riding I don’t think I’ve wasted any of it, I’ve rode a LOT this summer all things considered, I’ve managed to get down to the Alps for the first time in 3 years, I’ve got fitter, I’ve got faster, I’ve met new people to ride with, found new places to ride, been shown new places to ride – horizons wider than ever.

Still don’t like this time of year though, it’s already becoming a bit of a rush on the after work rides – kind of have to be out the door, dressed and ready to go by 17:15 really to get a decent lap in before it’s dark, in the next 2 weeks we’ll lose 30 mins of day light at the end of the day which makes it tight and I start cutting corners to make it to the car in the day light – by the end of the month we lose an hour and it’s game over for after-work, by the time GMT rolls around 30 days later and my weekend afternoon riders are go and I’m down to 3 rides a month, for 3-4 months. Back to the local leisure centre gym where the huge lads on matchstick legs play ‘banter’ and hog the machines and I fight the boredom pounding away for mile after mile on the ski-cross machine or something whilst SAD seems to be laughing at my sadness at the whole thing.

I wasn’t made for this climate.

You know, I think they have started to make & sell these little things that are like a tiny bit of the sun you strap to your bars so you can still see where you are going even when it’s pitch black. ‘Lights’ is what they are calling them although I’m not sure it’s a catchy enough name to make them a success….
It’s a case of embrace the dark or hibernate, I chose embrace.

Rubbish summer. Spannered my knee 1st week of May. Wont be riding till Otober, so may get a few week before it turns nasty.
Did have my 1st ever alps trip though in July pre operation, gently rolling down!
Dont ride in the winter, its not fun getting cold & wet.

1st summer with our (now 10 month old) daughter, so great in that respect.

But, no holiday yet (going to Derbyshire in the second week of Sept) and virtually no cycling to speak off; pretty much confined to sneaking in road rides when I can & have lost all fitness.
Riding highlight of the year was Twentyfour12 in a team, but coasted round, rather than going for it.

Time was short before our daughter arrived, and now there’s even less of it. All of the jobs I wanted to get done ‘before the end of the year’ haven’t got done & I’m running out of free weekends to get them done which I find mega frustrating.
I’ve got 3 bikes languishing in the garage; 2 of which require a proper clean, strip down & re-build but again no time to do it.

So, all in all it’s been a summer of 2 halves. Really happy to be a Dad and watch our daughter grow, but massively frustrated that time seems to be going exponentially faster & I have no way of fitting in all I want to do while keeping the family happy….meh.

@mattbee – I know it’s a long rambling post, but first line, third paragraph “I know all about lights…”.

Been a pants summer for me, ridden far less than any summer in recent years which is a downer in itself, but also it has been a pants summer healthwise (asthma; a summer cold that took ~6 weeks to shift; some weird allergy thing that affects me far more at home than at work; aches and pains from my existing lower back issue etc.).

Where has the last ~6 months gone? Once again, I’m seeing the sunrise now happening after my alarm clock time for work, my war against SAD kicks in for the ~21st year. 👿

Love it.

UK in the summertime is like penguins in the desert, let it rain, let the equinoctial gales sweep in and cleanse the land.

Great spring! Riding lots, was ramping up to some big mile rides in the summer, but spangled my shoulder at the beginning of June. 3 rides since then. Surgery yesterday, so off the bike till November?

Had the six weeks of the school holidays off with the kids and had the fewest rides of the year!

Other than that, good summer on the whole. Lots of family time, started volunteering for the FC, great holidays, happy memories.

So, all in all it’s been a summer of 2 halves. Really happy to be a Dad and watch our daughter grow, but massively frustrated that time seems to be going exponentially faster & I have no way of fitting in all I want to do while keeping the family happy….meh.

Mine turned 2 in June, this year was easier than last, and a whole lot easier than the one before when we had a new born to raise. It was great but hard work an took all of our time.

This summer was lovely, easier on the home front which meant no guilt at getting out, but playing in the park and our garden with the little one was just sublime. Next summer will be better for you.

P-Jay – Member

Mine turned 2 in June, this year was easier than last, and a whole lot easier than the one before when we had a new born to raise. It was great but hard work an took all of our time.

This summer was lovely, easier on the home front which meant no guilt at getting out, but playing in the park and our garden with the little one was just sublime. Next summer will be better for you.

Cheers, I appreciate you writing that…. 🙂

It’s been a pretty good summer weather wise but a bit crappy in terms of riding for pleasure.

Looking through I think I’ve done 5 rides through choice since the end of May, 2 of which ended with a snapped chain about 3 miles from home.

Interstingly, I’ve looked at my yearly total rides figure and I’m up from 162 last year to 300 so far, I’ve doubled my milage too. Pretty much all commuting though.

Still don’t like this time of year though

I think Sept/Oct are my favourite riding months, it’s still (mostly) dry, they obvious trail chocking plant growth is dying back a bit, so the trails run a bit faster, I run hot anyway, so it’s a bit more comfy, there are still sunny and hot days to be had, I love the touch of cool in the air, and the smell of that…perfect in so many ways

Had a good summer, set myself a goal of getting away at least a weekend a month and by and large managed it, riding was a bit soggier that I’d like, but it dries out in a couple of days, so can’t really complain, got to the Alps. I’d give it 7/10

I’m not one for night rides either CBA with all the cleaning and faff on it creates (anymore) so it’ll be more and more weekend only rides and running during the week for me.

a great Summer thanks, three cycling holidays in Italy (road) Morzine (DH MTB) and Les Gets (road with my two adult sons) plus a late spring cycling trip to Bruges (road) as well as a family holiday to the costa del sol plus numerous lengthy day long rides e.g. London to Brighton etc.

I also can’t particularly remember there being too much rain on my daily cycle commute and I’ve topped it all off by ordering a new road bike which is due to arrive next week.

So all in all pretty good.

Yes,it’s been great thanks.
My boys are now men and get why their old man likes cycling so much.

Yes, not bad. Was in Swindon 2 nights a week from April til July and got loads of cracking miles in in fantastic countryside and mostly decent weather. Then a holiday to see the US family and I’ve been at home since we got back 🙂

Yes, not bad. Was in Swindon 2 nights a week from April til July

Have to admit that’s not how my vision of a great summer would start… 😆 😉

fasthaggis – Member
Yes,it’s been great thanks.
My boys are now men and get why their old man likes cycling so much.

S’great innit! Was at the top of the Col du Forclaz in July watching Froomedog, Sagan et al racing through having ridden up the Cat 1 climb with my two boys a number of hours earlier in an average 40 degree C heat.

enjoying a cold beer with the boys at the top was perfect and the descent was fun too.

Have to admit that’s not how my vision of a great summer would start

No? Quite enjoyed 40 miles of scenery like this of a warm summer evening…

I started shared parental leave at the end of March for 3 months – the weather was mostly great so it feels like it has been a long long summer for me. Haven’t ridden tonnes but sporadically and just enough including the commute. Hope to ride through the winter, as I always do but it rarely works out that way. Cold, wet, dark – I don’t mind it, but they’re my least favourite of conditions.

molgrips – Member
Have to admit that’s not how my vision of a great summer would start
No? Quite enjoyed 40 miles of scenery like this of a warm summer evening…

looks great, their publicity department obviously need to work harder

Indeed.. riding was actually fab for getting in as many miles as you can handle across large areas of beautiful country. Nothing technical at all though really, so wouldn’t really want to live there – but for a summer it was fantastic. Wished I’d got round to bivying out before plans changed.

Worst summer ever!
May was dry but not overly warm, trails were dusty, and signs were good. And then June-August came with 10 straight weeks of overcast, drizzly, cold misery.
Finally had my first 2 days of summer last week.
Nights are drawing in, lights will be needed soon and really doesn’t feel like i’ve defrosted from last winter yet 🙁

Good Summer

?

Bloody excellent, so yes.

Warm, bright sun, long days and it’s still here on the Sth Coast.

Was going well summer wise but not rode since beginning of August because of shoulder pain. I’m due a injection to relieve it next week so 48 hours after I can get back to it. Apperantly this is my last injection before he decides to attack it in Theatre With a Subacromial decompression.

I like summer but I seem to ride more in winter and spring, due to preferring to ride my motorcycle in summer.

Weather in Darwen, not horrendous but not brilliant. Some nice days and some horrible rain.

Great. Got a puppy at the beginning of July and spent a couple of hours every day out walking him and the kids. On the downside is not ridden bike once but that’ll happen again as he gets older and can come with me or be left in house on own for a bit. Spent most of the summer in the garden TBH. Perfect for me.

It’s been wonderful summer from a relaxing and enjoying the weather point of view. From a riding p.o.v., on the other hand, it’s been awful. After riding almost every single day over the last year, I herniated a disk in my back, and was unable to rise for 8 weeks. This has meant putting on at least a kilo, and losing my riding mojo.

I am back to commuting every day, and I did get out for a short off-road ride last weekend, but I’m struggling to get back in the saddle.

Mine’s been pretty good.
Son has passed his A levels so off to University in a few weeks time. Good time at 24/12 with mates. Kit car back on the road (after 9 years off), great mini holiday to Iceland. Pretty good weather here in the east.

@Stumpy01 – What P-Jay said is true, gets far easier to get out as they get older. Mine’s 3 and a half now and whilst still a struggle occasionally I could comfortably manage a few rides a week if I could find the motivation. One thing that helped was agreeing with the better half we both needed ‘me time’, I wish we’d done it when our little one was younger as even an hour each would have made a massive difference to stress levels lol

As for my summer……it’s been pretty good, got some nice riding in (mostly local due to time constraints), got a new bike, some new kit……deffo a good summer 🙂

last year I managed a lowly 100 miles, this year I’m on about 400 miles. That’s probably very low to a lot of people here but it’s definitely a massive boost for me 🙂

Best summer since I emigrated to the Isle of Wight from the west of Scotland.

June the only wobble weather-wise. Apart from that it’s been wall-to-wall scorchio.

May in particular was an idyll of dusty trails, balmy days and flower-filled verges.

Got a fair bit of riding and kayaking in. Lots of nice, long summer evenings.

I could get used to this, no question. 😀

Good summer for me. Got plenty of riding in and managed to take the bike away with me a fair amount.

Successful Oz tour then Rio trip… 8)

Actually September and October are my favourite months to ride, especially CX. Love the light, smells, colours and quiet autumn trails. Luckily I’m not a 9-5 worker so can still make the most of the days/evenings.

Too warm, too dry, too dusty. Rubbish.

Bring on winter with the cold, mud and rain 😈

And yeah best times riding are when bluebells are out or autumn leaves. That or snow.

As for daylight. That’s what I got lights for. Winter doesn’t stop riding then, and personally I find it loads of fun, more than when we do them in daylight.

More seriously, only main niggle with this summer is I didn’t get an Alps trip in, or really any trips anywhere. Just been local riding. Need to find more people who don’t have families to book up their summer with.

Decent
Did some good trips and some bikepacking. Fair bit of road riding too. Have a killer sun tan.

Also been going through a lot of personal upheaval after splitting with wife so not always been in the mood for riding even when I know it makes me feel better

I think Sept/Oct are my favourite riding months, it’s still (mostly) dry, they obvious trail chocking plant growth is dying back a bit, so the trails run a bit faster, I run hot anyway, so it’s a bit more comfy, there are still sunny and hot days to be had, I love the touch of cool in the air, and the smell of that…perfect in so many ways

This is absolutely how I feel. Summer’s not been too bad riding wise but I still feel like I’m catching up on fitness lost after sacking most riding off last winter due to the seemingly never ending wetness so I shall be embracing the lights & night riding this year. I’ve also booked onto one of Dougs Basque MTB winter weeks in January to keep me motivated to get out whatever the weather.

Awesome. It’s had its moments, highs and lows, but overall awesome!

Broke my collar bone on the 1st of June, but thats not too bad a thing as summer here is properly terrible for riding, too hot and wet by far.
Roll on Autumn and Winter and the good riding weather.