A poor year for epic rides as most have been post injury recovery rides, usually manage between 1K and 2K on the road bike as well but I guess 30 miles is closer to the mark this year. But this ride a Thrunton was the best this year laughed a lot on the downs and panted a lot on the up’s.

Peak Pootle in July!! We met at Edale and had a great day out! It was only 2 weeks after I completed an Ironman distance triathlon, amazingly my legs were not completely trashed! And I’d just taken delivery of my new bike the Tuesday before, I did manage to get a puncture, but what the heck! 😀

P8181807_1 by Gary Hill, on Flickr

Long weekend in Bettmeralp, which was every bit as good as the article in the current issue of the mag suggests. The best trail we rode was actually a couple of valleys over from the glacier, but I was too busy grinning like a loon and skimming rocks and roots to stop for a photo!

North Wales bikepacking in March. Awesome!

twohats – is that Ash at the head of the queue?

At the beginning of the year, my wife and I decided to commit to at least 1 “Epic” ride a month to try and make sure we always got out and about. An “Epic” had to involve an OS map and be of sufficient length to allow the consumption of lots of cake on return. The picture above was during our February Epic to The Black Mountains, which was one of our favourites. And it was a cold as it looks!

Looking forward to our December Epic next week, we’ll be day tripping to the Isle of Wight.

Manifold Valley

This thread is magic.

ryanctj.

Mid Wales somewere?

TBC/stevenmenmuir – the ride pictured is more of an epic all day-er with lots of double track and some walking, that pic is about the most techie bit of the whole day! See the pics.

182 miles ridden that day, St Olmer into paris

b r – Member

twohats – is that Ash at the head of the queue?

Nope, its Ben from The Mountain Bike Chalet.

Got some great riding in this year, despite the weather. Long road rides – the Tour of Flanders, Dunwich Dynamo, dusty spring days on the North Downs. Got to the Laggan for the first time. Managed dusty days in the Peaks and Lakes. Filthy weather in the Brecons. Summer on the Pyrenees.

BUT, probably the most fun I had on a bike all year was a freezing February day in Dorking. A few inches of fresh snow on the ground, sun in the sky and below freezing all day. Nothing technical, one of the shortest rides all year but so many smiles.

Les Arcs was pretty good.

Taken just after Axe Wound

Mont Blanc in the background whilst doing ‘Magic Carpet’ with BikeVillage:

Magic Carpet with BikeVillage by windydave13, on Flickr

A coffee stop on the way down from col du galibier and col de Glandon. An absolutely belter of a day. 30+ deg and 50mph+ on the descent.

If Carlsburg did coffee stops…

One ride dominated my year; Ironbike in the Italian Alps. None of the pictures I have really seem to do it justice, but I like this one. It’s taken just after descending 4000 steps in the Forte di Fenestrelle on day 6.

Medicine Bow Mountains of Southeast Wyoming. Pure isolated magic

I don’t often ride on my own and very few photos get taken when I’m MTBing. But earlier this year I did a great solo ride, linking up my favourite DH tracks and singletrack with quite a few XC miles. It was really hot and sunny (the day of Eurovision) and it was just awesome – fun, testing, in the zone and then on the limit, exhausting but exhilarating and I had a fine meal of pork belly in the middle of it. Then about a month ago, in comically wet and muddy conditions I did the same ride again and it was hilarious fun (even the scarily difficult steep sections with minimal grip). This was taken just before my wife hosed me down.

I think the Big Dog race and the Enduro1 FOD race were up there as great rides but I don’t have a single photo from the latter and none that capture the vibe of the former…

First overnight bothy ride, near Fort William. Great riding, made all the more challenging carrying kit.

Gary- I’ve got almost that exact pic as wallpaper on my PC, except it’s a still from the film Vast. Uncanny!

I have two equal favourites.

This yin last month in the lakes.

This yin on my wedding day.

Great thread idea!

Probably this one for me as it actually has some bikes in it and is in great contrast to the miserable weather on day 2 coming out of Glen Affric.

_MG_0379 by allyharp, on Flickr

Kirkhope Law, Gypsy Glen route above Peebles, late February. My first taste of cycling in the borders, but definitely not my last. 🙂

You know, people on this Forum can get a bit of stick for spending their time posting on threads rather than riding their bike, but this thread shows just how much riding, and a lot of it pretty damm good riding, is actually going on!

So, give yourself a big pat on the back Guys ‘n Gals, and here’s to the same again in 2013!!!

LEJoG in March for me!

ryanctj.

Mid Wales somewere?

Correct! The Doethie Valley. Despite apperances, ended as one of my muddiest rides this year.

Big hills and good friends.

Munrobiker, i absolutely love your wedding day photo!

This was me getting over a fear of really steep stuff during the BasqueMTB/Great Rock skills week.
It took me two attempts but it totally made my day.
Cheers to Ed & Doug.

My favorite

Then 2 that sum up this years riding!

July 2012 – weekend at Cwmcarn and Afan – good mates, good weather, good riding and good beer/food – just brilliant!

This was on a ride, tractors were spotted and bike was abandoned by the side of the trail. This is me sitting in it, had an offer of driving it but was too scared!

West coast wandering, a wee solo tour in the summer. The view over the summer isles in the sunshine will be forever etched in my memory.
Riding towards Durness

Looking towards Suilven from north of Lochinver, that coast road is very hilly

Crickey, that looks like a dangerously fast tractor CG, afterall the speedo goes all the way upto 26 😉

Crickey, that looks like a dangerously fast tractor CG, afterall the speedo goes all the way upto 26

Well, that one was around 50 years old! For more of my pics check out page 11 of this classic thread:

Tractor Trumps – South Glos Rules 😉

Not one particular ride but sums up some fun days in the Surrey Hills in the spring before everything turned to sludge.