The rules:
1) Tell us why it was the ride of the year.
2) Post one pic.
3) revisit the thread next week to be inspired for 2017.

Away you go…

Caledonia Way in a Day.

1) At 240 miles, by far the longest one-day ride I’ve ever attempted (or likely to). My preparation and planning paid off.

2) Not too many photos, but this one taken on the ferry across to Fort William tickled me.

This spring, LD and I took our mini riders out to a bothy.
The weather was perfect, the kids loved it, we had the place to ourselves, no midgies.
The icing on the cake was friends from Sheffield joining us late. This lad is 6, had ridden in the park and no more before, and had not been on his borrowed Isla Bike until this evening. He rode 6 miles to the bothy, floating over bogs his father and I sank into.
He now owns a mountain bike and is keen to do some more ‘proper’ rides (his words, not mine).
My work here is done. 8)
Proper life memories.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-little-bothy-trip-with-some-new-bothy-rats

Back in June me and a few mates rode from London to Amsterdam for a 4 day stint off road and on road some of the Classic’s, we bikepacked and stayed in BnBs, it was a lovely few days, I wanted to take it much more easy than a few of my mates so it ended up being too rushed for me.. it was the last ride I did on a bike for the rest of this year.

I have no pics, but, Dunoon for the Scottish Enduro Series. Practice day in fact. It was fantastic- I went for a boat trip, I rode a lot of awesome trails I’d never ridden before til my legs fell off, then we took over the town centre for the prologue event which gave it a brilliant sense of event. And then I found a chip shop that did gluten free! Game set and match.

(didn’t do the race, went treehugging instead at Benmore)

POC Scottish Enduro Series Round 5 – Dunoon

The year isn’t done yet….

Great thread.

A 50km mix of BWs, trail centre and amazing cheeky trails in North Wales in September, accompanied by some good pals.

It was both an old-school epic and an enduro gnarfest, rolled into one.

No decent riding pics, but this is what we did at the café stop…

Not the logest and not the hardest but the best ride of my year. Col de Spandelles, Col de Seclour, Col D’Aubisque and Col des Borderes from Argles. Perfect weather beautiful scenery legs felt good, perfect route to the Aubisque, so much better than straight up from Argeles.

Back in June I was deep in the final stages of my parents lives, I’d been through combined hospitalizations of both, staying over to help, running errands and general taxi-ing duties. I had a long weekend off and an arrangement to go visit a mate in Aviemore.

He told me we were heading to bivi at loch Einaich and to bring the appropriate gear.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Hu7zhd]
The camp/bivi site (Sandy fannying about)[/url] by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

The weather (as can be seen) was glorious. It was one of the first proper runs I did on B+ wheels and the way back to Aviemore in the am was great, it was just exactly what I needed. It was also my first foray into bikepacking.

There wasn’t much respite after that.

So, thanks Sandy. I owe you.

solo wild camp on Exmoor in May. Perfect solitude just when I needed it.

Cycled up Alpe d’Huez with my eldest (age 11 at the time) in August this year – had a tear in my eye as we reached the top as was really proud of him.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Lg9oup]Up Alpe d'Huez[/url] by Simon Langdon, on Flickr

Lots to remember, but the one that I remember most fondly from this year is the terror where we nearly got cut off by the fast in coming tide between Little Hilbre Island on the way over to a bivi on Hilbre Island itself

No pics but did same wee ride as metalheart , nice spot felt like I had whole area to myself on ride in the am …. but the Midgies were intense

No pics but did same wee ride as metalheart , nice spot felt like I had whole area to myself on ride in the am …. but the Midgies were intense

Can I have two? Well, I’m going to, so ner.

Mine was this;

Sunshine, birdsong, singletrack, views, peace, perfection.

And, the other? Well, it’s this.

Little Miss CFH. Second time on her “Big bike, Daddy! It’s got pedals! And brakes! And a BELL!”. Second time. Off she went, laughing and giggling all the way. Just beautiful in every way.

#jennride in May with around 80 other guys and gals weather,trails banter was perfect

https://www.strava.com/activities/522494553

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/26762952920/in/album-72157670845916294/

Thanks Matt, I’m loving this thread. Brilliant responses. Keep it up people 😀

[url=https://flic.kr/p/H68kn6]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Did the Yorkshire Dales way in June. A perfect weekend, but for the fact my riding partner couldn’t make it due to illness.

Yesterday was pretty good too.

But my favourite has to be cycling out to Morecambe for fish and chips on Referendum day.

Local loop for me, met up with some other riders on a loosely organised ride by a little bike shop / cafe near me. They led on a lot of trails of ridden before, a lot I hadn’t but most importantly joined the dots to make it a route.

I was riding particularly well by my standards that day and it was the first time I felt at one with my new bike.

Les Arcs was a highlight but the weather was appalling the whole time we were there. A few uplift days at BPW and some days when the planets line up right and I’m flying but nothing beat this little 20k loop that’s 10 mins from my front door.

A solo 165mile trek from Wiltshire to Brecon (as off road as possible) was my first foray into bikepacking. I made loads of mistakes, nearly gave up, felt scared, lonely and stupid but I did it, I learned a lot and I loved it. I pushed myself further than ever before and at times it was hellish but worth every bit. On the third and final day I dropped off the hills into Merthyr via BPW, climbed over The Gap before decending to Brecon. It was a mega reward. That pint. That kebab. Those kips

I seem incapable of posting pics

No pics, but i went out in august, rode 8 miles, camped out overnight, rode back after breakfast next day.
Not a long ride, not hard technical terrain either, but I enjoyed it immensely.
Where i camped, i found an old pallet, that was fuel for my woodgas stove.

No pics, but a family ride with wife and two kids, then 6 & 9, which was meant to be about 10km but turned into nearly 20km as everyone was enjoying it so much. It’s amazing what little legs can achieve when they are happy and kept well fuelled 🙂

2 rides stand out

I invariably ride alone, but on the occasion of an STW Portes du Soleil get together I rode with a cracking bunch of guys and girls whom I’d never met before and look forward to riding with again.

Here are Ambrose and Weeksy looking imperious on the Swiss side, at the top of Les Crosets and looking towards the Swiss wall.

And more recently, in need of some heads space, the SS, campervan and I went off to the darkest Wales for some v wet solo riding. Laps of Brechfa and the most perfect Cwm Rhayader trails. Bliss.

July. First real (cheeky) taste of Alps riding. Opened up my eyes to what tech really means!

[video]http://vimeo.com/179831439[/video]

Probably had some of my best rides since i started mountain biking this year on the d/h tracks at Triscombe as I’ve been concentrating more on enjoying myself rather than mileage.

The best ride of the year was also the tamest one though and that was getting my little girl out on the bike with me for the first time. She was born premature so I’ve had to wait until she was big enough and find a helmet to fit her but hearing her giggling away and enjoying doing something i love doing beats the feeling of doing any jump/drop etc on a proper ride 8)

Abusing my Diverge on Wales off-road coast to coast…

Best Ride of a great year’s biking for me has to be the Prost-8 Cairngorms loop in May. Great riding with a great bunch of people…and we raised a heap of cash for the Prostate Charity in the process.
And, it probably wouldn’t have happened without this forum…so thanks for that 🙂

[url=https://flic.kr/p/HJ1i1j]P1050863 (1)[/url] by Mark Berry, on Flickr

First proper mtb ride with my eldest daughter (7) at Brechfa..

In August I met up with a friend who I had not ridden with for many years. We used to go to the Afan for forest several times a year for camping and bikes. It had been at least five years since we last went there together. I’ve had bigger rides and more gnarcore rides during the year but this trip to Afan was just perfect.

[/url]sportograf-83811779 by BURNSYBHOY, on Flickr[/img]

I know not everyone on here loves mass events like L’Etape du Tour but this taken was 6 days after I got married. It’s from the top of Joux Plane. As it was my first Etape I was in the last starting pen. I climbed Joux Plane in the worst of the heat but at the point this photo was taken I knew I’d finish. I can still remember this like it was only yesterday. Such an amazing experience.

Tour De Mo 2017
A damm raod ride where I left the comfort zone so far behind and just went for it, 205km with some great people and a hell of a pace for me! Was awesome fun and the best part was being part of the group that raised $110k for mens health charities. That’s what kept me going

Finding the secret howff with crewlie and my mate CJ.

Riding the 3000 foot peaks in the Lakes with Nick Craig in September.

Riding Hellas forest in Stockholm with Damian from POC.

Overnighter in the snow in the Cairngorm’s with my mate Rob.

Overnighter on secret trails high above Pitlochry with my mate Kev Dangerous.

All bloody good fun!

Been a good year for riding bar breaking my collar bone in June, which actually was not too bad as HK is horrible for MTB in summer (95% humidity plus temperatures up to 40) but the highlite was probably Dubai in December, a little bit of Hatta and Showka MTB parks plus camping out in the desert. Though not as fast paced or technical as other trips it was my first time out in the desert and good to catch up with an old friend who lived out there to ride bikes.

Video is here Showka and Hatta MTB Trip

We’ve done a lot this year, but the highlight has to be our month long 3200 kilometre French trip. The photo below was taken on the last day.

Don’t have a pic i’m afraid.

Mine was a tossup between my lad at XC Rampage, leading by 10s in the race, crashed and got up crying to finish 4th … Proper MTFU moment for him.
Or my own Gorrick ride/race, finishing 17th out of 36, which was about 15 places higher than i expected, but if you’d asked me earlier in the year if i’d race again, it would have been a resounding NO…. I was shocked i entered, even more shocked i turned up and raced…

Biased I know as I organise it, but we had a beautiful night for http://www.ridetothesun.co.uk this year, with a glorious sunrise at Cramond. One image here https://www.facebook.com/events/1584888821804250/?ti=cl
It’s Carlisle to Cramond beach (Edinburgh) overnight 100m road ride, with a chip shop stop in Moffat and bacon sarnies served at the kirk hall at the end. Oh, and a middle of the night disco at the derelict Crook Inn pub in the Tweed Valley! 😆
I also got some bikepacking bags and had my first bivvy up in the Pentlands after taking some great advice from folk on here. Loved it and will aim to do a lot more in 2017 – so a big thanks to those that offered advice.Beautiful sunrise while cycling across the deserted Pentlands really was a fantastic start to my bikepacking adventures…

crewlie – Member
Best Ride of a great year’s biking for me has to be the Prost-8 Cairngorms loop in May. Great riding with a great bunch of people…and we raised a heap of cash for the Prostate Charity in the process.
And, it probably wouldn’t have happened without this forum…so thanks for that

+1

Don’t think anything will come close again !

its tough, met up with my old MTB club I 1st joined 16 years ago and rode Thetford, Vallelujah was great

then twins came along in May, my riding tailed off time became precious

I realised that the only way to get some riding in was after all the kids were in bed

so managed a night a week at my local trails in Woburn at first it was starting at sunset,

got the fear a bit as it got darker, and the rides started and finished in pitch darkness later in teh year

especially that one time I found a smouldering fire at the serial killer shack (about 1 min 30 in)

[video]http://vimeo.com/197588080[/video]

So many fantastic rides this year, but this has to be the top one

[url=https://flic.kr/p/JtWuvz]San Francisco – Day 2[/url] by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

Two tandems with my wife and two teenage kids riding from the bay across the Golden Gate and then back on the Ferry. The bikes were terrible, the riding was all on road/cycle tracks and it took absolutely ages. None of these things matters as for one day in a year, I could actually share my love of riding bikes with my family.

I wrote a thing about it: http://pickled-hedgehog.com/?p=3717