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So - what you your best bike ride this year? Might be an intrepid trip, might be just getting in the zone, might be almost anything.
I had hoped to get out in the mountains a bit more this year but haven't done so much. I have ridden a fair amount including some memorable night rides with the TBC crew but my ride of the year must be [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-scotland-c2c2c-pics-and-report ]STW C2C2C ride early in the year[/url]
Setting off from Ullapool on the West coast to Bonar Bridge on the east. OK Me and Mrs TJ took as softies option and did a slightly shorter route than the others just to the tidal limit on a river on the east not to the sea proper but it was still a long day out thru amazing scenery. Just great.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/5260912137/ ]Picture 004[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/5261513682/ ]Picture 005[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/5261507256/ ]Picture 003[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/5260921781/ ]Picture 012[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
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.
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[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
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[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.
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[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.
ltheisingerTahts cheating! One I said
Keep 'em coming folks - great pics.
Well...technically it was - I didn't go home in between, if that counts... 😉
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Pentlands
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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
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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 - MemberSpeaking 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...
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[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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