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My total milage has been way down in 2024 year, but I've made up for it by repeating some of my favourite routes.
First off, the Tour of Flanders sportive in spring. An absolute iconic ride, of course made all the better for having a long weekend in Belgium.
Next was what is known as the Ferry cross the Mersey ride. About 80 miles from Frodsham, over Runcorn bridge then following the river up to Liverpool. Cross over on the ferry then ride back down the Wirral. It's been absent from regular club runs for some year, but most who went demanded to repeat it in 2025.
Finally a circuit of the canals Cheshire Ring. Starts at Anderton boat lift, did it anti-clockwise this time down towards Stoke then north to Macc, Manchester then home via Altrincham and Warrington. 108 miles off-road, but fairly flat so definitely do-able.
So, what's been your favourite routes of the year?
Ridden every day so far. Some crappy little 2-mile rides, some not so short. Was sick of not riding for several days, so just decided to get on the bike whatever the weather.
Two stand out
Helvellyn - did it twice on the KSL, but the first one had the better views
Snowdon - took the HB916 for this one. Couldn't see much from the top and it was blowy AF.
Haven't done masses on the bike this year but have managed to take it on holiday with me 3 times which led to some memorable rides...
Teide - it's a long old climb but once you get up towards the top it must be one of the most incredible places to ride a road bike.
Andalusia - just perfect cycling country. Beautiful countryside, good road surfaces and virtually no traffic.
Siena and the strada bianche - a bucket list destination ticked off. Pretty amazing riding into the Piazzo del Campo where the road race finishes.
Mine was 5 days riding in Normandy with a mate in September.
The scenery, D-Day memorials & museums and WW2 sites easily made up for the rain and vicious headwind on days 1 and 2.
My mate had recently been diagnosed with MND and this was quite likely the last long, multi-day ride he’ll be able to do. That made it even more special and memorable.
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While a slightly longer ride by duration and distance on my road bike at the end of April left me dead for days afterwards, the hillier ride I did during our stay at Longleat Center Parcs in September on a Ridgeback Hire hybrid e-bike was my year highlight, enabling me do a similar route to my pre- long covid days without crippling fatigue in the days after.
If it wasn't for me putting in a bigger effort at near the top of Kingsettle Hill while remaining in eco mode assist, where the gradient peaks close to 20%, my heart rate would have been under ~135bpm for all of the ~3hrs10mins ride over ~39 miles and ~3300 feet of climbing.
https://www.strava.com/activities/12385118616/overview
Activity booking for our next visit to Longleat just opened up this morning and I've booked a new Specialized hardtail "premium mountain e-bike" for our stay, to try something different.
Nice big figure of eight ride from Loch Muick in May is the one that stands out:
It's been a cracking year of cycling for me.
To mark our 50th lap of the sun myself and two mates from school trained for and completed La Marmotte in June. My first time riding the roads of Le Tour and it did not disappoint. Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier and Alpe D'heuz (their climbs and descents - oh my the descents!) will be forever burned into my memory. What a day on the bike.
Did plenty of big days out training for it up here in Inverness. Last big training event was Ten Under the Ben solo, finished 2nd in the Super Vet Cat with 12 laps. The absolute standout moment in that event was catching up with my 12 year old son who was riding in a youth trio. I was about 8 laps in and was starting to feel it. Chasing him down the single track at the end of the lap (our favourite part of the lap) is another enduring memory, and one which powered me on to completing that 12th lap.
Lastly, a mountainbiking road trip with my son in the October holidays. Glenlivet, Tarland (his first time there, my second. His mind was blown!) and then down to Glentress for 2 days of riding.
What a 12 months.
Was only a short local loop, but first time out with my partner on her new Trek Rail. Stands out cos it was really muddy. Halfway round she tried to skirt a massive puddle as I had just done on a narrow ledge. I waited round the bend and she turned up spattered head to foot in wet mud. With a massive smile on her face! What a gal 🙂
Been a good year for me with over 210,000 meters of climbing and more importantly well over that in descent.
A stand out ride though was this from Courchevel taking in Meribel and finishing in Moutiers
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/16424759841
I made it out to Corrour Station a few times but the best was a stunning September day, doing the full loop from Dalwhinnie. Great weather, super food at Corrour and fantastic company.
@chakaping - easiest is a there and back from the A86 at Loch Laggan. 25km each way on smooth gravel tracks.
The full loop is a worthwhile longer trip at 122km. Best done from Dalwhinnie as that means Corrour works for lunch.
Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/zeB3lXaHFPb
If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll post the gpx file somewhere.
Really pleased I started this thread 🙂 there's few here already that I'd like do too
Siena and the strada bianche – a bucket list destination ticked off.
Especially this one! My uncle owns a little holiday place not too far away, so not much excuse really.
Haven't ridden much this year, done a lot more running of which highlights were the 7 Hills of Edinburgh and Pentland Skyline, notable because even 6months to a year previous I would have thought them unachievable in my ageing state.
But that's going at a tangent. The best ride(s) have actually been at Glentress, which has been overlooked for a few years as other Tweed Valley venues have taken the spotlight. But GT still has plenty potential for big grins and there's just something about the place and its history - the waymarked trails are still fun, the off piste trails have matured, and options for linking up are not quite endless but loads to go at. Just don't tell the rad e-bikers there's riding beyond the new freeride trails.
@stevenmenmuir pictured hopefully agrees.
@cha****ng - care to share the Loch Muick route?
The 23 minute, 7.3km I did post heart ablation that was the first ride for 6 months without any ill-effects after it.
I was thinking about this today. It’s been a good year on the bike with loads of great rides. These stand out not as the longest or hardest. They just had that extra fun factor
King Alfred Way with Wild Cycles. I booked with 3 friends. There were only 3 others on trip. The stars aligned and everything came together. All 7 of us really got on and looked out for each other. The sun shone, the trails were dry and the food fab
An evening MTB ride from home with a guy who lives round the corner. It was a lovely summer’s evening with trails in perfect nick. I guess we were pushing each other a bit. But just lovely to be able to ride like that from the door
lastly quite a short, mainly road, ride in the Lakes. We binned our proper gravel route due to flooding. From Keswick we road over Newlands Pass, along the far ride of Buttermere, back over Honister then along the side of Catbells. Exciting scenery and a great sense of exploring by bike
The 23 minute, 7.3km I did post heart ablation that was the first ride for 6 months without any ill-effects after it
Excellent, I am stalking you on Strava and have seen the rides get steadily longer too. Top effort.
This year I did Port Pollensa to Sa Calobra and back with my boy aged 13. That was pretty awesome. Did a solo ride from Andraxt back to PP which is pretty much the best road ride I have ever done. Also did King Alfred's Way camping over 5 days with Mrs anagallis and the kid, that was great.
easiest is a there and back from the A86 at Loch Laggan. 25km each way on smooth gravel tracks.
Cheers, I can see this on Google Maps do you start at the south west end of the loch?
Strava link no worky but no need for GPX thanks, I don't use them 🙂
@cha****ng – care to share the Loch Muick route?
Does this work?
https://www.strava.com/activities/11510776347
Not the longest, hardest or most technical ride, but a cracking ride up and down the High Peak Trail with a former neighbour/ride buddy who I rarely see since he moved away.
Beautiful blue skies, stunning views, great company, nice cafe stop at Tagg Lane Dairy on probably the last "nice" day to be sat outside eating their delicious ice cream.
Honourable mention goes to Ride to the Sun.
For those that haven't been subject to my enthusiastic chat about it, I rode Ride to the Sun - an overnight century from Carlisle to Cramond Beach in Edinburgh. It's difficult to explain RttS to the uninitiated. Imagine a group of friends just out riding together, no fees, no marshals, no checkpoints, no signage. Scale it up until you have around 1,499 other friends with you. Now you're getting it. The "goal" is quite simple. Set off from Carlisle at your leisure - though most folk leave around 7pm, and arrive in Cramond for the sunrise (around 4:40). Go at your own pace, join in with other folk, rest when you want. To make it easier, the chippy in Moffat stays open late, there's a freakin' outdoor rave going on at the Crook Inn and there's a community café in Cramond ready with food and drink. There is even free beer at the end.
If you haven't already guessed, I loved it. I set off just after 6pm, which was maybe a wee bit too early. I was worried I'd not make it for the sunrise, so actually rode it all a bit too fast. One advantage of this was that I arrived at the chippy ahead of the biggest swell of riders, missing the longest queues. I set off into the gloaming, up the only big hill on the route - the Devils Beeftub - stopped for a photo of the piper, then carried on into the darkening night. Approaching the Crook Inn was a bit surreal. After being in complete darkness, there were flashing lights, lasers and dance music! The community café here is open for teas etc and there were stacks of free bananas. It had got a wee bit midgey though and a slight drizzle came on just as I was setting off again, though it wasn't to last. The road after this was pretty rough, knocking my average speed down a bit, but I still arrived in Penicuik as the pubs were closing. Carrying on , I caught up with some other riders coming through Morningside in Edinburgh, rode down Lothian Road in an informal peleton, and arrived at Cramond stupidly early - just 2am!! Luckily, I'd parked my van near the finish so I was able to take some rest in there before welcoming the sun. My timing and pace will be much better in 2025.
Does this work?
https://www.strava.com/activities/11510776347/blockquote >
Yes but d'oh on my part, I didn't twig the name - have done Loch Muick, albeit didn't do the North West side so new ideas. Thanks.
Been a weird year for me - barely touched mountain or gravel bikes for the first 3 months - just too wet, then early summer was spent prepping for a climbing trip, so not much riding then either.
However - I did get a couple of brilliant days in the Lakes in May
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...and then rode Stoneking Rally Club Week in October, which was one of the best things I've ever done on a bike. The worst trail in 6 days riding was maybe an 8.5/10. My top ten trails ever list got radically revised.
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Not much MTB this year, of the local MTB rides one standout was a glorious June Ogden loop, stunning day. Quite a few longer road type rides, loads of fantastic memories, yes ride to the sun was one of them, along with a Rotterdam to Strasbourg trip with my son, a brilliant week, we went separate ways in Karlsruhe, I'd enjoyed riding with him so much I cried half way to Strasbourg!
I did wonder @scotroutes ..... the folk I rode part way with are in your mofatt pic, i'm just out of shot! Must've done about the same pace as you, left Carlisle at 6.30, got to Crammond at 02.15
Has been a year defined by exploring stuff. Every ride seems memorable, typically because I've spent weeks researching and planning it, and if I say so myself I typically come up with the goods! 😆
Today was a great example and until I ripped my rear mech off I was beginning to think it was the best ride of the year, just a daft route linking together every little piece of potential singletrack I could find on Strava heatmap in my local area, but they were all lovely, slippy and swoopy bits of goodness. Returning next week to finish what I started!
Or a loop I did from Evanton linking together lots of bits of e.g. HT550, Tour de Ben Wyviss.
Or linking together the Burma Road with the Findhorn Gorge and Dava Moor
A version of Scotroute's Dalwhinnie loop:
The Evanton loop:
The Findhorn route (check river levels, I wouldn't fancy this after any significant wet spell):
The weather this year was poor. Didn't get out so much on the mountain bike but did have a fantastic week in the Alps with Bike Village. Most memorable ride was probably on the gravel bike. Have loved riding from the door and and finding new routes. Set off from Edinburgh with a largely off road route to through mid Lothian, up and through the wind farm north of Innerleithen, dropping into Innerleithen then picking up the Southern Upland way to St Mary's Loch. Ran out of time and came back over Paddy Slacks, back to road to Peebles, through the Portmore estate and home via some off road tracks near Gladhouse reservoir. I would have taken a different route home if I'd had more time. It was one of those days I could have just kept riding, the weather was perfect and I hardly saw another soul. Will definitely revisit it next summer when I have more time.
Last day of a 4 night trip to Aosta, had just shy of a full day to squeeze in some riding before packing the bikes and heading to Milan. Ended up riding a trail called 21B which was the best trail I think I've ever ridden - just endless, brutal, technical singletrack... The 3 days previous weren't too bad either.
Every ride this year has been memorable.
This time last year we didn't know if Kevin would ever be back on a bike since his accident at the end of our Alps trip in July last year.
Goals were agreed with his Consultant and and Physio with an aim to ride back in the Alps in the Summer and go back to Finale in the Autumn to ride the trails he had walked whilst recovering. This was assuming he could also see well enough as he was still waiting for his eyes been operated on.
It's been a hard slog but he achieved the goals even though he only has 60% movement and 40% strength in his right arm and shoulder. Eyes are now sorted
Local February. First ride since July 23
Verbier June
Les Arcs July
Finale September
San Remo October
It's also altered our outlook on life and so come the end of March we will be stepping back from work and hitting the trails as much as we can. Going back to some old favourites and visiting some new
Bring on 2025
Has to be the Sellaronda MTB loop for me. Stunning day of great views and riding
Lots of local riding again this year - not that it's not fun or memorable itself, but it's rarely those rides that stick in the mind.
Standouts from further afield though...
Hamsterley Beast. Not the toughest or most tech of events, but we took a big crew the 175 miles up to this and had our own mini bike festival. Good times.
Ballater. Been wanting to test out the Heartbreak Ridge hype for a couple years now and it didn't disappoint. Found Mastermind on the same ride which was a fun bonus. Also took in Dunkeld, Top Chief and the World Cup course on the same road trip, and they're always fun.
The Mongrel. Not a single memorable ride as such, but the first few rides shaking down my custom Marino FS frame. Was a bit anxious that my geometry ideas would be pants, but I seem to have (by luck or judgement) come up with something that works really well for its intended use (arseing around in the woods).
And then there's this one. Shortest ride of the year, most uncomfortable, and completely on tarmac round the village but after three months off the bikes with a hand injury it was a big moment. Still only got about 60% movement and 50% grip strength in my right hand, but getting there slowly. Hopefully back to some (pretty gentle - probably just fire roads) off-road riding next week...
First time riding in the Alps this year with a bunch of riders who have multiple trips and years of riding under their belts. The trip down in the van was a wave of excitement through nought but good weather and the promise of fantastic riding.
We wake up day 1 and despite the July date, it’s cold and wet in Morzine. On the gondola up the Pleney, I started to feel the nerves kick in. We unboard and the group shoot down a green to a chairlift. I quickly found out that an Alpine green and blue trails are very different to the trails I’d ridden in the UK. I spent the rest of the morning holding on for dear life whilst chasing after the pack.
The conversation of lunch comes up and we decided to get down the mountain for some scran. We drop into a trail that takes us back Morzine. The ground beneath us changes to the consistency of smooth peanut butter and we enter what looks like a war zone. Lads on full DH rigs barrel down the trail, cross country riders splattered in mud stand at the side of a trail figuring how to pick their way down, a French woman cries on the phone - total carnage.
For me, something clicked* and it felt like riding the crest of a wave all the way down, smoothly carving my round around obstacles with the steering on near-enough full lock and a foot out here and there.
My fear and nerves fell away and i fell in love with riding in Morzine on the spot.
*I may have been, cold, hungry, half frozen and riding a wave of adrenaline and serotonin
For me it's been a strange year. The kids joined a coaching club that ride twice a week and teaches them skills. Sadly it meant there weren't many times we rode together. However I had some great local gravel rides with the eldest.
Then just over Christmas I've had the chance to ride more with them on holiday and they're suddenly way better than they were. It was a massive buzz chasing them down tracks. The 13.5 year old is dropping me on tech and flow. The 11 year old has grown wings.
I've never seen a jump constructed like that before! Cool. 😀
Been a funny year. Not so much riding due to life stuff, but managed to tick off a 80+ mile, ,9000ft elevation gravel ride from the door and out around Exmoor and the Quantocks. It was a ride I'd planned previously as part of a 2 and a half day bike packing trip with mates, but always fancied trying to do it in a day. Never thought I would, but managed to get myself fit enough during spring to take it on.
Was an incredible day: https://www.strava.com/activities/11388361522
My 9 year old son starting to ask 'can we go mountain biking at the weekend?' has also led to some great memories. 🙂