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Brought a German and French mate from Bavaria to Yorkshire for a gravel weekend. Met up with 4 English friends. Rode Thirsk to Whitby on the North side on day 1, Whitby-Staithes for lunch on day 2 (dinner in the Magpie, once we explained mushy peas aren't a type of guacamole to my French mate and are best enjoyed mixed with scraps and Sarsons, he began to understand.......) Day 3 back to Thirsk via Egton, Rosedale Chimney and Rievaulx Abbey.
They are coming back next year.
@P20 Was your Sellaronda trip self guided or an organised one? Looks great.
For me, quite a good year in which two stand out. After a wet start to the year, I finally managed to reach the top of Wild Boar Fell in June in weather good enough to enjoy the view, and dry enough to enjoy the steep and fast descent from the top:
Then in September I finally managed to get to the top of Cross Fell in the best conditions, where there was an inversion looking East:
and the a clear view of the the Lake District looking West:
I’ve never seen a jump constructed like that before!
There's a few parks that have been built in southern NSW with bushfire recovery funds from after the massive fires in early 2020. Locals td us how much mtb tourism is helping the local economies. My guess is that Ute was burnt out during the fires so it was fitting to incorporate it into the trails.
I have had a few nice MTB rides this year but actually the stand out rides of 2024 have both been multi day trips with my sons.
Touring in Holland with my younger son in April. The older one was off on a school trip so we got the ferry over from Harwich to Hoek van Holland and a little hiker hut at Noordwijk. Brilliant few days, cycling, reading books in the evening and while we had typically Dutch spring weather we had a glorious few hours sunshine at Madurodam on the last day.
Then a 3 day cycle camping trip up the Suffolk Coast with both of them.
Got my fingers crossed we might get out tomorrow but the hardtail has been in the shed since about June and I'm wondering ...
2024 has been very strange for me. I've had a compromised hip inasmuch as it really needed replacement but NHS waiting lists etc...
Over the last few years my rides have been shorter and shorter but more intense each time, less distance but more thrills as it were. The buggered hip pretty much put a stop on our Alps riding holiday even with an eBike so this summer we thought that the Traws Eyryri would be fun if we could find some more off-road sections as well as some charging points for my bike. In the end I rode in a supporting role to MrsAmbrose because of my health issues but I had a great time nonetheless. The unofficial section down from Cwm Tiegl through the old slate quarries to Cwm Penmachno is such a blast, and the final day via the Roman Road and then the Sychnant Pass and Conwy Mountain was constant fun.
In September I had my last ride before the op. An hour or so with the family at Cwmyrhyadr plus a pub meal. The ride was nothing special, just a good bit of fun but it was my last 'compromised' ride before the op. https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/my-last-ride-for-a-very-long-time/
In 2024 I've had great rides locally in BBNP, Mid Wales, The Long Mynd, FoD, Quantocks, Dartmoor and The Lakes but the best one of the lot is yet to come. The Amman Valley Cyclepath beckons. 2025 is going to be so good, I can't blummin' wait.
Most rides this year have been commuting into mamchester, the tedium relieved by the excellent old fire station bakery in Salford.
Couple of stand outs
* Colne valley MTB challenge, great atmosphere and I got to meet TJ
* Tor divide. Again great event and fabulous weather. I had a terrible ride with loads of mechanical issues, but still loved the event
* Hadrians wall cycleway with my partner. Fab to finish on the Tyne drinking beer on deckchairs in the centre of Newcastle
* A long ride home. Grabbed a lift to Grasmere and cycled home via salter fell. For me, a tough 85 mile route and the most climbing I've done in a day. Totally wrecked at the end, bit loved it
Most memorable was easily July the 31st. Nothing even slightly remarkable about where, it was just my most regularly ridden local loop out the door where I live in the south east. Just a few miles up and down some hills, bridleway, a couple of farm tracks and a tiny bit of woodland.
This day though, I spent most of it taking my dad to Brighton hospital for major heart surgery the next day. Apart from the waiting around at the hospital, a huge traffic accident/subsequent jam turned what should've been 3 hours driving into 5 hours sat in the car in barely moving traffic.
By the time I got home around 6, all I wanted to do was jump on my bike and both let off a bit of steam and distract myself from thinking about Dad's imminent op. Best ride I had all year.
Had a fantastic day at Dunkeld, my son has been getting out a wee bit so it was good to take him there, weather was glorious and we got to watch a bit of the Olympic MTB race in the beer garden. But my most memorable ride was my first bike packing trip. Jimmy held my hand and fed me and kept me going. We rode from Dalkeith to Dunbar (approximately) and camped by the sea.
The next morning we headed over to Abbey St Bathans for a delicious second breakfast and then on to Kelso for a late lunch at my friends excellent cafe. It was then a slow uphill into a headwind slog to Tweedbank to get the train home. 100 miles over the two days and some top quality grub.
My highlight has to be planning, organising, training for and doing a one man ride offroad (as much as practically possible) from Plymouth to London to raise a pile of cash for a charity I care about. 286 miles and 22500' in 6 days. Some fabulous scenery, memorable moments and a good ride.
Ride went well apart from two night of almost no sleep due to excessive stingers but heh ho that is what stories are made from 🙂
James
My last ride of 2024 was also memorable for both sons (usually it's just the older one) completely ditching me on the climbs.
I'm working on getting fitter but I'm not going to catch these two easily 😀
Ride to the Sun 🙂
My first 100 miler (or at least that I can remember being bothered about) and 1st road event after 20yrs of concentrating on mtbs.
3 for me, I'd a bit of time off work so got a trip to the Alps and did longer local loops.
A great gravel loop in Wicklow:
Another new route for me, all mountain in Wicklow again:
Stage 3 of Alps Epic, this trail scared me:
A couple stick in the mind, first was one of those browsing the map, let's see if it is possible, oh, and bring a rod types of rides. Loch Enoch in the Galloways.
Second ride (actually a series of joined up rides) was the St Cuthberts Way, Lindisfarne to Melrose. Really enjoyed passing through the cross-border landscape and history.
6th March gravel ride from Conniston out to Great Langdale. Felt like spring had arrived and those dusty summer trails were just around the corner, well that's what I told myself.
I rode the Pictish Trail in September. The weather was unreal. I had to buy suncream in Nairn!
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Yer maw.
Loads of great inspiration for me going into next year like. Managed to find that route thanks
Plenty of good rides this year, but doing the East Devon Gravel Trail (100ish miles) on my MTB in one day was a good one.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tomorrows-big-ride/
Also getting a decent tandem and taking my 11 year old daughter out on some proper (50-60km +) rides has been lovely 🙂
Relatively quiet year - majority of miles made of up from short spins on the fixed gear on country lanes and farm tracks from home .
did manage a trip to Mallorca to visit one of our riding crew who emigrated recently. Very rocky tech and some genuinely scary lines. All on e-bikes for the first time - mixed feelings…
I didn't ride as much as I would have liked this year, but seem to be getting more time to ride each year now our kids are getting a bit older. Most memorable was probably the time I felt like I'd figured out how to jump again and regained that muscle memory.
For next year I'd like to try and ride some different places/types of riding and maybe do some more "proper" xc rides in the Peaks or something as I've pretty much just been at the local bikeparks for every ride.
Yer maw
OP here. Sadly my mum died 6 years ago of cancer at a rather young age, but thanks for your contribution.
Now, back to to the more positive posts, nice to read that a lot of the memories relate to the familial, social and health benefits of cycling, and not just massive days out in inspirational landscapes.
First 50 time trial since before covid, and on three wheels too! And of course yesterday’s first M25 ring also since covid. Hopefully this marks a return to some form.
And for something a little different, first commute right into the centre of London. I’m now doing it twice a week and had forgotten how much I enjoy commuting by bike. Fortunately I’m not bound by rush hour traffic.
Apologies, I don't even remember writing that, if it's any consolation it was meant purely as purile childish humour and wasn't aimed at you.
I guess you know that but I'm sorry for the offence caused. I know what it's like to lose a parent too young and how raw it is.
All my MTB rides in 2024 were memorable.
Both of them. (Foot issues meant hardly any rides full stop)
Hamsterley Trail bike DH (crashed in second run…)
And the Merlinman memorial ride at pines (had to bail halfway round due to hilarious lack of fitness)
currently hitting the Gym…
One really great day at Laggan, just perfect conditions, we rode most of the trail centre trails, had a long cake stop and then went over and rode the brown til our legs dropped off. Simple to describe but it was just perfect.
Memorable except for the bit I can't remember at all- booked a week of uplifts in/around Wales. Day one, Forest of Dean, second run, last thing I remember is just riding down Corkscrew and having a great time then I woke up (while still sliding along the ground). Rode to the bottom, sat out the rest of the day, went to hospital and discovered I'd broken both my hands and my shoulder. So that wasn't ideal. But definitely memorable.
I rode the (slightly modified) black route at Glentress for the first time at the age of 53 on my old MK1 Cotic Soul.
I was very chuffed with myself.
Going up wasn't too bad, but I found a couple of the bits coming down a bit sketchy, particularly "Mild Peril".
This time last year we didn't know if my son would ride again after a broken shoulder/nerve damage so when he had recovered sufficiently in Feb we booked a few days in Peebles and had a lot of fun riding Glentress and the local area.
Then in Sept we lucked out with a sunny 20°C week in Keswick, had some great days out. Highlight of the year though was a miserable wet dark ride in December around our thrill-free local woods. My eldest and I have had a long term plan to get his younger brother out on a bike again -he loves it but has got lost in work and family. I bought a second ebike and dangled it in front of his eyes and on my birthday we finally got him out. Hopefully he's now got the bug again, he also came out with us on NYD
Had some really nice times on the bike this year, but the best ones were completely unplanned.
Snagged a trip to Morzine - a first for me. A groups of four of us had planned to fly to Whistler/Squamish and have 7 days total riding. Some new bikes, kit purchased etc. Get on the flight, plane barrels down the runway at Gatwick, slams on the brakes. Technical fault meant the plane was out of service - trip to Canada down the pan (we could not get an alternative flight in the timeframe we all had) - flight fail made BBC news as it caused disruption for Gatwick. So we went home, regrouped, booked Morzine accomodation and a eurotunnel booking and drove out the next morning. Morzine/PDS area is absolutely amazing and we saw some of the DH in Les Gets (including Pierron riding his arse off in the rain).
Weirdly, I ended up getting two days in Whistler at the very last opening weekend of the season, (October). I was heading to Seattle (very last minute) for work, so with less than 2 weeks notice I booked a rental car, accomodation and packed up my Pace hardtail. Virgin Airlines baggage policy looked severe, so was trying to go light to avoid massive weight and oversize bag fees. Hardtail was awesome and I saw two bears. Trails are amazing there and am super keen to go back. Not all trails open, but the technical blues were just so much fun.
Hoping to do loads more riding this year, (especially with my son) and hopefully make it to Ard Rock.
A couple of rides stand out this year. Riding Boltby Bash in the "Summer" with MrsReady. Superb event, and one of the few weekends of summer when it didn't rain the sun shone!
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And also a roadtrip exploring Belgium and the Ardennes Forest, with visits to Spa MTB and the beautiful area (and AMAZING trails) of Les Hautes Rivieres.
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Looking forward to more of the same this year, but swapping Boltby for Ratboys Bollington Enduro
Did a five day road trip in Tuscany based in Siena. Filled with wine and gloriously quiet smooth tarmac. Had to pinch myself numerous times it was utterly incredible.