2021 reflections

[voodoo_simon]

I do this every year (even if the year isn’t yet finished), so here goes;

Favourite ride/trip/outing

Favourite piece of kit

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out

Favourite celebrity*

Right, I’m off to ponder the year. Feel free to put your own thoughts down and if you have pictures, links etc, then post them



*just kidding m, only out this in to wind folk up

[TheBrownDog]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
Oh that's tough. Me and Rich3rd and two others did a wonderful tour of Dartmoor this year with Luke joining in for one of the mornings. But as brilliant as it was, it's the Chilterns Spring Thing for me. I didn't do the ride in and out or as my left knee caved in, but this was the first re-gathering of the local crew and, I will admit, it was pretty emotional as Reg and team emerged from the trees after a year of not seeing them all. Plus I went all out and kinda made it a glamping outing with food and drink thrown in.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19918&p=261899&hil ... ng#p261899

Favourite piece of kit
I've not bought much kit this year but the MLD Duomid BigDummySteve sold me is amazing. So big. So light. So good. Otherwise, the Apidura 1.5l frame bag water bladder, which fits nicely into a cheap bag I bought for my Big Bro, is an absolute winner.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Nothing seminal ... it was just a Boner posting a short overnighter that reminded me that I'd not just gone out for a night in the woods for a while. So off I went.

Favourite celebrity
Lael Wilcox, pure and simple. She's simply incredible.

[Shewie]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
Just a quiet overnighter in some woods in the village where I grew up, only a short ride in and out the next day but it was just what I needed at the time. Also had a nice week ricking around Deeside and Aviemore at the end of summer

Favourite piece of kit
Probably my ti grave bike I bought back in July

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Not being able to ride up the gentle road climb out of Aviemore up to the ski centre, really had a word with myself that day and have been out a lot more regularly ever since.


2021 has been a big steaming pile of poo for most part, I'll be glad to see the back of it

[Charliecres]

It’s not been the best ever year’s riding for me but …

Favourite trip:
Trans Cambrian Way. I’d been wanting to do it for ages and finally got around to it this summer. We were blessed with great (dry) conditions and did it in leisurely style over three days. No dramas but plenty of fun. Loved it.

Favourite kit:
Rockgeist Gondola dropper-compatible seatpack. I’ve really enjoyed being able to use a dropper on trips with more techy riding. And it’s quite small, which encourages a bit of TLS.

Inspiration:
This forum, as always. Oh, and one Matt Page has put some great videos out there this year.

Favourite celebrity:
???

[Moder-dye]

It's not been a good year for me due to health reasons but...

Favourite ride/trip/outing
A toss up between 4 days of day tripping in Orkney https://youtu.be/hnVfFMsrtrg and a summer solstice century for breakfast https://youtu.be/ZncKKsB6988 sadly both road rides as my wrists have been too bad to ride off road.

Favourite piece of kit
Alpkit toploader bar bag for audax stylee day rides.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Hard to say, but peoples stories of overcoming adversity. Never give up. When I couldn't ride off road I rode on road, when I couldn't ride on road I swam. Just find away to do fun stuff.

Favourite celebrity*
As above Lael is a star without doubt, but I've become a real Lachlan Morton fan boy.

I'm hoping for a better 2022 with a move of home to fresh riding grounds in Angus. Finally getting my steroid injections in my wrists,. Having a break from work for a wee while to de-stress and hopefully regain some health and fitness.

[voodoo_simon]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
I’ve done loads of days rides but nothing really stands out, some nice days on the bike but one walk always stands out. Walked some of the Anglesey coastal path (day walk) back in June, windy but warm enough. Saw some dolphins, beautiful scenery and even managed to chill out for a little bit at one of the old brick works. Had a good old, long chat with the Mrs Voodoo too, so win win

Favourite piece of kit
Easy one, new gravel bike, Salsa Warroad. Suits my riding style perfectly, but if road, bit of grass up the middle and a few easy bridleways Ill never own a road bike again (but I’ll still keep my mountain bike for off road…)

Piece of inspiration
Mini voodoo (7) finally decided that she wants to start to ride her bike (she’s on her third one!). It was a really pleasure watching her pick it up and now she loves going out and riding it.

On a more mass media inspiration, Lachlans ride was impressive but Sean Conway wins for me. In January he ran 1km one day, then 2KM, then 3km etc. it it turns out, he’s fairly local to me and it was an area that I’ve never visited before, so the maps came out and the area from his film has given me loads of days out exploring

[Verena]

Favourite ride/trip/outing

The BB Gower trip. My first ever BB trip, glorious sunshine, brilliant company, two jawdroppingly beautiful bivvy spots overloooking the sea. Very very very closely followed by the Pontscethin trip with JC and Sammy - no offence John , but if you ask people in the middle of December to chose between mizzly mountains and sunny seaside, guess the later will win for most...

Favourite piece of kit

The to mug and tiny gas burner I bought off Joe, and as I had seen modelled by so many of you. Clever.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out

I came to treat going out on my bike as an act of (sometimes angry) defiance. In the winter months, against the dark, the cold, the wet, the miserable. More generally, against all the sub standard going on all around by way of sickness and death.

Favourite celebrity*

Lachlan Morton's alternative TDF.

Matt Page taking his mum and his daughter on a three generation bikepacking trip.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
Another vote for the Gower and not just because it was dead good but because trips have been limited this year.

Favourite piece of kit
I really haven't bought much but I do like my Surly Corner bars.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
A fear of never going out again - fear is the perfect motivator.

Favourite celebrity*
I really don't do 'celebrity' but everyone here inspires me as do all those people in life who get back up every time they're knocked down.

[ton]

Favourite ride/trip/outing.
this years Jennride. it was fantastic to meet up with friends old and new. i rode round by myself most of the way, but was stopped to chat dozens of times. and the Lakes is always amazing.

Favourite piece of kit.
easy this one. my Ti Salsa Fargo. just the perfect bike for my riding nowadays.

Piece of instigation / motivation that got you out.
i have had a lot of health issues. through them i reckon my riding days may be numbered so i dont want to miss any riding opportunity. or fear, like Stu said.

Favourite celebrity.
again, i dont get impressed by celebrity. but normal folk, doing big scary rides, they impress me.
( and i think surgeons, who keep folk alive are amazing. )

[jameso]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
The Chilterns Spring Thing was great, really enjoyed that (Cheers Tim!). Fave ride was the B4407 heading SW. A beautiful road 3 days into a tour in Wales during that heatwave we had, ridden not long after a mid-day kip in the shade. That was such a good trip. Shame it was a solo ride but sometimes you have to take the time off and get out.

Favourite piece of kit
Hardly bought anything in last 2 years. The Gatewood Cape I bought off a good chap on here was one of those 'should have got something like this ages ago'. Light and compact enough that I don't try to wing it with a bivi bag for the sake of minimal packing and end up sleeping in daft places when the weather's bad. I can see me and the cape getting on well, we're moving to live about 20 miles from the Severn Bridge so I will be in Wales more often.
The magic clips from Joe's Shop are great additions to the cape.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Sitting in front of a PC 5 days a week mostly WFH does a pretty good job of getting me out a few times a week, no change there.

+1 to Verena's motivation point. Got caught in the rain and rode home in the dark yesterday and often wonder why I find it a positive experience, though it's not enjoyable at the time. I think that answers much of it - defiance and being able to be in that situation out of choice. When it goes a bit rubbish, still find reward in it. Had the best night's sleep in ages afterwards too.

Favourite celebrity*
Does Ian Hislop count as a celebrity?
Does the bike world have celebrities? Doesn't seem that way. Fave influential cyclist? Chris Boardman for his promotion of transport cycling and infrastructure. Wish he was more influential, hopefully one day.

[gairym]

Feavourite ride/trip/outing?

Once again it's the Tuscany Trail - what's not to like? Five days of wonderful scenery, weather, food, wine and like-minded bike folk - win!

Favourite piece of kit?

My bouncy bike*. Rekindled my love for riding massive mountains on very very techy trails.....at pace!

(*Santa Cruz 'Hightower')

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out?

Looking at my gut and worrying about my many, many maladies.

Favourite celebrity?

Shabaka Hutchings or Gilles Peterson - much musical inspiration.

[Rob S]

Favorite ride/trip/outing
Only did one of note, a 100K gravel ride in the Peak. Can't remember the name of it, first time off-road in the Peak though. I do enjoy riding in new places, but the hills killed me.

Favourite bit of kit
The Vittoria Mezcals I swapped with the Schwalbe Magic Marys (great in mud though). Couldn't believe how well they rolled.

Piece of inspiration /motivation that got you out
Just reading about everybody's trips on here really.

Favourite celebrity
Jessica Rabbit

[fatbikephil]

Fav ride / Trip
Had too many good ones to choose easily so I'll go with this weekends Winter Bivvy as it was great

Fav bit of kit - SS and blinged Straggler - its a been a hoot blasting around the place on it this year

Inspiration to get out - simple - the alternative is to sit in the house on my own. Much better to sit on my bike on my own

Celeb - not really but I met and talked to Annie Le quite a bit at the HT this year and she is definitely a good egg.

But overall a cracking year bike riding wise and my ever growing list of niggly injuries haven't been an issue at all.

[The Cumbrian]

Favourite ride/trip/outing:
Discovering the Howgills after driving past them literally hundreds of times, and a short ride on The Ridgeway visiting Wayland's Smithy and Uffington while down south with work.


Favourite piece of kit:
My new (to me) fully rigid Pinnacle Ramin. It just feels right.


Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out:
Knowing that I'll enjoy myself once I get out, even when I really can't be arsed.


Favourite celebrity:
I'll fill this in when I work out who I dislike the least.

[Johnallan]

Favourite ride/trip/outing:
Bristol-Glasgow-Bristol 1600.

Favourite piece of kit:
Thermorest Neo Air Xlite. I didn't realise good sleep was possible before buying this

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out:
I don't really need it but.. the thought of one day taking on a properly big race keeps me ticking

Favourite celebrity:
Guy Martin

[Dave Barter]

Celeb - not really but I met and talked to Annie Le quite a bit at the HT this year and she is definitely a good egg.

I think she started on a winter HT550 ITT today

[slarge]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
A toss up - either a weekend away with a few clubmates in the Yorkshire Dales - road based but great riding, great company and great scenery, or the BB300, on which the weather was good (for Wales), and the riding good fun, and a long ride where I had no down times or demons.

Favourite piece of kit
A running backpack - Ultimate Direction race vest - I don't notice it and it has about 100 pockets (and is the only thing I have bought and actually used this year)

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Motivation - the fear of getting old

Favourite celebrity*
I don't really do the whole celebrity thing, but probably Guy Martin (as he's just a bit nuts), or Lachlan Morton (who seems to be able to convince his sponsors that nuts rides are worth doing)

[FLV]

Interesting reading. I have to be honest, some of 2021 is merged with 2020.

Favourite ride/trip/outing:
A leisurely ride up to where I grew up for bivi with a pal, or I also had a fantastic ride (mostly solo) round the cairngorm outer loop. The later had zero time pressures and pretty much zero goals apart from just staying away from making it into a suffer fest. I LOVE that route around the Cairngorm.

Favourite piece of kit:
Maybe my RRP Proguard Max, front mtb mudguard at its best in my view. If only there was something this effective for the back that didn't end up broken pretty quickly. Somewhere in 2020/21 I ditched the Chamois which in warm weather revolutionised my comfort, I was really rating Montane Dart boxers. The need for thermal tights has driven me back to it for now unfortunately.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out:
The GB olympic BMX team really motivated my little one, which is infectious and therefore motivated me too. Then, I really enjoy reading about and watching films about people who go to places I have never made it yet. Cant recall them exactly. Also, those at the back of the HT550 motivated me too. Trep and others. Finally, repeated health scares. It both pushes me towards motivation and also towards the feck it button, fortunately the former is winning the majority of the time

Favourite celebrity:
No idea.

[woodsmith]

Interesting reading. I have to be honest, some of 2021 is merged with 2020.

Very much the same feeling here.

Lots of good riding around the south and southwest of England (just not the WKW) but the favourite was probably around the North York Moors. All of it tempered by the knowledge that I should have been into the second year of my round the world trip.

Favourite kit would be the Maxxis Chronicles I've got stockpiled now that they're discontinued.

Motivated myself in the spring to build up to, and subsequentley ride my first century ride on the road bike, followed by several more.

Lael Wilcox. Because she seems like a genuinley nice person and her positivity and joy are a delight to see.

[Jurassic]

For me.
Favourite trip,
The Cairngorms Inner Loop. I rode outer and inner this year and against expectations preferred the inner loop. Amazing scenery, very varied with some fantastic full on techy riding and I did it in great weather conditions which probably helped too.
Favourite kit,
The Acepac luggage that I got from Stu (especially the bar bag which is so well thought out and constructed).
Inspiration,
My friend Mark and his wife Christine who cycled from their house in North Yorkshire to Cape Wrath (mostly off-road) for their summer holiday.
Celebrity,
Maybe Liam Glen for his incredible ride on the HT 550 (not that he's really a celebrity outside of our weird little world).

[Keith74]

Felt like 2021 has been a quick year but has little highlights personally.
Favourite ride/trip/outing
A nice short loop from my house I now do last day of each month. It’s 20 miles loop but it has a nice bench half way round where I can sit in peace and quiet and look out over a Loch and contemplate life.

Favourite piece of kit
Bought myself a pair of pogies after reading about them on here as always struggled with cold hands and gloves never helped. They have increased my cycling year to 12mm the now instead of 6.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
Watching people I know struggle with lockdown and mental health issues has made me just realise getting out no matter the destination is so important and chatting to people is such a small thing but helps so much.

[In Reverse]

Favourite ride/trip/outing
I've got great memories of the BB200 tbf, really enjoted seeing a load of Boners again after a loooong time. Best trip was probably a bastardised version of the Capital Trail I threw together at August BH weekend when I decided last-minute I just needed to get out somewhere. https://www.strava.com/activities/5879194169

Favourite piece of kit
Turbo trainer. An absolute game changer

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out
I am not a motivated person at all.

Favourite celebrity*
Johnny Vaughan. An endlessy fascinating man.

[faustus]

Favourite ride/trip/outing: Only bikepacking trip this year to Llanbedr hill area with my mate. Superb part of Wales that i'd not visited much (which i'll return to), superb weather and a really chilled ride with plenty of relaxing with food and hip flask of nice rum, and top company.

Favourite piece of kit: When it's shorts weather, I've switched to padded merino boxers and they're really comfortable, not so sweaty on my upper half with lycra straps.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out: Christ, mainly the fear of kids being sent home from nursery with a temperature yet again. In the past 12 months we've had to do well over 20 tests, and the resulting disruption to work/life whilst isolating waiting for a result.

Favourite celebrity: Always have lots of time and respect for Ray Mears.

[psling]

Favourite ride/trip/outing:

A wet, very wet, ride in Wales with RIP and Raggedstone. Nothing particularly outstanding about the ride but what made it memorable was that it was different; what I mean is that it was not a route that would spring to mind in an obvious sense but that it took us to places that would often be overlooked when planning a more usual ride. It was all the better for it.

Favourite piece of kit:

Mineral Designs Mini Bar. Bling? Well, yes maybe, but so functional. It's sad to say but I'll sometimes use it to tweak something unnecessarily just to feel its tactile simplicity it in my hand.

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out:

Fair weather. Always more inspiring than a grey, bleak, wet and windswept outlook

Favourite celebrity:

Jeremy Vine, speaking out for the cyclist and outing anti-cyclist journalism
(I was going to say Stevie Nicks but I'm over her now, it's been nearly 50 years since I was a little bit in love with her performing Rhiannon live so yeah, really, I'm over her. OK.... )

[whitestone]

Favourite trip/outing

We had a week up in Scotland in September and had gloriously dry weather Did a three day trip based on the HT550 central loop starting from Cannich but from Contin we cut through via Strathconnon to Craig and picked up the return route at Achnashellac station.

Favourite bit of kit

Hmm. Not sure. Maybe my new Exped sleeping mat after the old one delaminated - at least I don't have to find a slope to be able to lie flat

Piece of inspiration/motivation that got you out

Fear of further lockdowns. A bit sad I know.

Favourite celebrity

WTAF