The year is coming to an end and it's that time to reflect on 2014. My personal highlight of the year was my trip to Anglesey in April. The warm weather and blue sky certainly helped to enjoy the trip, but the stunning beaches made it for me. So much so, I returned in July for a family holiday

mine was a touring holiday with the wife, Arran, Islay, Colonsay and Kintyre.
september, 4 weeks after heart surgery........shorts and t shirt all week.........vaguely exciting.

Mine was Islay too Ton - waking up here with a view to Jura (next spring's trip is in the planning phase)

Islay-Fat-Bike-34 by 99percentchimp, on Flickr

and here in the worlds best bothy....

Islay-Fat-Bike-120 by 99percentchimp, on Flickr

Will be doing this again in the spring - anyone else fancy a hike-a-bike geology tour and otter spotting trip with some good malt thrown in?

Sounds brilliant mark - keep me posted, in the unlikely event all the logistics come together I would be uo for that :)

As for cycling higlight - difficult to pick but id say riding up jenkin road in sheffield with the boys was pretty memorable - even if it wasnt a bivi trip :)

Two highlights for me, the Cairngorm's outer loop with great company and my solo but failed attempt at the the borders 350, still did 150 miles in two days and on day one rode for over 12 hours.

I'm going to have a bash at the Cairngorms too Ray - been telling myself to get up there for the last few years but have failed miserably (with fitness/work issues)... too many tales of great riding for it to wait another year!

I'll keep you posted AW... stunning place to saunter and absorb the surroundings

99percentchimp wrote:
Will be doing this again in the spring - anyone else fancy a hike-a-bike geology tour and otter spotting trip with some good malt thrown in?

Mark, you've got my number

Has got to be my BB200 success and my subsequent sponsorship by the wonderful Stuart of Riders Cycle Centre! What's odd is that I have an unnatural desire to go and have another crack at this years BB200 route just because I feel that now I know I can finish, I want to try finish in a faster time

A lot this year but cycling down the last two miles of road in perfect sunshine to finish the 200 felt truely amazing. A lot of graft and planning came together to get that and enjoyed it

Beach camping after 120 miles on road audax style with fire going and stars going on forever ranks also

Even pre hyperthermic naked star jumping in capel soar at 3am when the Welsh c2c went horribly wrong makes me laugh now!

Mine was half of the HTR550 the most profound of places to be in on the bike

Two weeks of cycling in Iceland in late August/ early September with my wife was the highlight of the year.
Didn't do anything "epic" just some lovely touring on quiet roads.
Good news was that the Mrs loved the tour and wants to do more non road tours next year!

My highlight has to be finishing Tour Divide 2014.

A picture of me riding up the road somewhere after the Brazos Ridge in New Mexico, and an unexpected guest hanging out in the road. Picture by Brett Wolf.



and a picture from the last day of my TD riding the road to Separ with the mountains of Mexico coming in to view in the distance. Jason Snell on his fixie on the left, myself on the right. Photo by Brett Wolf.

This day amongst many others sticks with me...descending down to the Colorado river and back up the other side of the valley. The section from Salida to Platoro was amazing as well. These are closely followed by not getting hypothermia descending from Red Meadow Lake into Whitefish and making it around Richmond Peak alive.

Roll on 2015.

Greetz

S.

Scattamah wrote:This day amongst many others sticks with me...descending down to the Colorado river and back up the other side of the valley. The section from Salida to Platoro was amazing as well. These are closely followed by not getting hypothermia descending from Red Meadow Lake into Whitefish and making it around Richmond Peak alive.

Roll on 2015.

Greetz

S.

I moved a couple months ago to just north of the Clark Store but when I did TD this summer I was still living on the climb up Lynx Pass. The ride up Lynx Pass and down to Radium, out the Trough Road to Kremmling and back up Gore Pass was a regular training ride for me pre-TD. It's gorgeous country and I always found the abrupt transition from semi-arid to more desert hues as you start down towards the Colorado River a cool thing to see/experience.

The Dunwich Dynamo for me. Was a lot of firsts and great.

A proper tough ride up Cross Fell with Tom.

On the way up Cross Fell by RichSeipp, on Flickr

Towards Cross Fell by RichSeipp, on Flickr

Cross Fell by RichSeipp, on Flickr

^ lovely pics above

My highlight was a 6 mile potter around Wendover Woods family trail with my wife a couple of months ago! All 6 miles of it!
It was the highlight because 9 months earlier she'd had major surgery for bowel cancer (aged 43), and this was her first time back on a bike and despite me suggesting that she take it easy she hammered it up all the hills

I've been lucky to have enjoyed several special rides this year, but the highlight was La Marmotte. In the early morning light, the white clouds rising like steam from the Glandon was a truly incredible sight. A ride that will never be forgotten.

I've not done a lot of trips or nights out this year mainly due to work related BS causing me to be too stressed, but this should improve at the end of Jan when I start a new job

Riding highlights would be a a few good day trips from summer holidays in Chattel, not the DH stuff just nice trails high up with ace views, had one short overnighter with Eddie (8) and bivied under the tarp in shocking overnight conditions at 2000m!

I was in Scotland for a few nights during that good weather at the start of September and had a couple of top day rides. One down the glen sheil road and back via glen affric, the other a big circuit from Garve over to Ullapool and back on the road. Both are some of the best days rides I've ever done.

The BB200 was a definite highlight from a performance point of view. Set out wanting a black badge and got one (just!) by absolutely hammering the last 40km from the top of the woodland at SH 799269, I pushed harder than I ever have on a bike before and rode that section in two and a half hours to finish with 12 minutes spare!

Slowride and Scattamah, nice shots and congratulations : ) any online pics or reports?

An odd year here. Didn't plan much, lacking focus but no problem, things work out. Got a couple of good rides in, HLC Israel with Paul and Rick was a highlight, brilliant place to ride in good company (apart from that f-in desert haha).


Not the first or last time we saw the sea of Galilee on that ride.

Other memorable ride was riding from my place to Lake Constance door to door, back to solo miles and escapism, forgot how much I enjoyed road touring, last time I did it was pre-bivi biking. Threw in some gravel grinding and Pave and forest roads and it was brilliant. Dynamo hub added possibilities and the Alsace area is beautiful. Got the itch for more of that. Maybe with some French/Italian B+B luxury. Proper food, less of the gas station diet rubbish and more coming home feeling good, not physically wasted : )

Poor quality photos, just took the phone.

Eurobike ride 2014 by james*o, on Flickr



Actually a real highlight was a simple S24O along the Ridgeway and Wessex Downs. Woke up to a high-pressure sunny dawn, rode a few 100 yds along the trail onto a fun little downhill with some good music on, had one of those grins and I think that it's the best feeling I get on the bike. Real freedom, seems best when it's sunny at 6.30am in the summer and you're still sleepy yet you're already riding. Doesn't always end up that way but sticks in my mind when it does.

Two weeks of cycling in Iceland in late August/ early September

We need pics!

2 major highlights for me - the Wales Coast to Coast in April over 2 days. Some excellent riding and proper "out there" feeling, rIding from before dawn to after dark, and not quite having a plan of where to stop was liberating. Stopping for chips in Neath surrounded by the local nightlife was an amusing contrast, with me all muddy, wearing shorts and biking gear with all the locals in their best pulling gear.
Then the HTR (or the 350 miles of it) was fantastic. Some extremely hard, some very easy, with brilliant scenery everywhere. And properly remote, with no idea where any other riders were, and having to rely wholly on myself to ride, feed, water and pace myself across terrain I had never been anywhere near before was a true test.

Looking back at rides like these makes me realise how much I love being out on my bike. Just wish I could take half decent photos.....

Well, the first half of the year was fraught with mechanicals (Cairngorms Loop) or injuries (HTR), but things came good in the end.

In terms of outright performance (or at least effort...), the Lakeland 200 was my highlight.

For overall enjoyment, exploring the Black Mountain for the first time back in August was my best ride. I wrote an account of the ride just last night: http://ianbarrington.com/2014/12/18/the-black-mountain/

The ultimate ride for me this year, and in my life to date, was the HTR550. Finishing that taught me a lot about what drives me and where my limits are, and how to push on through pain. A truly remarkable experience for me, with a mixture of good fortune and downright stubbornness seeing me through to the end.

My second favourite ride was the Shindig - cracking banter in great scenery, followed by the group start of the Cairngorms Loop, which I think gave me the confidence to start the HTR in a good frame of mind.

However, the most fun I've had on a bike this year was piling down a snow filled track in the Pentlands on my fat bike for the first time last weekend. Dodgy traction but no fear due to the soft landings - it was a hoot!

WRT for me

First bikepacking trip, really good fun and good banter. 2nd favourite outdoors trip I've done