Tell us about your 2011 riding

I'm currently nursing a massive headache I must have caught standing around in the cold and wet (in the dark) whilst out riding yesterday, lost. Perusing ride photos from this year and last; I'm not sure I can face a night of sociable drinking.

What did you achieve this year on the bike? Or what stopped you? Any epic ride reports you forgot to write? Memorable moments? Tell us about them.

I didn't get any faster but I learnt to ride down hills. And then I broke myself repeatedly and have now probably forgotten how. And I failed at my only proper trip by having to bail on day 5 of 6 and get the train home.

But I was quite pleased with my first solo cycle camping trip, where I discovered I am actually not bad at putting tents up.

This year was all about Nancy. Truly fantastic watching her skills and confidence grow.

Me, took time off of all my previous timed events.

Pretty good year all round.

More for 2012.

Where did you go, tricitybendix?

Where did you go, tricitybendix?

Land's End and back. This, approximately. Except I only made it 120 or so miles into day 5 and had to get the train back from Bridgwater. Rubbish. I am aiming to rectify this in 2012 by doing London to Land's End to John O'Groats to Land's End in 14 days.

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/700234[/ame
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Wow! What about doing the Audax End to End? You get a medal then.. Surely you deserve a medal?

That revised route for next year is incredible, good luck with it.

This year was about achieving a few firsts, particularly the Dynamo. Got less afraid of long distances if not more capable, and enjoyed heading out on some solo miles. Did a number of forum rides too, some social and others which could be considered a journey, such as the Herne Bay ride which actually ended further away in Margate.

Next year I'm planning on getting into Audax rides.

Do this one TheorySwine.. Dorset Coast 200k 1st April 2012. A classic.

Will bear it in mind and have a look. Thanks for the recommendation.

^ x8 Sorry to hear about the cold/headache Spybot, Got to have been worth it for the pleasure of trudging uphill on unrideable soft sand, in the cold wet dark, though, eh!

Anyway, 2011: what a year of riding it's been. I went round the M25, joined an Exodus to Exmouth, rode Britain's steepest residential street, hobnobbed with fashonistas in wool clothes and cycled to a wedding in Dorset.

A personal first this year was to confidently lead a group ride the wrong way down a one-way street, on the pavement, then repeat it!

I have to agree with Andy W. I can honestly say that I get as much pleasure out of watching my two boys (5and 3) cycling, as I do riding myself. Whether it's out in the woods, up the bmx track or just riding home from school/nursery, they always have a bubbling enthusiasm for being out on their bikes.

As for 2012, more of the same with the kids and 100+ miles a week from me should do it. Get some gears on the cross bike and do a few overnight bivvy adventures.

TheorySwine, i'll meet you in dorset for a bit of audax action. We can talk all things 'ouse. It'll be a nice warm up for The Bryan Chapman Memorial ride*. :)

*anotherdreamfor2012

Rode a full season on the track, joined local cycling club, rode 70miles (furthest yet) and had a crash.

Bought a fixed gear, learned to ride a fixed gear, fell in love with fixed gear.

i never get to do enough cycling

then i almost lost a leg in a cycling accident

had a week in hospital, weeks at home unable to move and then a return to cycling - now much more slowly

my leg now does everything it used to do, but not as well

the festive 500 was a fitting way to finish the year, some fixed riding, some on the road bike and some offroad on the 29er

its galling to think my downwards trajectory as a cyclist was hastened by one lapse of concentration 7 months ago

I'm afraid I am half way through a massive post. I need to get it off my chest. Stay tuned...

I guess I should admit that I started this thread primarily because I had a load of self-indulgent about my year of riding that I wanted to get off my chest. But I do like a good ride report so keep them coming. But if you hate self-indulgent crap then you might want to stop reading now.

I still feel relatively new to cycling only having really started taking it 'seriously' this year I guess. (By 'serious' what I really mean is that I have little else which is important to me, or allows me to escape my own little world of bullshit on a regular basis.) So for 2011 I had some shapeless goals centered around being able to ride 60 miles or so with comfort and confidence, and perhaps working my way up to a century. I definitely did both of those, which gives me quite a lot of satisfaction, but in many ways I think this year has been about testing the waters and finding out what aspects of cycling work for me. I now know for sure that what I don't want is competition, dick-swinging and all the ego massaging that seems to infiltrate this 'place' quite effortlessly at times, which I have always found somewhat surprising.

But I don't mean to dick on the forum. I've met some amazing people here and without them I wouldn't have managed to overcome my own inertia and get out to even half the places I have visited this year. Quite a few of them have even done me massive favours that I am not sure I will ever be in a position to repay; what's more, they probably know it, and don't mind. If I go out riding with a group of people, I want to do it with people who are sociable and are willing to help others at least as much as they would help themselves. Thankfully these people do exist...and I would never have found them without teh lfgss.

Anyway, er...riding.I started the year with a couple of audaxes, which I still think are underrated and I'm glad to see that more people may be on board this year. If you have minimal navigational skills then these really are the best way to see new parts of the country. I had good fun rolling with Skully and Buffalo Bill on those, although I'm not quite sure the reverse holds...

The London Classic. Still possibly my favourite London ride, and actually the first forum-ish ride I went on in 2010. I still owe hippy a beer from that day. In 2010 I think I walked up all the hills, which was a bit pathetic really, so I made sure I got up them all in 2011. Always a good forum turnout and fun times in general really.

My first ride to Brighton was with Skully. I think we chatted most of the way, probably took ages (but quicker than some forum rides...) but I wish I'd done this kind of last minute casual ride more often. That was the first of 5 (I think) Brighton rides for me. I've never quite taken the same route twice and - mercifully - have never been beaten by the Ditchling, although the fear remains. Twice I have been soaked to the skin on those rides, memorably hearing dropout cackling away behind me on HatBeard's birthday ride as were all being thoroughly drenched just outside Lindfield. And one memorable solo ride on what felt like the last day of summer where I met the ladies ride contingent (plus non-ladies) on the beach for fish and chips. All in all, I have very fond memories of scampering down the lanes towards Brighton.

My first century was the Avebury ride, which I think broke me for the rest of the summer, although I didn't accept it at the time. Eating up the distance by cover of night was great, and in many ways it passed by easily, although the final run-in was agony for me. The extended ride to an adequate train station was ironically the most pleasant part of the ride, as we rolled along flat lanes in full sunshine. After an inadequate rest (plus beer, and stupidity) it was decided that Dunwich-and-back was a good idea, despite never having done it before. I am secretly quite proud that I managed to get back on my bike and at least point myself homeward. It would have been so much easier to get the bus. At least someone got a free ticket. I started solo but having fussballclub with me was a bit of a godsend. 230-odd miles later I was crumpled at the end of my bed, sitting and staring at the carpet, head in hands. Unfortunately this my most poignant riding memory for me - a strange feeling of pain, satisfaction, exhaustion, and pride, but also a big fucking emptiness which i can't quite place. I think I would have cried if I'd had the energy, but I think that was mostly because I knew I damaged myself and would have to spend time off the bike, although I didn't dwell on it too much before going to sleep, it has to be said.

I managed to cling on to a couple of TNRCs this year too. Riding in a tight group at night really is a lot of fun. It would be great if the group riding etiquette on some of these could be transferred to other forum rides but I guess that may be asking too much :/ . I enjoyed all of the TNRC routes I went on and have made some efforts to explore the ones I missed, although they are never quite the same during the day. I remember following bmmf and jaygee on the lee or lea route on a long, gentle descent thinking my legs might pop out, or my lungs might cave in, yet the group was flying along in a perfectly straight line. (/namedropping) It's a real pity that quite a lot of that crowd seem to be flouncing left, right, and centre, as they still have a lot to offer. I believe most of them still lurk in some capacity. I hope to suck more of their wheels in due course.

Since I've taken 'so much' the M25 route was an attempt to 'give something back'. Planning that ride was a massive ballache, but also provided me with something to do during my unemployed summer days...recceing the route was also a lot of fun, and I got to see parts of London I hadn't explored before. We had an excellent group that day and everyone took a slog on the front, which I forgot to thank them for. I/we will do it again this year, so please htfu and come along, as it would be nice if a couple more people came to make the effort worthwhile. I could've sworn this was a cycling forum? meh.

After all that route planning I kind of lost interest for a while, but I still managed to pack in quite a few solo summer miles due to my aforementioned lack of wage. Riding back to my folks place after leaving laner and bendix at an East Sussex campsite was one such summer ride. I was so happy to be rolling up and down the quiet lanes as the sun began turn everything to a shade of orange. I don't think I have been happier on a bike than that. I definitely didn't make the best of it but I was growing pretty bored of riding loads of fixed gear miles - an excuse I no longer have. (Fuck.) Thankfully Fox and others stepped into the breach and planned loads of rides for me, which were a lot of fun too. I fondle my foulness mug with eerie pride.

I guess my year was rounded off quite nicely yesterday by pushing my bike up a sandy track in Norfolk, surrounded by darkness and being whipped with wind and rain. It was a bit grim; I don't think I've ever walked that far with my bike unless it was completely fucked. I guess it's somewhat tenuous, but I was reminded of Ian Hibell's tales of pushing his bike through the Sahara with sand up to the hubs. At the very least neither of us knew where the fuck we were going.

That's basically all I have. The highlights I can remember anyway. When looking back over the past year (or anything, come to think of it...) it feels all to easy to remember nothing but misery and vicissitude, whereas fleeting moments of pure joy seem elusive. So I'm glad I've written all this self-indulgent crap because it's reminded me that some of it was quite fun. Since I'm a bit of an arsehole it seems fitting to end with something instructive, so I guess I have only one rule and that is "No riding like a dick."

That's going to kill the thread, isn't it.

Obviously, you wrote something pertinent and thoughtful. There is no place for that kind of talk on lfgss >>>

I will reply to this thread properly tomorrow, when I'm not three sheets to the wind on bubbly. Sorry to hear about the headache.

There is no place for that kind of talk on lfgss >>>

Then where is? the LFGSS is what got me into riding more, got me into doing centuries ride, discovering the simple joy of riding in the open road.

I wouldn't have done some riding with the people of the LFGSS, nor the Dunwich Dynamo, and most especially and importantly of all, the London to Cumbria ride with Dan.

None of it would've happened had the LFGSS not exist, so frankly, it is the right place for this kind of talk.

Will write down my 2011 riding, despite it being the worse year of my life, it also the best years with the ride.

For me the year can be summed up as:
Injured.
Riding= not enough.

Ed, my comment was tongue in cheek - clearly it is exactly the right place, unfortunately LFGSS ranks higher on Google for memes than it does for anything else. I just wish it had got more people into riding centuries.

Anyway, I'm going to bed.

Startes baseline, fuck all. Went further, went faster. Met people. Had fun. This is 2012.

summed it up nicely!

Ed, my comment was tongue in cheek - clearly it is exactly the right place, unfortunately LFGSS ranks higher on Google for memes than it does for anything else. I just wish it had got more people into riding centuries.

Anyway, I'm going to bed.

Ignore pete, he clearly has sand in his vagina :D

I now know for sure that what I don't want is competition, dick-swinging and all the ego massaging that seems to infiltrate this 'place' quite effortlessly at times, which I have always found somewhat surprising.

I can write longer posts than you, you know.