Your best cycling memories and moments.

I searched but couldn't find an appropriate thread...

turns around to see the mighty mergatron standing right there

As the title says, here's a place to share your favourite memories on your bike.

I have some great ones but I think my favourite was climbing Ditchling beacon on the last HHSB ride, it was so rainy and foggy it was almost like being in another world.

I'd never climbed or even seen this hill before, everyone hyped it up to be huge but I said I'd make it up first time so I kinda had to live up to that :/

It started off pretty easy, overtook a few people and then noticed I was climbing next tome Dom for a while then I looked back and saw him catch his pedal on what I think was a mound of mud by the side of the road.

I really wanted to see if he was ok but I wanted to get to the top more so I carried on, when I came to the top the wind hit me and my front wheel nearly flew out from under me, I then stopped with the group that were ahead of us freezing.

The most fun part wasn't making it up but just how magical it felt riding through the country roads in that weather.

Here's Theo took at some point up ditching.

Sorry for my shit writing skills lol

Look forward to hearing your memories

I don't have any photos but on the weekly Leicester ride 2012 and and a couple of the chaps where riding to Market Harborough, on the way back along the A6 (miles of straight road at that point) the sun was just over the road illuminating it.

Getting to the top of the Columbiere, shaking and able to see my pulse in my eyes.

"what I think was a mound of mud by the side of the road.

I really wanted to see if he was ok but I wanted to get to the top more"

You barstard. ;)

Also that photo by Theo is awesome

After two hours of riding on busy 2 lane carriageways in wind and hail, we turned onto the perfect surface of the canal pathways into Brugge. Just in time for the sun to come out.

This one, I suppose; the moment it clicked for Tynan, aided by a gentle slope, his feet making it over top-dead-centre for the first time, and off he went into the distance...

^ Awesome

This

After 230 miles in 29ish-hours, smashing across the tidal barriers in northern Holland in a decent sized peloton, was pretty fun

I think the link is private or something, shame :(

maybe it was not a bike ride

Good idea for a thread Indra!

I can think of many great experiences from cycling. Whether it's suffering on seemingly never-ending climbs, the adrenaline rush from surviving terrifying off-road descents, the freedom from cruising past stationary traffic on a daily commute, or seeing amazing places and meeting great people.

Whilst being far from the toughest or most exciting ride and certainly not an exotic location, my memory picks out three days spent cycling around the South Downs during September 2003.

Staying with a good friend who lived in the small town of Steyning, right on the doorstep of the South Downs, we had three days of perfect Summer weather. Probably the fittest I've ever been in my life, so even the climbing was strangely enjoyable.

Nothing to worry about and hardly anybody in sight - descending at silly speeds along bone dry chalk trails with the sight of the sea in the distance and knowing that you can get up and do it all again tomorrow. If I could only ever remember one bike ride, it would be this one.

doing a "battle of the BIOS" race from Bournemouth- Brighton head to head was pretty good with Bike It Ben my main man, we spoke on the phone live to each other from each town in school playground, before the hundred miler each way started, at just before half way I saw him on the drops, coming towards me, knew then he had me on the day- he made it to my Bourney school and did assembly before Id made it to Brighton, he had me, but we were paid for this fun.

I see the man on the bars lives on from the great tour!

Indra - I can't believe you didn't stop for Dom!

And you've outed Apollo as a Ditchling walkenger ;)

Nice thread though - will have a think...

At a stop to refill my water bottle at a fountain in Italy during a sportive, forever alone after taking a wrong turn and having to work my way back onto the route, I remounted and continued on my way up the climb into Guietta when I was suddenly swept up in a massive peloton climbing upwards at about 23kmh. I was not in the peloton for long but until they dropped me it was like a fantasy blur of lycra, shaved legs, sweat, and plastic that haunts me even now.

you've outed Apollo as a Ditchling walkenger

I do hope nobody photographs me when I fail to ride up Ditchling :-(

I do hope nobody photographs me when I fail to ride up Ditchling :-(

Who cares,
the picture is lovely.

My best cycling memory includes far less elegant walking.
Failed to find a student job one summer,
sold all my vinyls to finance a trip to Italy.
Never having toured before I left home saying:
" if I don't make it over the Alps I'll be back in 4 days"
Making it over the Mont Cenis pass, involved 3 bouts of very unlegant walking.
Italy was mine for the following month.
On the way back I took revenge and breezed up all the pass I could find from the sea to Chamonix.

Wales is a pretty enjoyable experience, getting away from it all,

(Araf!)