your best place/pic from 2011

[martin113]

Amazing photograph Herb and a great story. What is the bike in the photo?

[Richard Barrett]

Rolling along the beautiful new section of road on the east side of the Trotternish peninsula on Skye before it was officially opened.

[Reigncloud]

Two pics from the same tour - Krakow to Venice via Croatia and Austria. Rained a fair bit unfortunately, but these are two highlights:

Lake Bled in Slovenia (you can see my thermarest mattress I was dipping in the lake to look for the leak!). This photo is 'as taken' i.e no photoshopping or otherwise. Was taken on a cheap Canon point and shoot we bought in Krakow after forgetting our normal camera!

Italian Alps near Sella Nevea

[Audax67]

france to spain 072-1.JPG

...
As I neared the Pyrenees electical storms prevailed. I was scared nearly whitless by an overnight thunderstorm passing overhead while I lay in my tiny tent (like being in a battle zone !). The weather eased the following day ( with further storms promised ) so made my dash to climb over the Pyrenees . A straight climb of about 4,000 ft brought me to the ridge line (shown in the pic). The weather was glorious and I was estatic having climbed to this high altitude remote border crossing with all my gear. The down hill into Spain (to Ochagavia ) was very special with uninterupted views of unspoilt "green Spain" below me. I was "King of the Mountains" at that moment.

There's no better feeling. I'll have to put on a great-granny gear and get up there again.

[smith4188]

Not a great photo but the best year of my life so far. Gibraltar was 2011's sixteenth and final capital in six months' cycling. I've seen some great places, large and small, met some amazing people, eaten some strange food (including marmot and donkey milk) and still found time for the studying I needed to do. The cycling highlight was the descent into Andorra la Vella via the 2400 metre Envalira Pass in August, one full hour of toasty-warm, fast freewheeling surrounded by gorgeous views. It's the highest pass over the Pyrenees and I didn't see a single other cycle tourer on the way up or down. There weren't any other bikes on The Rock either. Not surprising really - it's a steep sod - but the legs were well-tested by then.

Eighteen more capitals in 2012, the final sixteen in 2013 and then I think I can confidentally say I've 'done' Europe - http://www.UniCycle50.com

[Audax67]

Looks as if phpBB and pBase don't see eye to eye - my pics aren't making it. This is my usual gang on the Route des Vins after a toddle along the ridge road of the Vosges in May:

The best view was probably this:

This is the view from the Col de l'Engin in the Vosges, taken on a 230k jaunt in September. That was a hard one - 70 km without a teashop.

[geocycle]

Here are two pics from my Europe tour this summer.

The bike in the Ardennes:

This is in Lorrainne.

[phil parker]

Glencoe from the Clachaigh...

[matt2matt2002]

I thought I knew Glencoe
Where's that bit?

[phil parker]

It's just a bit further on from Glencoe village before you start your ascent to Ranoch moor. An infamous pub, called the Clachaig Inn (I've spent many a happy evening there as a climber after winter routes). There's a minor road, the one you can see, go over a small bridge, just out of view, and then you will join the main road and start the ascent!

[familyonabike]

What a great thread.. so full of inspiration!

One of my favourites for 2011 is this day, approaching the High Tatras in the summer heat (yes they had summer in Slovakia).

We were so overheated we'd purchased dish cloths in Aldi (yes they have Aldi also)

There's nothing like a damp dishcloth to cool you down!

It was one cool day! Although I don't think we looked so cool.
http://www.familyadventureproject.org/2 ... icnic.html

Stuart

[jonnystv]

Still on tour and currently having a couple of days off in Addis Ababa. The landscapes in Ethiopia are spectacular but that can only mean one thing - lots of hills. Biggest challenge so far was climbing out of the Nile Gorge. 1200m down in half an hour, 1300m up the other side in seven hours. My favourite images attached:

[GraceJ]

For us, the best ride in 2011 was descending the Baralacha La pass in Northern India.

[Mattie]

Wow, amazing pics.

Can this be turned into an annual competition ? it would be a very prestigious award to win - CTC Cycle Touring Picture of the Year. Calendars, books, publicity - (please stop me if you think I am getting carried away )

Just a thought

[rollinbone]

Wow - great response.

all make me want to climb on my bike and go to all those places
will inspire me as I plan for 2012 during these long dark winter nights

more please - the photo dont have to be great, just the memories