best ride of the year?

[gbnz]

Anyone else had their best ride of the year! Yesterday, having decided that 3-4 days cycling through the Dales, then the Lakes, then back home via Hadrians Wall probably wasn't very sensible (Superb weather forccast, Pandemic over, Vast Crowds could be expected, 29 fold increase in Covid rates through some of the areas I'd be passing through), opted to cycle a bit of the county I've never bothered with.

107 miles, 3 No. historic castles, 3 historic renowned bridges, unexpected avenues of superb trees a relict of the area having been colonized by Victorian millionaires before emptying, unexpectedly came across a unique church and then a public water fountain in the middle of the country. Superb roads with the up/down nature which had always put me off heading North beyond 20 plus miles, changing after 20 miles into a flat/sculpted glacial plain. And utterly empty roads, motorists who quite literally pulled to the other side of the road (Nb. Even on my last 17 mile diversion onto a "major" A Road (2 HGV's in 17 miles, a 4/4, several cars).

And...... access to superb discount stores for lunch, by chance access to a superb, sculpted, shaded bench overlooking the Tweed from a cared for Park, for lunch, quite incredibly, an incredibly clean, public toilet appeared, in a tiny village just when required. they even had good quality loo paper , running water, a hand drier and somewhere to lock a bike up . When did we stop having public toiletgs in the UK? It felt like cycling in France, or back down in New Zealand

[gaz]

I've had some good rides this year, for all I know the best is yet to come.

[eileithyia]

My best was probably the one I did just a couple of days before cartwheeling down the stairs.... my 100 km ride for my grand fondo series i was clocking up each month, sadly now have to rebuild up to that again.

That said now on a caravan site just outside Winchester and we have clocked up 25miles along the Itchen valley to Alresford and back to Winchester, ticking off 2 BCQ points in the process.

[Darkman]

Pandemic over

Sounds like a decent ride but I'm pretty sure the above is far from true.

[gbnz]

Pandemic over

Sounds like a decent ride but I'm pretty sure the above is far from true.

+ 1. Realized today on catching the bus, that that the school holidays have started. A double decker bus ride, normally 1-2 people at most, packed with teenagers. As was the town. Never been in a panic about covid, but being surrounded by tourists and teenagers was definately uncomfortable

[Hellhound]

Every ride supersedes the last as my 'best' ride

[Marcus Aurelius]

This was my favourite ride so far this year, up to Goodwood motor circuit and back, in some very pleasant conditions, on Saturday.

[Hellhound]

Lovely bike

[Paradiddle]

So far it has been my London to Brighton ride. My first gran fondo and inter-city cycle.

Also done a couple of solo early morning rides in East London. Cool weather, very little traffic and great alone time. Planning to make the most out of the summer and do more early morning rides in the next month or two. I should be getting a new bike in the next week or two so a long test ride to Epping is in the calendar.

[Golflad]

Our best ride thus far in 2021. 2 weeks ago from C&CC site at Sandringham. A route that took us on some lovely rural lanes and to 2 fantastic cafes at Great Massingham and Bircham Windmill. Met a group of four local cyclists out for a ride at the Great Massingham cafe (think it's called The Cart Shed) and got chatting. They asked where we were from and what rides did we expect to do. One of them had a Goldeneye Map of Norfolk and showed us a few good routes..
Our coffee and cake arrived and we finished our eats before them; as we got up to go, the gent with the map stood up and gave me the map. I protested but he insisted and we left the cafe feeling very humbled and warm all over!!
This gesture made that particular ride the best so far and I don't think it will be beaten. It also says how very strong the bond is between cyclists on the road.