your favourite personal cycling moment of 2007?

vermooten

For me:

Near misses:
* missed getting Gold in the Marmotte by 17 muh'fuh' minutes
* missed getting 1st class in the Fred Whitton by an even more muh'fuh' 34 seconds

3rd place: completing 191.8 miles in a single day on The Elenith ride in April. It took 14 hours but still: 191.8 miles.
2nd place: doing the Tour of Flanders sportive, my first sportive in Europe and I loved it sooooo much.
1st place: seeing three women in Wella-sponsored cycling gear all going "woooo!" as they rode over a cattle grid on day 1 of the Tour of Wessex.

That last image will stay with me forever.

And you?

hugo15

It has to be completing the White Rose Classic. It took me over 11 hours and I finished 6th from last, but I got round. It was further than I had ever cycled before and the climbs were a killer. What a great day.

plusgourmande

this thread.

wildmoustache

stopping halfway up the passo rolle in the GFCampagnolo to refill a bottle in the village of Bellamontes ... in the exact same spot where in the 2006 edition i was a broken man starting to cramp in the heat. this time, lighter, more powerful and more experienced, I chose to stop to pay respect to the moutain and then got back on the bike and continued to enjoy the climb.

second is descending the peyresourde in the etape with louedenville-le-louron a mile below in the left. a straight superfast descent that feels like your in a plane coming into land ... 2007 etape was one awesome test of a ride.

redddraggon

My personal moment was just getting a bike, my parents were quite anti-bike, so I hadn't had a bike since I was 12 all the way to 20.

Now I've got one, got another a few weeks ago (thought that's gone back to the shop now), and now planning another bike far more expensive than I would have ever considered.

Ken Night

Nice thread for the time of year

I reserve the right to edit my post as I think about it later in the week

Choosing to do the Fred in the Lakes, and riding in reasonable weather, while I should really have been at home riding the Dartmoor Classic. Actually, getting round the Fred without walking- Probably the best day I've had on a bike

The White Rose Classic-I LOVE riding in the Dales and I was probably at the fittest I was all year-dropping the pack I was riding with the last few miles to the finish-and knowing I could have done even better if I hadn't ridden down from Malham on my own. The season went downhill a bit from there

Dinner for 6 at a restaurant after the Marmotte, in a tiny valley, 3 Brits present and only French spoken-steaks all round

Riding the Alpe in 59mins in the Prix de Grand Rousses

Some solo rides, particularly in the Dales (the descent from Greenhow to Blubberhouses, or riding over the Moor to Lofthouse) and on Exmoor-the descent of Kinsford Hill, the ride directly over from Exford to the A39

...yes wildmoustache...the descent of the Peyresourde was great-so was that of the Mente-slightly more technical, but still able to straightline many corners

shockedsoshocked

Finishing the Ryedale Rumble in Gold Standard time, even if I was only 5 minutes inside

Completing my first TT. 20 miles in 53.44 (on a bog standard racer aswell).

Roll on next year.

Burton

Completing the London Cyclosportive, 1st time over 70 miles in one ride. Awesome feeling at the end despite the rubbish weather at the start.

iainf72

Erm, there was my 1 ride on the road this year. 20 minutes worth in about June I think. My Ti. bike I bought in 06 hasn't been ridden 10 times yet.

I keep meaning to start again but I've got a psychological problem with riding on roads now I think. Oh well.

:oops:

Toks

Viewing wise it would have to be the TDF Prologue and the Smithfield Nocturne. But as a competititor it was definitley the TOBM. See why in the lastpost

peanut

it would have to be the first time I got back on a bike and rode 3.5 miles around my village after breaking my back 3 years ago. That feeling of freedom is something I cannot describe.
well done everybody for your achievements

vermooten

iainf72 wrote:

I keep meaning to start again but I've got a psychological problem with riding on roads now I think. Oh well.

Vott's zee cause of zees problem?

iainf72

vermooten wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

I keep meaning to start again but I've got a psychological problem with riding on roads now I think. Oh well.

Vott's zee cause of zees problem?

Fell in traffic in May last year. Fractures, dislocations and 2 lots of surgery kept me off bike for ages and with every passing day the thought of it became more and more terrifying.

10kg's heavier as well now.

SteveR_100Milers

Finishing the Welsh 100, the fact I was 20 minutes faster than I had hoped was the proverbial icing on the cake. Reasonably pleased with a sub 7-30 for the 200k Dragon, given a it was the first full year of riding a bike let alone racing.

Iain - why don't you try the track (inodoors obviously)? It's easier to get started than you might think (though once you start you'll realise its bloody hard!)

spasypaddy

1. getting my first roadie
2. getting back on to my first roadie 3 months after having an operation due to a car pulling out on me 2 weeks after i bought the bike and my knee needing operating on as a result!

Brian B

Missed a gold placing in the Fred by 10 minutes and I know I faffed about at the side of the road for longer than that. Great day out though.

Mark Alexander

watching: cheering on Bradley.W and co next to the Serpentine on a sunny summer day in London.

My 3 PB's for 10's cumulating in a 25.05, or my 1.03 for a 25 both exceding my expectations and instantly wanting more, or less, whichever way you see it!

Shavedlegs

Coming 4th at Hillingdon on Saturday. I rode solo for the last 5 laps and stayed clear of the chasing bunch.
3 ridesr had broken clear earlier, but it still felt like a win.

pneumatic

Currently:

4th - taking six children to watch the Tour in Provence and seeing how much they loved it.

3rd - finishing the Edinburgh to St Andrews in diabolical weather with a final 8 mile dash along my daily commute to take 12th place.

2nd - the Etape Caledonia, every mile of it on closed roads.

1st - reaching the top of the Ventoux with nothing left in the tank.

Coming up at the back of the sprint: (if I can do 300miles in the next 28 days), reaching 10000 recorded miles since taking up cycling again.

beckenham

1. taking up cycling
2. Doing the L2B
3. First ride on my brand new Cayo Expert
4. Riding through the muddy woods on an old MTb with my youngest, both got covered in mud and had great fun

clanton

Either cresting the Peyesourde or actually crossing the finish line of this years Etape - only my third every sportive and without doubt the hardest thing I've ever done and simultaneously the greatest.

popette

1. Taking up cycling again after my last bike was stolen at uni, 15 years ago (was it that long ago??)
2. Riding my first century. I remember around the 80 mile mark, still doing 18-20mph, feeling really strong, passing slower cyclists, knowing that I'd never cycled this far before and knowing that I was going to get to the end, still feeling strong.
2. a Explaining to people that, yes, I did cycle 100 miles IN ONE GO!
3. Husband clinging onto my rear wheel for dear life in afore mentioned century.
4. Cycling with my husband is always great.
5. Taking my son cycling in our local national trust park - he's 9 and has learned to ride a bike this summer after years of trying.

oldwelshman

1) Taking up cycling last november after 23 years off !!
2) Doing London to Paris and raising £2200 for BLISS charity.
3) Doing 6:33 for gran Fondo Pinarello 200 k ride.
4) Getting 3rd cat after 3 races ( Then did not race much after )
5) Getting 2nd fastest time in Tour of Cotswolds with Jim.
6) Completing the Dartmoor and Cymru Gran Fondo on a day of ridiculously wet and windy weather for both of them.
7) Winning a few track races.
8) Watching Steve suffer in CGF after drinking 7 pints of guiness the night before.
9) Drinking the de greaser after completing the Super Dragon in 6:33.

alanmcn1

1) doing my first ever cycling holiday in France, In Provence in July, with my girlfriend.........fantatstic

2) During aforementioned holiday, tackling my first ever mountain on a road bike. Struggled up mont ventoux on my own for 2 hours 25 minutes, feeling worse than i ever have, and then catching up a dutch husband and wife with around 500metres to go. The exhiliration of hitting the summit with them had me blubbering like a baby! Incredible!!!!!!!! Next year it's hautacam and alpe in a holiday of a lifetime

CHRISNOIR

I don't 'train' or race but one day in July stands out. The sun was shining, it was a hot morning (a rarity in our otherwise rain drenched summer), there was no wind and the whole situation was fantastic. I'd lost weight, gained stamina and the miles just fell away effortlessly. Hills went by unnoticed and I just kept thinking "Hell, this feels like living!"

It was everything I'd hoped for when I bought my bike in February.

Of course the next week it p*ssed it down and I died on my a*se going uphill... Oh well.

homercles

First and foremost, just rediscovering my love on being on the bike all the time. I have the TdF prologue to thank.

Second, crossing the 1,000th commuting mile mark in under 4 months.

Third, the added bonus that all of this renewed enthusiasm has resulted in me dropping 34 pounds (almost 2.5 stone) since July.

Oh, and ordering the new bike last week

DavidBelcher

3 outstanding high spots of 2007, in no particular order;

1) Watching the TdF finish in Canterbury.
2) Acquiring my first (albeit 2nd-hand) carbon road bike - a bright yellow Look KG241 which I'm still chuffed to bits with.
3) Re-joining my old club after 4-5 years' absence and getting a few TTs and 'cross races under my belt. No world-shattering performances so far, but huge fun all the same!

David

nick hanson

Viewing,that would be the TDF prologue.
Riding,that would be getting back out on the bike (been busy with work commitments) & doing my 75 mile circuit taking in Wetherby,Knaresborough,Summerbridge,Dacre banks,Darley head & finally having the bottle,after all these years,to go down Norwood edge (Oh,that right hander!) at a decent speed.

mazza

riding from sky bridge to orkney isles via the western ross keeping close to the coast climbing many mountain passes on my new thorn raven and camping in some wonderfull places and i have now passed 2000 miles since i picked it up 30 july

Ken Night

nick hanson wrote:

.
Riding,that would be getting back out on the bike (been busy with work commitments) & doing my 75 mile circuit taking in Wetherby,Knaresborough,Summerbridge,Dacre banks,Darley head & .

......can you put this on bikely?

Have you ridden from Greenhow down to Blubberhouses- grin inducing stuff, and so to Otley

SteveR_100Milers

oldwelshman wrote:

1) Taking up cycling last november after 23 years off !!
2) Doing London to Paris and raising £2200 for BLISS charity.
3) Doing 6:33 for gran Fondo Pinarello 200 k ride.
4) Getting 3rd cat after 3 races ( Then did not race much after )
5) Getting 2nd fastest time in Tour of Cotswolds with Jim.
6) Completing the Dartmoor and Cymru Gran Fondo on a day of ridiculously wet and windy weather for both of them.
7) Winning a few track races.
8) Watching Steve suffer in CGF after drinking 7 pints of guiness the night before.
9) Drinking the de greaser after completing the Super Dragon in 6:33.

It was 8 actually