What is your cycling perfect moment?

macondo01

I have read too much about gear recently!

I'd be interested to read what are peoples' cycling perfect moments?

CiB

There's an S bend on one of my routes where the road runs parallel to a single track disused railway line, then swings 90 left underneath it and immediately 90 right the other side to carry on running parallel. The sweep left into right at higher & higher speeds is a a good challenge, esp if my tribars are in place and in use. It raises a smile when I get it right. Never got it wrong enough to cause damage yet..

mrchrispy

country lanes, sunny day, sat in the middle of a group, no chatting, just the sound of bikes.

xRichx

Hitting the top of a bugger of a hill that's mentally beaten you before!

fungus_the_muffin_man

That rush of joy when you have a fast descent or get to the top of that lung bursting hill. You feel that surge of accomplishment. You get that huge smile on your face no matter what the weather and you think to yourself "God I love cycling for these moments".

keef66

Hammering into a headwind for 2 hours at 10mph then turning round for the wind-assisted effortless 25mph return trip. That's the closest I'll ever get to feeling what it's like to be a pro.

mrchrispy

Oooo yeah, wind assisted fast riding.
nothing like blasting along at +25 with very little effort.

211dave112

getting somewhere and seeing loads of cars parked and feeling very smug that i've cycled there.

Wooliferkins

Around dawn, flat early light, a barn owl shadowing me on the far side of a hedge hunting what is flushed from cover.

nasahapley

Best moment so far has got to be thrashing the last few miles to Coniston on the Fred Whitton with a total stranger, on a high due to having conquered Hardknott and Wrynose not long before, and then being greeted by a fair sized crowd at the end. The previous year I had been feeling like death at that point so I really did feel pretty pleased with myself!

Other than that just cycling on quiet roads in the Lakes; everyone should take a trundle along the Buttermere valley road at some point IMO.

geoff_ss

My most memorable cycling experience was riding up an unsurfaced track from Spain to Andora. We camped wild halfway up. The border was marked by a hand painted sign on a rock. Absolutely stunning. So several moments I guess.

One moment was reaching the summit of the Aubisque a couple of years ago. After a debilitating accident I'd had years before I didn't think I'd ever manage a decent climb again. I confess I had some difficulty reading the summit sign-post because something got in my eyes.

Geoff

markos1963

Completing my first century this year at the Suffolk Sunrise 100 having ridden the last 65 miles solo( thanks for keeping me company on the first 35 Gavin). Weather was nice and the route picturesque, feeling of elation as I crossed the line was like nothing else.

macondo01

Yes yes yes!! This is what it is all about. Please keep them coming

teagar

My best moment so far was the last 1km of the Aubisque.

Was my first proper tour de france climb, really suffered. Whole climb was covered in cloud - could barely see your front wheel through the fog.

Then with 1km to go, the road climbed out of the clould into brilliant sunshine with a stunning view of the peaks poking out of the clouds.

gregster10217

Finishing my first ever sportive in Sept this year. 80km. I'll be back next year to better this years time.
Other than that, as has been previously said, just gettin out there and enoying the countryside and putting in the miles.

plonk

I live on a small island off the coast of Essex, and the road onto the island gets covered by the tide every so often causing big traffic jams. My perfect moment was one such day, cruisng past about 3 miles of backed up traffic, then whipping off my SPDs, sticking my bike on my shoulder and wading home, whistling a merry tune. I was perfectly aware about how smug i looked and it didnt bother me one bit.

davelakers

On the 100 mile last day leg of L2P last year, flying along a near deserted French road with beautifully smooth tarmac in the glorious sunshine, with a nice tailwind touching 30mph with no effort. Heaven.

simpoman

OMG theres loads...
hammering down a flowing, traffic free road at 35-40+,
Getting home after a cycle where I have pushed it as hard as I can without dying!,
Out of the saddle, sprinting as fast as I am able (I'm actually not that able!) through traffic

t

simpoman

...and I forgot....
Just sitting on my Madone 5.2.....or is that too focussed on gear?

macondo01

These are brilliant - they'd make a book

Monty Dog

Everytime I ride the Forest of Arenberg or the Oude Kwaremont - knowing that so many great riders have shared the same piece of road. Does more for me than the umpteen mountain climbs.

Riding down a country lane early one morning and sharing the road under the cover of trees with a sparrowhawk by my front wheel or flushing barn owls at dawn whilst on the South Downs Way.

APIII

plonk wrote:

I live on a small island off the coast of Essex, and the road onto the island gets covered by the tide every so often causing big traffic jams. My perfect moment was one such day, cruisng past about 3 miles of backed up traffic, then whipping off my SPDs, sticking my bike on my shoulder and wading home, whistling a merry tune. I was perfectly aware about how smug i looked and it didnt bother me one bit.

Mersey?

A couple of rides stick out in my memory:
First ever big climb in France, at the end of a holiday, I tackled Ventoux in the July heat. I had to pull over about 2k into it as I was starting to feel really sick (I don't do too well in the heat and it was in the 90's). Anyway, I perservered due in part to some banter from a passing cyclist, and some time later I rounded that famous last bend and crossed the line. I felt quite emotional at the time, having never climbed anything higher than Box Hill previously. Even better was the 20 minute descent on billiard table smooth tarmac, taking the racing line, hurtling down faster than I'd ever managed before. Great stuff.
Like some of the others, I have vivid memories of the Aubisque. The first time I climbed it was on a beautiful sunny September's day. Most of the tourists had left, so my pal and I had it virtually to ourselves. There was very little conversation on the way up, just mutual appreciation of the stunning scenery, laughing as we got near the top because it just seemed so perfect. Once over the summit, the link road up to the Soulor is one of the most stunning roads I have ever ridden, the views are just amazing.

a_n_t

Winning our clubs handicap championship this year at the last event. Jeez it hurt!

kayakerchris

Doing the C2C with my son 4 weeks ago. First time I had done over 60 miles and did it for 2 days. Came down the path into Sunderland and as we dropped onto the riverside the sun came out and there was the most glorious double rainbow. The feeling at that moment of having done something I never thought myself capable of.

velocitizen

The descent from Crich to Lea Bridge and Cromford every time I ride there, and any silent, sunrise 'road to myself' moments.

sicknote

Riding a round France and Belgium a round are battle honers when I was in the TA and going down the biggest hill I have ever gone down on the ride to Dover ( just wish I knew which one ) plus the squeeky bum moment when I noticed the round a bout at the bottom but did not need to slow down and the feeling of just going for it ( one of the Land rovers with us block it and pointed the way )

bianchi777

For me, it's a hot day on flat terrain cruising at around 22mph...no struggling, just efficiency...

Or riding on Manchester Velodrome, being the fastest guy on there because I'm 20 years younger than pretty much everyone else...right on the top of the banking, heart racing and teasing my Dad who is down right at the bottom of the turn scared to death. I've never felt more alive in my life.

Garrigou

Spinning a brand new wheel in 2006 after 15 years away from riding and thinking they had perfected perpetual motion machines while I'd not been looking.

Glancing over my shoulder to find I had actually 'made the break' (only in the fast final 10km of a club ride; not in a race ) when the bunch was travelling at 42kph+. Then staying away.

Cresting the Tourmalet after a huge sustained effort and (for me) big sprint finish to set a PB on that climb.

Most Columbia lead-outs for Cav in the last two years' Tours & Giros.

Riding a Pyrenean Tour de France climb before the pros on race day, alongside my wife who was wearing a Euskatel shirt. The Basque fans just absolutely loved it and were fantastic fun.

Seeing the look on my neighbour's 9-year old's face when he got his first 'racer' for his birthday a few weeks back.

GB Men's Team Pursuit Gold medal-winning performance in Beijing

Being the first kid on our estate to ride 100 laps of the estate when I was 12. The 'record' still stands, I believe!

Summiting Alpe d'Huez to find my 'last hairpin' photo already in the photographer's shop window. OK; nowadays the technology behind that is a doddle, but when I rode it, that seemed 'like magic' and was so cool.

Crumbs.......you seem to have started me off! Better go and ride.

nax-ian

Posting the fastest time ( by 40 seconds) in a team triathlon, back in October , even though our/my team only came 4th overall.
I was stoked.

Cumulonimbus

For me its those moments where you suddenly seem to have jumped up a level. Where on a training circuit you find yourself suddenly able to maintain 1mph faster than you could before, where you are now able to sit down on the climb that had you both out of the saddle and weaving slightly before, where you feel fresh on the third hill of the day whereas before you found it difficult to recover after the first. Normally these moments are spoiled though, by some other cyclist passing you about 5 mph faster

Topping the Tourmalet was one of the biggies for me. Another was descending the Soulor to the north. Managed to tag onto some keener cyclist's wheels and follow them down the mountain - never realised you could push a bike that far over!

Anonymous

1st time I rode the bike on the road, 6 weeks after royally smashing my leg.
Was really sunny and I had been immobilised for ages and getting really down. Just rode up to my mum's in the neighbouring village for a coffee. The look of surprise on her face when she saw me was grand!

Yesterday was pretty damn good too! Went to Coed y Brenin for some MTB action. Weather was absolutely awful. On the first couple of climbs I just kept saying to my mate to keep it steady as there was a lot of climbing. There were a number of people overtaking us on the first big climb.
Caught them up and overtook them on the descent, then took it steady on the next big climb again. The same lads overtook us, they were blowing hard.
Overtook them again on the technical sections.
They overtook again on the last climb but blew up. They looked dejected and just stared up at us from their heads hanging low, arms draped over the handle bars as my mate and I cruised past chatting away, giving them a cheery 'alright' having paced ourselves nicely... They couldn't respond due to the panting.
Epic ride that and very very wet, cold and exhilarating.