What is your cycling perfect moment?

de_sisti

Finishing a difficult 200km audax . With 50 km to go you're hungry, tired and can only
think about aching muscles and the craving of food.

0scar

Macondo01 wrote:

I have read too much about gear recently!

+1 for the rationale behind this thread!

I mainly commute on my bike so my perfect moments generally involve high speed overtakes. But my best moment for a while was at 7:30pm on Saturday night a few weeks back. I was on my way back from work (bar) and got to Tower Bridge. The traffic was at a long standstill and nothing coming in the other direction. I rode up to the front of traffic and it was held up at the gates; a ship had just gone through and the stewards were doing the final check before resuming traffic. I spent a few silent minutes with some other cyclists, breath in the air, looking at the lights on the HMS Belfast and Millennium Bridge behind it. The gate opened and I slipped through it and sped north down Tower Bridge Approach in 53/12, red construction beacons on my left, stationary traffic on the my right, the road spread out in front. I got to the lights a good 20 seconds before the nearest car, looped around to Aldgate and on with the commute. Glorious.

macondo01

Rather lovely moment two weeks ago. Cycling home in the dark I stopped on a path to listen to an owl hooting. A few moments later a young woman pulled up on her bike to ask if I was OK. I was explaining I'd heard an owl hooting when it just hooted again in a tree above our heads. We spent a good ten minutes under the cover of darkness silently listening to the owl before we smiled an easy goodbye and we cycled off.

MARKIE METAL HIP

My first 40 miler last year, reaching a small village called tritlington which is famed for a reet steep hill and looking over about 30 mile of north east coastline, lovely, mind you its bloody awful up close, fly tipping , johnnies etc etc

sward29

making a romance explosion inside Liz Hatch

shockedsoshocked

One of those days when everything goes right. Sun's shining, no wind, nice and warm, and every gear selection and press on the pedals feels perfect. Then when you hit the hills you find your perfect rhythm immediately and cruise up it, and in your mind you're thinking "I look cool as fuck right now"

Ben6899

Perfect cycling moment usually arrives on a week day.

I stop the bike, take in the fresh air and admire the scenery. It's 11am on a Friday and most people are at work yet here I am with only a few lbs of carbon fibre and rubber separating me from nature.

Get in!

Garry H

First time I didn't get dropped on the club fast group ride. Felt like I'd won the Tour

edhornby

the roll out from my house on the way to visit my mum and dad about 30 miles away, just knowing that you're gonna be out on your bike for a while

iain_j

edhornby wrote:

the roll out from my house on the way to visit my mum and dad about 30 miles away, just knowing that you're gonna be out on your bike for a while

Oh yeah, love that feeling when pulling the front door shut behind you 8)

Did a couple of long rides (90+ miles) back in December from the front doorstep, spent the whole day riding away then got the train home. Great feeling of "going somewhere" rather than just in a circle back to where I started - in my case, out to Sheffield one day then Kendal a few days later. And however many hours later when you think back to how earlier that morning you were just riding on the local roads you ride on pretty much every day.

macondo01

My daughter, aged 5, learnt to cycle on Sunday!! From Bambi legged wobbler to 'I love my bike Daddy!' There was no stopping her once she found the knack. The whole family can cycle now. Hurrah!! So lovely to see the confidence it has brought her.

cougie

Overtaking an open top 'magnum' style ferrari on a descent on my first custom built bike. That was sweeeeet.

macondo01

Anyone?

AndyF16

Sooooo many to chose from, it was quite funny today to be heading away from civilisation into the countryside in a worsening sleet shower and seeing the bemused/bewildered/smug looks on motorists' faces coming the opposite direction

OK so I only did 15 miles as I only had a short window, and just missed the real snow shower, but they weren't to know that

Monty Dog

This year's best moment has to be L'eroica - started later than most and so by the time I reached the turn for the longer course, I was mainly riding on my own - riding the Strada Bianchi solo looking across to olive groves, vinyards and rolling Tuscan hills was stunning, as basking lizards scuttled across the road. The descent down from Montelcino was fantastic - carving the turns and not knowing whether 25-year old brakes were up to the task! Letting it 'go' on the downhill dirt-road sections. Finally arriving in Gaiole for a fantastic welcome - a truly epic day out.

Anonymous

Getting the best time for the 60 mile distance on the Romney Marsh Sportive in September. Perfect sunny day, all on my own winding throught flat fast roads for 3 hours and when I got back in, the organiser asked if I was a late starter for the event, I said I'd just finished, the look on his was was brilliant.

rc856

Like a lot of others, it has to riding the Tour climbs.
As much as I enjoy the sport, I've never managed to become a regular cyclist so heading to the alps in June with only about 500 miles in our legs was a bit daunting.
Doing L'Alpe d'Huez was like cycling mecca for me. More so without stopping.
In the first couple of days we only got half way up the Glandon but days later it was non stop to the Croix de Fer. Then we had a beautiful day up the Telegraphe where I had great legs.
Obviously the descents of the same climbs made the suffering all the more worthwhile
Doing Ventoux a couple of years ago was easily the hardest thing I've done on a bike so felt amazing getting to the top with my best cycling mate who I've known since nursery school

dombo6

First 40mph+ descent off Bwlch in the Dragon Ride as you approach the roundabout, turn left for the short route, right for the long one.
You're feeling good at this point, only 20-odd miles in, just climbed Bwlch from Treorchy clocktower, great downhill...and you hang a right....

dombo6

Riding into Paris on this year's L2P alongside Stephen Roche, cheering crowds lining the route, the Eiffel Tower peeking cheekily above the rooftops.

daveydave43

Surprising the club racers by winning the sprint on my first ride with them.
Getting all the corners perfect on a descent, one of the best being Church Knowle in the Purbecks.
Dropping everyone on a climb, and the view whilst waiting for them to catch up.
Cleaning the bikes so they look as-new: polished and spotless
Seeing a new wiggle or chain reaction box has been delivered.
That ride when it's raining, you're the only person on the road, and it feels good.

bilirubin

Riding behind a fit bird up the Ditchling Beacon the other year in the London - Brighton, her cycling shorts were so tight I could make out the pattern on her thong

I reckon I could make it up Alpe d'Huez on a fixed wheel butchers bike if she was in front of me. :P

pbamf

In mid July after climbing Saintbury Hill Broadway early morning, stopping at the top of Snowshill by the Lavender fields in full bloom looking out over the cotswolds

geebee2

Riding South along the coast road back towards Andratx in Majorca last summer.

The huge cliff on the right makes you feel you are almost flying at times.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Majorca,+Balearic+Isles,+Balearic+Islands&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=17.130747,46.538086&ie=UTF8&geocode=FZ-zXQIdYwsuAA&split=0&hq=&hnear=Majorca&ll=39.63539,2.435467&spn=0.010873,0.022724&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=39.635395,2.435087&panoid=-j-2nQxgxYZbnuhxxncE4g&cbp=12,255.35,,0,-4.6

mattward1979

bilirubin wrote:

Riding behind a fit bird up the Ditchling Beacon the other year in the London - Brighton, her cycling shorts were so tight I could make out the pattern on her thong

I reckon I could make it up Alpe d'Huez on a fixed wheel butchers bike if she was in front of me. :P

We must have been behind the same chick!!

My average MPH was strangely similar to this lycra clad beauty for at least 6-7 miles!
I was just catching my breath... honest!! =P

back on topic: For me, dropping 45 mins off of the L2B (road bike woo!) or cycling 20 miles a day for several weeks to try and save money on travel fees to Uni.

StanwaySteve62

Attacking the last 'slope' just before my house that used to slow me down only to see 32mph on my GPS
This was only about four weeks ago and I'm still a big and old lad but do seem to have some sprint strength

PS The slope was 'up' if you were looking to be smart

AndyF16

StanwaySteve62 wrote:

Attacking the last 'slope' just before my house that used to slow me down only to see 32mph on my GPS
This was only about four weeks ago and I'm still a big and old lad but do seem to have some sprint strength

PS The slope was 'up' if you were looking to be smart

You knock out 32mph on an up slope?! I consider that decent going DOWN a slope, I've some way to go yet obviously :oops:

StanwaySteve62

it was only a few hundred yards of up and just decided to have a burst.
I am 16+stone so pretty strong
I did a wattbike challenge in the summer and got on the leader board at the sky ride london thing, check me out

StanwaySteve62

Wish I got all the names on the celeb leader board in the frame,
Chris Hoy was the 9.87 you can just see and Jamie Staff was the 8.96.
Not too shabby for a guy to old to be a MAMIL
I am the daddy

mike ives

Standing at the top of the Passo della Foppa (Mortirolo) after riding up it on a hot day in July in 2009. My first really big climb and my most notable achievement on a bike to date.

motdoc

The tarmac melted.
Port du Bales, sans categorie. The top!
And the end.
Top road ride, why is pain good?

Dartmoor classic, it rained so hard they stopped people hiking on dartmoor, the roads were like rivers.

LeJOG *2 Awesome.

Trans Provence all mountian bike race, finished, came last (47/56) I live!
Bend, Oregon.
Moab...slickrock and white rim.
Whistler.

Basically all awesome.
And riding at night on exmoor (my local) with the moon out. Spiritual.