What was your best ride lately?

[Hilltopwalters]

Today, for me, has been a day of days. An absolutely perfect day of riding with no hiccups, or inconsistencies - replete with drivers who were both patient and generous with their space on the road. The sun was shining for the whole day, the wind was relatively quiet, pedestrians and locals few and courteous and understanding. Hit good numbers, feel fit with room to grow.

This has got me wondering, when was your last best ride recently?

[KJMUNC]

That’s great to read!

Mine was also today. Was visiting LA for the weekend and took a bike so I could ride the infamous “holiday ride”. Have been riding more consistently as of late and felt like I could hang. Over 100 riders were in the group by the time we hit Santa Monica. I rode near the front until things got really spicy on Mandeville, but I rode my own climb, got a ton of PRs, got to hang with some great people and overall had an absolute blast. So much better than riding solo!

[Hilltopwalters]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

That’s great to read!

Mine was also today. Was visiting LA for the weekend and took a bike so I could ride the infamous “holiday ride”. Have been riding more consistently as of late and felt like I could hang. Over 100 riders were in the group by the time we hit Santa Monica. I rode near the front until things got really spicy on Mandeville, but I rode my own climb, got a ton of PRs, got to hang with some great people and overall had an absolute blast. So much better than riding solo!

I love that. Great work. I had a day of days. 115 miles and 4.5k of climbing, boss gave me tomorrow off, free BBQ with the purchase of a beer at my favorite bar, unexpected hangs with my good friend, now watching Seven Samurai.

A day of days.

[mass_biker]

Mem Day and back up in the Alleghenies - I discovered another way up and over the Front and back up a little road that veers off Wambaugh Hollow Road and climbs from New Baltimore to the top of the Eastern Continental Divide - a shaded 30 minute climb up through a little crease in the Front - almost no cars to speak of - several bridges crisscrossing the downhill flow of the Breastwork Run that heads eastwards/downhill from the ECD to merge into what eventually becomes the Juniata River. Then from the top of the ECD (Bald Knob Summit) a wonderful tailwind blowing me westward and home.

I’ve done a lot of riding of late - faster, hillier, more “epic”, KOMS and PRs etc., but this one I found myself taking a lot of mental “Polaroids” to savor and replay the moment at hand.

We are all very lucky!

M_B

[mstateglfr]

Well 2 days ago on Saturday I did an early 25mi ride to help a youth cycling group prep and launch for a 2 day campout.

And right after I got home, I rode 18mi with my 12yo, wife, and a couple neighbor boys who are 10 and 12. We went downtown to an Asian cultural festival to hit up some food vendors.

Yeah, that was a pretty awesome day.
No crazy distance, no epic new gravel route, just half road and half MUP. But fully great.

[Anthonys]

Did Turnbull canyon yesterday and the verdugos a few weeks ago. Those were awesome rides on my new to me breadwinner groad!

[Rabaja]

Lately? That was yesterday. SF Bay Area, Peninsula. Page Mill, West Alpine, 84, 1, Tunitas, Kings. Fog so dense that roads were dripping wet and visibility was down to 30 yards at times - on a 10+% descent … with rim brakes. 46 degrees. Not my kind of conditions. But it transported me back 25 years ago when some of my most memorable group rides occurred in conditions like these. It made me feel alive since I was able to do this ride despite an injury a few years ago that reduced the power in my right leg by 30+%. Slower, yes, but who cares. It was my best ride lately. The next one will be next weekend. I hope.

[mhespenheide]

Lately, a 4 or 5 hour gravel ride out on the Olympic Peninsula. On a Tuesday and I saw no one for hours except a group of four bikepackers headed up as I was headed back down. Some steep roads, but climbable in low gears. It felt really out there and was beautiful.

[meyatt]

I just came back from Scotland, a friend of mine bought a home there and invited some of us to come out and ride, we all did Bealach na Bà on Sunday and it was absolutely stunning — a terribly difficult climb but worth every inch of suffering at the top.

[metalheart]

A day ago. It has been a long winter and my fitness has suffered considerably. My early season rides have left me more tired than I feel I should be and riding has been a struggle rather than a satisfying expression of fitness. The ride a day ago started out odd. Turned on to the road from my house and two Sand Hill Cranes were on the side of the road. I expected them to fly as I approached, but they did not. One spread its wings in an aggressive posture and began to chase me. Fortunately I outran it with my best Peter Sagan impression.

For the first time this year riding felt just comfortable, not breathing too hard, not feeling a strain on the rollers, and my heart rate was where I wanted it to be. Then my front derailleur stopped working about 25 miles into the ride. I tried to trouble shoot it roadside, checking the Di connections and such. When I looked up after this inspection, I saw a medium size black bear and cub walking down the middle of the road about 50 years from me. The did not see me for some reason and kept approaching. Finally I called out and they ran into the woods.

Most interesting day on the bike in a while, and it was just satisfying to feel ok again riding.

[prototoast]

I haven't had a good ride in about 2 years. 2 years ago, I got a bad speed wobble, and even though I managed to hold it together, it really shook my confidence. Then, about 6 months later, I crashed on wet roads at fairly low speeds. It didn't seem like it should have been that bad at the time, but my knee is still a mess from it.

I still like riding, but now every ride has enough pain and anxiety, that it's not the same as it was before. I just keep at it. Hoping that someday I'll have a breakthrough and can have that real satisfying ride again.

[Turkle]

Having recovered from a catastrophic injury, back on the bike and kicking ass - having a whole new city and state to explore - having friends that are down for fun social rides that end at a winery or brewery - riding with the excellent cycling clubs here...

I'm so thankful for every ride these days, particularly as I very recently thought I might never be able to get back on the bike again.

I think my most fun ride recently was a couple weeks ago, when I left the house for my 9 mile warmup, cooked a fast 45 miles with the group ride, then rode an additional 20 "time trial" style to get to a brewery where I met some dear friends for beers and hamburgers. (The bike went in the car after that.) A beautiful 75-mile day that had it all.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/118174147

[Bob Ross]

At the risk of turning this post into a soapbox/rant: My best ride lately has to be one of the two group rides I've done since returning to NYC a week or so ago.

Say what you will about New Yorkers, but at least the road cyclists here -- or, more specifically, the road cyclists who have spent time riding with the New York Cycle Club -- know how to ride in a cooperative paceline such that everyone in the group is trying to make it a better experience for everyone else in the group.

...or at least they're not trying to make it a worse experience for everyone else in the group

...or at least they are semi-cognizant that their actions when cycling in close proximity to other cyclists just might have consequences

...which is something the roadies in my other home city have yet to figure out.

[jm714]

Last Friday I did a loop starting in Glendora to Hwy 39 where I came upon a construction crew that had the road shut down. After 10 minutes they let us through and then they shut it down again for a bit, this really helped reduce the traffic and I had some nice open roads. I continued up to Camp Williams and when I got to Glendora Ridge Road the gate was closed to motor vehicles, so the last 14 miles of my ride had zero cars. 34 miles, 3600 feet of climbing and a PR up and over GRR/GMR. I drove home thinking what a great ride that was in mild 60 degree temps.

[pinoymamba]

5/26 4:00PM 60 min of soft pedaling in unknown territory. Rain dumped on me 500m from where I was staying.