Your cycling highlights for 2018

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

I did too much running and backpacking, but Eroica California was an early highlight, and then over the summer I did a big road trip. Rides near Bend, Coeur d'Alene, Pend Oreille, SW Montana, and Cedar Breaks UT were definite highlights.

Going to have to ride Balch Camp road next year, though! And maybe ask Mzillox if I can join him for a couple rides. And if I'm that far north, maybe head up to PDX and suffer like a dog on the back of Clean39T's wheel.

I enjoyed Yates in the Giro and Vuelta. And Lombardia and Strade Bianche.

Here is the Balch Camp loop. Bring extra water. And do it either in the fall or early spring or it will be too hot.... We got caught in 90 plus temperatures in early May.

https://www.strava.com/routes/13440573

[Vientomas]

3 milestones for me this summer. This is one of them:

This was a gravel ride I had been looking to do for a while. A local shop put together a group ride so I hopped on. It was really fun.

Started in Wallace, ID. For you Pierce Brosnan fans...Dante's Peak was filmed there.

General facts about Wallace: https://www.mikesroadtrip.com/random...wallace-idaho/

Ride route: https://outthereoutdoors.com/outdoor...ure-loop-ride/

Ride goes east from Wallace through Mullen, ID via the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes: http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc69204.php

Tnen from Wallace climbs the NorPac Trial climbing to Look Out Pass: https://www.traillink.com/trail-phot...-trail_109127/

From Look Out Pass leaving Idaho into Montana and descend to the Hiawatha Trail: http://www.ridethehiawatha.com/the-trail

This is a truly unique section...tunnels, trestles, great scenery.

Leaving the the Hiawatha Trail and following the Little St. Joe River to Moon Pass...a lovely climb, and back to Wallace: http://silvervalleystories.blogspot....allace-to.html 2nd to last photo caprtures the climb. You can see a bit of the road in the picture.

Rode a Felt VR4 1x with 35's and mechanical discs 140 front and rear. Perfect tool for the job...but for the long descent from Moon Pass into Wallace. Would have liked a 160 up front or perhaps hydro discs. No complaints though, a ride to remember.

Looking forward to a repeat next year!

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by Vientomas

3 milestones for me this summer. This is one of them:

This was a gravel ride I had been looking to do for a while. A local shop put together a group ride so I hopped on. It was really fun.

Started in Wallace, ID. For you Pierce Brosnan fans...Dante's Peak was filmed there.

General facts about Wallace: https://www.mikesroadtrip.com/random...wallace-idaho/

Ride route: https://outthereoutdoors.com/outdoor...ure-loop-ride/


Ride goes east from Wallace through Mullen, ID via the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes: http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc69204.php

Tnen from Wallace climbes the NorPac Trial climbing to Look Out Pass: https://www.traillink.com/trail-phot...-trail_109127/

From Look Out Pass leaving Idaho into Montana and descend to the Hiawatha Trail: http://www.ridethehiawatha.com/the-trail

This is a truely uinque section...tunnels, trestles, great scenery.

Leaving the the Hiawatha Trail and following the Little St. Joe River to Moon Pass...a lovely climb, and back to Wallace: http://silvervalleystories.blogspot....allace-to.html 2nd to last photo caprtures the climb. You can see a bit of the road in the pircture.

Rode a Felt VR4 1x with 35's and mechanical discs 140 front and rear. Perfect tool for the job...but for the long descent from Moon Pass into Wallace. Would have liked a 160 up front or perhaps hydro discs. No complaints though, a ride to remember.

Looking forward to a repeat next year!

Neat! We rode hiawatha as well, but downhill with wives and beer..bee u t ful.

[Hilltopperny]

Lows for me this year would be less available ride time and a subsequent gaining of 20lbs that I just haven't been able to shed this year. I am getting a bit older and it just isn't as easy as it used to be.

I had a couple of spills this year on the bike, but nothing more than some cuts and bruises. They were enough to keep me aware that I am not invincible.

Highs were plenty as my wife and I welcomed a new son and I was able to bring my daughter along for her first organized ride which she completed like a champ!

I've been able to put together a very admirable collection of top shelf bikes and was even able to ride a couple of them with a few forum pals.

I decided to go into business for myself as well this year and have been fortunate enough to finish two major projects and should have the third done by the end of the year.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Vientomas]

Originally Posted by Tickdoc

Neat! We rode hiawatha as well, but downhill with wives and beer..bee u t ful.

Nice pics! You captured the Hiawatha well. Shuttle back up?

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by Vientomas

Nice pics! You captured the Hiawatha well. Shuttle back up?

yes we rode it with a group of about a dozen and just had a blast. We were just about the last one's through as it was closing for the season.

[marciero]

Thanks all for sharing. Some great stuff here. Very inspiring.

Highs

Tandem tour SoCal in January. Could have been a low had we not gotten our flight moved forward at the last minute to get out just ahead of a storm that grounded the entire east coast for days.

Solo camping tour in the Carolinas, March. Again, flight moved forward one day to beat a storm that grounded flights.

Was fortunate to get in about a half dozen two to five-day credit card, camping, and destination-day ride trips; solo and tandem, in VT, Mass, NH, and NY (Catskills) with lots of gravel.

Low

Getting shot. Was riding the tandem on a bike path in town at about 10:00 pm. Heard the unmistakeable sound of an air rifle and felt the sting, but never saw the person. Only left a welt on my shoulder but was very unsettling to have this happen in a place we think of as safe. I was hit in the back on the shoulder blade so the shot passed inches from my girlfriend's face.

[SlowPokePete]

Originally Posted by marciero

Getting shot. Was riding the tandem on a bike path in town at about 10:00 pm. Heard the unmistakeable sound of an air rifle and felt the sting, but never saw the person. Only left a welt on my shoulder but was very unsettling to have this happen in a place we think of as safe. I was hit in the back on the shoulder blade so the shot passed inches from my girlfriend's face.

Yikes that's SCARY!

glad you are ok.....

SPP

[54ny77]

Rode alot, adjusted diet big time, lost a little over 40 lbs from the peak and while up just a tad, am holding steady being down 30-35 from lard ass.

Shedding bikes too...

[MrDangerPants]

I look forward to the Vermont 50 every year and it certainly was the highlight for 2018.

[onekgguy]

I got back into some longer distances on the road in a way that I haven't in years. I was out with some friends in early July on some beautiful, quiet, winding, hilly roads, and it hit me that I was really missing this sort of riding (Distracted drivers be damned!). One of the guys I was riding with asked if I was interested in joining the group he rides with on their annual dawn to dusk ride in early September. It had been 7 years since I'd done a double century but without hesitating, I committed to riding with his group.

I got busy over the next two months, building my base mileage with solo efforts of 150 to 175 miles at least once each week. On August 12th I went out on my own, retracing the route I'd taken 7 years earlier and completed a double century (214 miles, actually). I felt great and happy to have ridden myself back into shape for a distance I'd sort of figured I may never do again.

To cap off my riding season, I joined the Silver Cycling crew on an early September morning for the Dawn to Dusk 2018 ride. It's actually considerably more than dawn to dusk. I left home well before sun-up and arrived back in the dark. I had a blast!

So for me, the highlight of my riding season has been to rediscover this thing I've loved and has been a part of my identity for more than 4 decades but a love that had been somewhat fading in recent years, mostly due to concerns about distracted drivers.

Nice thread, WeisanPal!

Kevin g

Video from our Dawn to Dusk ride.

https://youtu.be/4xLJKa7nPy8

[rccardr]

Highs:
Losing 30 pounds in Q1. Have since floated back up a little bit, but intend to do it again in Q1 2019 & drop down into the 170's.
Palm Springs Tour in February on the 88 Cannondale ST, followed by two weeks or gorgeous riding weather there.
Eroica California on the Pelozzoli with a triple and fat tires. Nothing like riding with a bunch of old guys on old bikes wearing old jerseys to feed your soul. And the Bianchi I built and donated for the auction raised $3000 for Hospice SLO.
Thunder Ridge in Lynchburg, VA. My fifth time, and it just gets better each year. Paula Dahl puts on one of the best organized rides in the country.
Two weeks in the south of France with Mrs. Doc, visiting ancient mountain towns.
A long weekend riding in eastern Washington State and the Cour d'Alene Trail with a handful of vintage guys. Hot and dry.
Dairyland Dare in Dodgeville, WI. Toughest ride I'll do all year. It doesn't get easier, I just get faster.
New grandchild in September, and a thankfully easy delivery this time for our daughter.
Two weeks in Portugal with Mrs. Doc. Never did develop a taste for port wine, but the pastries are delicious!
Looking forward to the Highland Bike Fest in Sebring, FL in a few weeks. Never done it, but looks like fun, 164 miles in two days.
Good health all around. Happiness abounds.

Thankfully, no real lows. Yet.

[biker72]

Highs:
Lost 17 pounds..not on purpose. Did adjust my diet a little.
Bought a used Lynskey Ti R345. This bike rides like a dream.
Turned 80 this year. Doing something right.
Got mostly rid of some nagging leg problems.
Made 4 bike vacations in various cities outside Texas.
Still working at the bike shop. (Source of great employee discounts)

Lows:
I turned 80 this year.
Won't reach my 5000 mile goal...again. Will go past 4k.
Have to get new clothes because of weight loss.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by biker72

Highs:
Lost 17 pounds..not on purpose. Did adjust my diet a little.
Bought a used Lynskey Ti R345. This bike rides like a dream.
Turned 80 this year. Doing something right.
Got mostly rid of some nagging leg problems.
Made 4 bike vacations in various cities outside Texas.
Still working at the bike shop. (Source of great employee discounts)

Lows:
I turned 80 this year.
Won't reach my 5000 mile goal...again. Will go past 4k.
Have to get new clothes because of weight loss.

You are an inspriation. Thanks for posting this.

[Matthew]

High was I rode a bunch but only did one organized ride. Need to fix that next season. Need to get out on my MTB more too. But overall a pretty good year. Only event was Ride Around Torch Lake. 102 miles with 5200 feet of climbing. Pretty good for Michigan!