Best Rides of 2021
I spent the whole of lockdown reading accounts of other people's trips in previous years and living vicariously through their Youtube videos. Throughout the autumn and winter I made lots of plans for 2021 and here we are, five thousand happy miles later!
Here are my ten favourite rides of the last year.
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| 2021 Strava Heatmap |
Number 10: London to Brighton on the Brompton
Sixty plus miles from London Blackfriars to Queens Road Station in Brighton. Several climbs and one killer ascent.
Couple of things made this special: it was my first long ride on a Brompton; it included Ditchling Beacon; it was a beautiful clear cool spring day; I had South London pretty much to myself at 5am on a Saturday morning just a few weeks after lockdown had been relaxed.
Highlight: Climbing Ditchling Beacon
Lowlight: Climbing Ditchling Beacon
Number 9: Hadrian's Way Day #1 on the Brompton
Over 65 miles from Maryport on the Solway firth to Brampton, just east of Carlisle. Very flat west of Carlisle.
I did several multi-day mini-tours using the Brompton and trains in 2021. This ride was a mostly flat day's cycle from Maryport on the Solway Firth all the way along the coast, through Carlisle, to Brampton. The ride along the firth was something else with and the geography of the coastline made it feel like I was looking across a narrow gulf to another island.
The roads were decent mostly and the scenery dominated by the views across the water and the various military structures from Roman times up to the Cold War which are dotted around. Winter was just around the corner and
I thought it was cold at the time but the data says the average was 16 degrees which sounds positively balmy sitting here in December.
Highlight: Whizzing along the cycle path next to the Solway Firth.
Lowlight: Picking my way through Carlisle via sustrans route 72.
Number 8: Inverness to Strathcarron
Seventy miles from Inverness on the east coast to Loch Carron on the west. Mostly gentle ascent with an epic downhill back to sea level.
Day 1 of the Highland 500 didn't disappoint. Leaving an inauspiciously foggy Inverness we passed through an unpleasantly damp and cold sea fret before climbing up through Contin were we met the sun and some heavy traffic at Rogie Falls. After an excellent lunch we continued climbing gently up Strath Caron. When you are hiking and you see a mountain in the far distance you know you are going to be walking a long time before you get close. Not so on the bike. It was a great feeling to see the hills rearing up and then less than an hour later be passing them. The first long sustained decent of many of the trip down to sea level and the west coast. Always nice to go coast to coast and it doesnt get much easier or more spectacular than this day of cycling. Rounded off the day with a quick cycle out to an old castle before heading back to a great B&B and dinner in the local pub.
Highlight: After the climb out of Garve, flying along the old military road between mountains and lochs.
Lowlight: How cold my head got in the sea fret crossing the Kessock Bridge.
Number 7: Smoo to Lairg
Sixty miles of very wild, empty, highland coast and glens. Couple of sharp accents along the northern coast and a long drag up to Crask.
Another glorious day on the Highland 500, starting on very extreme edge of the north coast of Britain before heading south and east through wild and empty glens before climbing up to the famous Crask Inn before a descent back to civilisation at Lairg.
Highlight: Riding past Ben Hope and the nearby ancient Broch.
Lowlight: My bed for the night had bright red fake-satin sheets.
Number 6: York to Hornsea
Seventy miles of flat cycling across the East Riding with a short climb over the Yorkshire Wolds.
Highlight: York Minster or maybe the Wolds.
Lowlight: Picking our way through the dog walkers and runners as considerately as we could.
Number 5: Pitlochry to Aviemore
Just under a hundred miles through the Cairngorms including massive climbs up to Cairnwell and The Lect.
An immense day including almost 100 miles of highland roads, two massive climbs, huge amounts of exotic road kill and a miserable last 20 miles when the tank was well and truly empty. Topped off by an exhausted ride from Inverness Station back to Conan Bridge where I was so spent at one point a passer by caught me off my bike with my head on the saddle trying to muster the strength for one last push.
Highlight: Getting to the top at Cairnwell and then finally the Lect.
Lowlight: Tough call, so many contenders. Feeling like death outside Aviemore? Getting stuck on the train after a bridge strike? Walking up the steepest bit at the Lect?
Number 4: Ullapool to Smoo Cave
Seventy undulating miles along the north west coast of the highlands with a couple of steep climbs on great roads.
Day 5 of the Highland 500 this route took me to a corner of the Highlands I was not familiar with at all. Starting with some short but tough climbs out of Ullapool through the flow country with the iconic peaks of Stack Polly and Suliven to admire we then headed north along the coast. Lunch at Unapool before an amazing ride along roads that alternated between fast flats and nasty climbs before a final amazing eight mile descent to Smoo Cave.
Highlight: Miles of fast, smooth, descent down to the North Coast in a small peloton.
Lowlight: Riding past the lunch stop and having to climb back up the hill to it.
Number 3: Ullapool circular
Circular route of fifty 'easier' miles with a couple of steep gradients and great roads.
Highlight: Views across to the Summer Isles.
Lowlight: Massive rented camper vans with incompetent drivers on tiny road.
Number 2: Loch Carron to Loch Maree
Seventy tough miles incorporating the longest climb in the UK followed by an undulating course through amazing scenery.
Highlight: That feeling of knowing I had made it up a climb I had been worrying about for months, and maybe my first beer outside since lockdown in 2020.
Lowlight: Almost throwing up my lunch after a steep climb.
Number 1: Settle to York
Sixty miles incorporating some very steep climbs followed by a fast descent into the Vale of York.
Several factors make a great ride for me, the parcours, the views, the weather and whom you are cycling it with. This ride had the lot. After a brief unpleasant sprint along a busy A-road we stocked up on food in Settle before assaulting the infamous White Rose climb. The White Rose climb is only about 2.5 miles long BUT peaks out at over 20% for short sections. If I hadnt had a close friend behind me to impress I certainly would have stopped. As it was, I kept going and just had to hope my heart or legs wouldnt explode messily. They didnt and after the climb we were treated to an amazing decent under bright blue skies with alpine style fields of bright buttercups. Another long climb but not as steep to Greenhow before a borderline unpleasant descent into Patley Bridge, topping out at over 40mph as we battled a loose road surface, increasing levels of motor vehicle traffic and right in the middle, roadworks. After Pately there was another opportunity for pain as we climbed up to Brigham Rocks but when we got there we knew we had broken the back of the entire three day ride. The Vale of York spread out before us, stretching out to the horizon. A very pleasant lunch in the sun by a dry stone wall of sandwiches bought in Settle made a pleasant break before we headed onto Fountains Abbey. Another great coffee stop at the Abbey before a breathtaking ride through the grounds with Ripon Cathedral in the distance. The day finished at a very pleasant hotel / pub where we had some great food and a few beers.
Highlight: Feeling like we had climbed over the spine of England at Brigham.
Lowlight: Hearing Dave skidding on the descent down into Pateley Bridge.
Special Mention: The Heights of Brae
Everytime I visit my parents I try and climb the Heights of Brae which are a short ride away. The local cycling club run a hill climbing race up this monster but up to this year I have never made it round the sharp turn and climb halfway through. I suspect its partially a mental challenge with the corner is so sharp and steep and the view of the unrelenting climb beyond coupled with fairly regular traffic on the single track road.
This year was different. I had been up Bealach Na Bla and spent the winter climbing hills in Watopia. I made a conscious decision to ignore certain doom and keep grinding even when the voice in my head was telling me I was certain to fall. A large 4x4 squeezed past just as the gradient was hovering around 20% and I over corrected and slipped off the road onto a wet and slippery verge. I remember just going for it, back wheel spinning as it failed to get any grip but I got back on the tarmac and made it to the top. I should have switched on my heart monitor as it did feel like my chest might explode at one point!
That was my eighth and suspect final attempt on the hill. Done it now and there is no point kidding myself I am going to go through that again. I made it up the segment in just over 14 minutes, a sluggish 8 minutes behind the KOM and inside the third quartile but I was very proud.
