Topic Title

Have enjoyed everyone's accounts of their *first* clubruns over the last two Cliftonites and thought it'd be good to start a thread about everyone's *favourite* rides - possibly for later conversion to a Cliftonite article.

So, I propose the following guidlines: A favourite ride could be on or off road, it could be a climb, a descent, a particular view, a whole day's ride or just a section of it. Or I suppose it could be a continuous route lasting several days. I'm suggesting 4 categories to think about:
1. Within a day's ride of York
2. Anywhere else in the UK
3. Outside the UK
4. "To do list" - rides you really want to do someday!
I suggest we're all allowed upto 3 nominations in each category. Don't feel you *have* to have 3, or indeed that you must nominate in all categories. Some notes of explanation would be good!

So come on then, forget about that biting northerly wind that's blowing at the moment and think of all those great days with the sun on your backs!

OK, so quite obviously I've been thinking about this already - so I'll go first.

Day ride from York
1. Swaledale. There're literally scores of great climbs out of the dale both on and off road and just tootling along the valley bottom next to the brown stained river is just fantastic. But if I wanted to just pick one bit then it'd be the view into Swaledale that opens up just past the summit of Buttertubs Pass - simply stunning
2. Dentdale. Its a stretch to get out there in a day, but that may be part of the attraction. Following the river dent from above the viaduct down the valley as far as the village of Dent and beyond - a mellow place.
3. Bransdale loop. I think there'll be a few nominations for this. Went round with an old college friend a couple of years ago when the road was closed after flood damage - hence no cars. Setting sun, warm evening - fab.

UK
1. West coast of Scotland. Obvious route from Skye north all the way to Cape Wrath. Dramatic scenery, really isolated, gentle gradients, fantastic beaches.
2. Hardnott and Wrynose passes in the District. Best taken W to E - harder overall, but worth it.
3. The Machynthleth Coach Road. Single track mountain road going SE through mid Wales from Machynthleth.

International
1. Passo della Stelvio. 2762m high on the Italian Swiss border. 52 (fifty two) numbered hairpin bends.
2. Galibier. Needs no explanation
3. Tormalet. Taken with the summit detour up an un-made track to the observatory on the peak at 2877m. 360o panorama.

To do list
1. Kicking Horse Pass/ Lake Louise/ Banff in the Canadian Rockies
2. Ventoux
3. Ride up through northern Norway to North Cape.

1. Within a day's ride of York

Two spring to mind: first the trip to Flanborough Head across the Wolds and secondly any ride right into the Dales. Across to Masham then up Park Rash and over to Kettlewell is a good big day out.

2. Anywhere else in the UK

South Wales where my mum lives (edge of the Brecon Beacons) is very unknown and has lovely riding. Only problem is getting lost on the endless tiny roads

3. Outside the UK

Pretty much anywhere in France, but I'd like to do more in the Massif Central especially the Ardeche.

I couldn't call Mont Venoux a favourite ride. It's too hard and too bleak, but it's an experience that everyone should have and the area around has some fantastic riding.

Mallorca.

4. "To do list" - rides you really want to do someday!

Raid pyrenean.
Touring in Norway
More riding in Croatia and down the Adriatic. Montenegro looked stunning in the last Bond film

More riding in Croatia and down the Adriatic. Montenegro looked stunning in the last Bond film

Hi Arthur, I raced in montenegro in 2002, in a UCI race. It was stunning, if brutal in more ways than one. There is a fantastic climb up from the Fjord at Kotor (to iirc Cetinje) which climbs more than a thousand metres from sea level. Being not too long after the war (or maybe it was just the very Eastern European standard of driving and tyre maintainance) there was a burnt out car, without fail, having careered off of every one of countless hairpins. It was April and the weather was like it was here today, until the last day of the race, when it was suddenly 25 degrees and gorgeous. Budva is really nice as is Kotor.

The race was notably calamitious. Jason Macintyre got a wheel bag stolen before the start, which included tri bars and passport, and had to abandon after two days to go to the UK embassy in Belgrade. A Canadian rider, over with the Jet Fuel coffee team, managed to crash in an unlit tunnel in the neutralised zone, ending his race before it started following a 5000 mile flight to get there (I can't remember if he was the same guy who had a "transformers" autobot face tattooed on the back of his calf).

One stage went into Croatia, to Dubrovnik, then climbed 600m out over a pass into Bosnia, where the cars in the convoy were stoned by children at the roadside (I guess they were holidaying Mancunians). It was a particularly hard day for many, besides the rain, a third of the field had got food poisoning from the fish in the race hotel. Another Canadian had to stop to releive his digestive distress, and in the process haplessly twisted his ankle and took himself out of the race. The final stage ended with an 800m descent into Budva; I heard the guy behind me crashing into the barriers at about 40mph on the last bend of the race. I left feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, but on reflection it was a fantastic trip.

If you do ever go there there's potential for a superb holiday, I'd guess things might have improved some since then.

Thanks for the info. That sounds a very memorable race indeed!

"the cars in the convoy were stoned by children at the roadside (I guess they were holidaying Mancunians)."

This used to be pretty common behaviour in that neck o' the woods. I've never cycled there, but I rode down through (the former) Yugoslavia to Lake Ohrid and back up into Austria by motorbike, way back before the simmering conflicts all erupted. Okay I know, showing me age. You'd often get people, usually children, selling stuff by the roadside and if you didn't slow down to buy something you got bombarded on the way past. Many, many, weird and lingering memories from that trip, though your experiences sound even more surreally awful!.