Bike rides are brilliant. That feels like a fairly predictable statement from us here at Cycling Weekly, sure, but there is often nothing better than getting your kit on, clipping in, and setting off an adventure.
From the smallest commute to the biggest feat of endurance, we thought we should mark our best moments on two wheels this year. There’s something about pedalling which makes our hearts sing, and I’m sure it does the same for you too.
Back-to-back woodland riding – Meg Elliot, news and features writer
I think – depressingly – it was nearly a year ago. My friend Ffion (a cross country rider and all round mountain bike legend) had come to visit me in Shropshire, and we took the bikes to two trails we were told were pretty fun. The road to the first woodland is long and winding – I always forget how beautiful the countryside is just beyond my town.
Unfortunately, once we arrived, the trails had been cut up by motocross bikes, with massive gouges left in the half-finished trails. We cut our losses and climbed back up to the second woodland. This is my local, and there is a path that takes you from the open fields at the top, through the woodland, down past some short switchbacks and into the valley below – the day was saved!
South Downs Way – James Shrubsall, senior news and feature writer
Sadly, I don’t have a vast number of especially memorable bike rides to choose from this year. It’s been rather a fallow 12 months in that respect. There have been plenty of short outings on local lanes and tracks which have all served their purpose, but the standout ride is easy to pinpoint.
It was a gravel ride in May that involved train assistance, a textbook pub stop to replenish water in a small town that had that Marie-Celeste vibe that only 7pm on a Saturday brings, and a twilight finish.
The route took in 40 miles of stunning views across the South Downs Way from Petersfield to Steyning, before switching onto the Downs Link railway path that took me in a straight, homebound line back up into Surrey. It’s one I’ll definitely revisit – ideally with a bit more fitness and possibly on a hardtail mountain bike.
Chris Hall’s Perimeter Ride, Norfolk leg – Andy Carr, tech editor
My best ride wasn’t far or fast; it was, in fact, under 90km with a very dear friend and colleague, Chris Hall. Along home roads here on the Norfolk Coast.
Chris is an endurance rider who takes on epic challenges for charity, mainly for the Pace Centre and Movember. Movember is a charity of great importance to men, who, particularly when reaching my age, often find themselves isolated and alone, at risk of suicide and complex but preventable mental and physical diseases.
Chris rode the perimeter of Great Britain this Summer, hot on the wheels of Molly Weaver, who broke a world record for her effort just a couple of weeks before. Chris’s trip wasn’t about records; it was more about highlighting the importance of catching up with friends, doing something extraordinary – or ordinary – and having a good chat.
And that’s precisely what he and I did that day, on my ordinary roads, with a remarkable man, chewing the fat about what’s up and what’s not, and it was blissful. Except for the legs, it turns out keeping up with endurance athletes, even when they’re carrying everything they need, and you’re on home roads, isn’t that easy, but it was my highlight of an otherwise pretty packed riding year.
Etape Loch Ness – Adam Becket, news editor
Back in April, I rode the Etape Loch Ness, which was the UK’s biggest closed-roads sportive this year. I wrote about it in more detail back then, but it remains the most fun I’ve had on the bike this year.
The lack of traffic and overwhelming number of riders was special, with snatched conversations with fellow cyclists joyful, bringing some warmth on a Scottish morning. The views of Loch Ness and the surrounding forest never stopped bringing a smile to my face either, and I won’t have been alone in wanting to take a photograph of every metre of the ride. It was stunning the whole way round.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be applauded on a bike as much as I was then, and I’ll tell you what, it was a nice feeling. The only let down was a lack of the Loch Ness monster – if you don’t see it while your brain is addled from hard exercise, when will you?
A short ride home from a training session – Simon Richardson, magazine editor
My riding was a bit lacking this year, but after waiting months to swing my leg over a gravel bike again, a simple off-road ride home on a warm summer’s evening as the sun went down ranks as my favourite.
It was a path I’d ridden countless times before, but the conditions were perfect, everything around me was a bright shade of green, and I took a moment to take it all in and appreciate the beauty of the area I regularly ride through.
A dip in Brittany’s lakes – Tom Davidson, senior news and features writer
When I went to the Tour de France this summer, and stood on the steep climb on the edge of the town of Mûr-de-Bretagne, I vowed that I’d go back to tackle it myself. Little did I know how soon that would be – barely two months later, in fact, on a cycling holiday with my family. As expected, those sharp two kilometres are tough and leg-sapping (I did them twice, just to be sure), but surrounding them is some of the most luscious scenery I’ve ever ridden in.
There are charming, flowered villages, slick roads, newly repaved for the Tour’s arrival, and the dog-leg-shaped Lake Guérledan, which sits covered by tall forest trees. In baking sunshine, but protected in the shade of the branches, we did a lap of the lake, and then jumped in for a dip afterwards. There’s no better way to end a bike ride. It was a perfect day out.
Salisbury Plain Gravel – Jamie Williams, video manager
I was lucky enough to ride a bike in many beautiful places in 2025 but the Dolomites remain the gem of European cycling in my opinion. However, on this visit I was probably a little bit too unfit to enjoy them to the maximum and so my favourite bike ride was the slightly less glamorous Glorious Gravel Salisbury Plain Autumn Epic.
I got to ride with my dad and a mate who’s been talking about getting a gravel bike for the last three years. We had a tailwind in all the right places, the ominous clouds never came to anything and the 3ft deep ‘tank’ puddles provided plenty of laughs.
It was everything that is good about gravel – conversation without being hounded by traffic, good views and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there. There was certainly more ‘spirit of gravel’ than at the gravel races I’d been doing for the few weekends prior.
Gravel Burn – Aaron Borrill, tech writer
I’ve been fortunate enough to have raced a lot of cycling events all over the world on all kinds of surfaces, and Gravel Burn is up there with the toughest… and most beautiful. Set in South Africa, it traverses two of the country’s most beautiful provinces: the Western and Eastern Cape.
It also takes in much of the Little and Great Karoo – a vast, semi-desert inland plateau known for its harsh but beautiful environment. The race spans 800km and 11,000m of climbing over challenging gravel roads, so it’s not easy, but the scenery and flora and fauna more than make up for any of the suffering endured.
What makes the race special is the setup, which sees professional and amateur riders race and camp alongside each other in an intimate setting. You’ll also get to see some of the most amazing animals in their natural habitat – springbok, kudu, zebra and ostrich, not to mention the Big Five – elephant, leopard, rhino, buffalo and lion.
I’d recommend Gravel Burn over the Cape Epic.
The ride home – Hannah Bussey, tech writer
This year marked a significant change for our family as my daughter started high school. For any child, this is a major transition, but it was an even bigger leap for her, as she chose to attend after being home-educated her entire life.
The shift to a structured school routine has required a lot of adjustment. Holding it together all day – following instructions, concentrating in a noisy environment – often results in evening meltdowns at home, a crash from sheer exhaustion. Adding an extended bike ride to the station after school might seem counterintuitive, but those 45 minutes are actually the best ride of our week.
This ride is a no-pressure zone. We focus on our surroundings, not the details of her day, allowing her to unwind slowly. She eventually opens up, discussing the good, the bad, the challenging, and the frustrating parts. By the time we arrive at the station, we’re both reconnected, mentally reset, and undeniably feeling much better for the time spent together.
Cargo biking – Matt Ischt-Barnard, ecomm and tech writer
I didn’t really do any epic rides in 2026; I actually did very little riding for myself at all. Between recovering from a bad knee injury, my son starting primary school, changing my work hours, and, you know, just life, it’s been a quiet year.
However, for the last few months, I have been testing a cargo bike—the Benno RemiDemi XL, somewhat in collaboration with my Son. We are no strangers to riding together, having used our Shotgun seat for a couple of years now. The Cargo bike was a significant upgrade, and what a woot he had with it.
It was a fantastic reminder that having fun on bikes doesn’t mean epicly long rides in the Alps or taking on an enormous challenge. Sometimes it can just be cruising through town to the beach, where you grab a hot chocolate, throw some stones in the sea, and find a crab, all under a beautiful golden hour sky.
