diphthong

what was your favorite ride of 2015 and why? maybe it was your first ride back after a significant injury or time away from the bike.
maybe it was the one you finally conquered that local beastie climb or met that special someone. maybe it was the one in a beautiful
place that reaffirmed the reason you ride. maybe it was your hardest/longest/most challenging. maybe it was the one on which you
finally realized something important about yourself or solved a problem you'd been working on for some time. perhaps one combining
many reasons why.

here's mine. Bike Ride Profile | Close Your Eyes And You'll Be There It's Everything They Say Century near Santa Ynez | Times and Records | Strava

long, hard, challenging, beautiful, all new roads for me. i didn't want the ride to end although my feet sure did. looking back, i only
had a handful of rides in the running this year vs 2 dozen in the running in 2014. i know what my #1 goal for 2016 is now.

DrIsotope

Not the hardest or longest by any means, but just my favorite of the year. I think it's when I figured out I was truly hooked.

Sunrise ride around Mammoth Lakes

The trails are magnificent, the views are even better. Just deer everywhere. I did 4 rides in 3 days, and some of the group that was there never even got on their bikes-- the bikes just sat on the deck looking sad. Half the group did a single 10 mile turnaround ride-- out and back. I could have just kept riding there forever.

FeltF2Tarmac

First ride back on bike after a collapsed lung. Was not a very long ride or fast for that matter but it sure was good.

DXchulo

https://www.strava.com/activities/340339433

If you haven't Everested you really need to give it a shot. It will be your favorite for sure.

Lazyass

I did a 50 or so miler a few months ago. A 25mph wind ended up staying at my back the whole ride, it seemed to change directions with me. Set a new average mph record haha

TheRef

Did an organized metric century ride with my 12 year old son on the 4th of July. We came a little short at 50 miles but we had a blast. We rode alone most of the ride and we sprayed each other with the water bottles. Threw food (pretzels and M&Ms) in the air so the other could catch with the mouth. And we even crashed at each other in the parking lot at the end of the ride as were both watching the nice bikes from other rides that were done.
Not only it was one of my best rides ever it was one of the best DAYS of my entire life.

We did a repeat a few weeks later on my birthday and we met my wife, daughter, mom and my nephew for a picnic at a nearby waterfall. Awesome father son experience.

MikeWMass

I have been doing metric century at the Great River Ride out of Westfie;d. MA for several years. Last year I did the 85 mile route, finished with cramps but finished. This year, 20 pounds lighter, I did the century (actually they claim 109 miles, I got 114 on my computer), no cramps, and I wasn't even the last one to finish!

Machka 

This one ...

Canada Century last June .... https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dista...l#post17910513

hokie cycler

Having the UCI Worlds here in Richmond was a once in a lifetime treat so my favorite ride was riding the course on Friday night of worlds week. It was only 3 laps around the 10 mile circuit and it was raining (light rain/drizzle) and it was dark but it was so totally awesome.

https://www.strava.com/activities/400408825

Heathpack 

Couldn't pick just one, it was a great year on the bike.

But I really enjoyed the ride through Joshua Tree National Park that @ooga-booga helped me plan. Even if it was 103F by 9:30 in the morning.

on the path

My favorite ride of the year, that's easy. It was on October 10th, a ride through the Berkshires.

It was my favorite for many reasons. On August 30th I had a really bad crash and ended up in the hospital for a week. That required some major recovery to just get healthy. While laying in my hospital bed, knowing that I'd miss the cycling club's century ride, I vowed that I'd ride a century before the end of the year. I'd never even rode a century at that point.

Recovery was somewhat slow but methodical. As soon as I could ride, I'd go for 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Longer rides followed. On October 4th, my birthday, I rode my age, 60 miles. On October 10, I rode 112.5 miles with 2 friends. The toughest climb of the day was after the 100 mile mark. It was such a great ride, such a great feeling!

https://www.strava.com/activities/410347218

on the path

Great pic! I loved visiting Joshua Tree National Park.

shoota 

Cool idea for a thread OP! My favorite was the first day of RAGBRAI, got to bring a good buddy along for the first time, as well as family. It was awesome.

thin_concrete

I started cycling recently, so nothing inspirational for many of you, but my favorite ride was the one I first made it 15 miles. That was a great feeling to make it that far without stopping.

Seattle Forrest

Not the one where I got hit! Maybe a MTB ride, they have a lot of novelty in them. Cutthroat Pass got me up into the high country with rock gardens and silver wood. Washington Pass was probably my favorite road ride, the larches were gold and it was incredibly beautiful. And I've done that pass from both directions now. But Sun Mountain was incredible, too; short, sweet, and in the middle of a great vacation with my girlfriend.

diphthong

area is gorgeous. the 30 mile radius around nearby lee vining is probably my fave area in all of california.
got torrentially rained out on my last planned century/east side sierra climbs visit in october. can't wait to
hit it this summer.

diphthong

inspirational ride. haven't hit jtnp in about 3 years which is too long. this spring! no sag wagon or
triple digit temps for me tho. ; )

pagh

My greatest ride in 2015, has been to climb Grosse Scheidegg in Switzerland on summer holiday - not me, but there are pics and details: Grosse Scheidegg
Did the climb from Grindelwald.

Have been working on loosing weight, and at the time i had lost 15kg - now 21kg.
Planning on going back again this year, in better shape, lighter and having a go on my roadbike, instead of MTB.

Mkhira2

https://www.strava.com/activities/334293522

My last ride in the Texas Hill Country before moving away. Had a good friend drive 3 hours just to ride the loop with me. Beautiful day; had a bit of rain the last 5 miles. It was my "goodbye ride" to a good part of my life.

TGT1

39 from the house to Crystal Lake on a weekday with no traffic and perfect temps, (Except for a cloud of bugs I couldn't outrun about 2 miles from the store) 71 mi and 6300 ft

Biggest accomplishment was the Medicare ride the day after I turned 65, Baldy Ski Lifts via GMR from the house 80 mi and 8,300 ft. Can't say that that last 4 mi puts it in the favorite ride category though.

the "Monument" (J Tree) is going to be brilliantly beautiful for months this spring if we have anything close to a significant El Ninio year.

kbarch

Wow, and in July, too! Wasn't in boiling hot?

No doubt. It reminds me of the time not too long ago, when I rode all the way up to the George Washington Bridge, then back home (by World Trade Center at the time). It was 10 miles each way, but it was awesome just knowing I could do it.

Heathpack 

As great as the Joshua Tree ride was, the most beautiful place I rode all year was Carmel Valley, CA.

KantoBoy

One that earned me a "Pic of the day" award @ Bikerumor

mje

#1 is up and down Pikes Peak.

This one was awesome too:

Robius

I love climbing on good pave to summits. I had 80,000m climbing in 4000kms this year.