To complement the small selection of nice travel and home photos that I published two days ago I now compiled a similar selection of 2015 cycling shots.

Many of the travel shots were also taken on bike rides around the world, but this set has an added extra – people! (Or rather people on bikes, which is almost the same in my world)

The simple criteria for selection are

• Either – I just like the shot
• Or – I have a cycling memory attached that makes me smile

So to the shots I like:

The view from Oslo Opera House, Norway

The cycling artist of Bruges, Belgium

Summer club cycling with the Cyclottignies gang

The view over Namur from the Citadelle (three times up, so the views have to be worth it)

Near Namur again, this time riding the Tour de Namur Challenge, another long hard day but beautiful riding

And finally for this section a photo that got a great reaction from many readers, to the point that it was borrowed by Classic Lightweights who put it on the home page of their site for several months. I published it along with several other black and white photos to celebrate the restoration of my 1963 Freddie Grubb fixed bike.

For my selection of memories I have a variety of reasons for smiling.

Professionally I have no doubt about two bike rides that were very special. We took internationally important figures in their fields and shared the simple pleasure of a bike ride. We smiled and they smiled. All in day clothes and mostly on sensible bikes, the very simplest way to enjoy travelling in the city.

The Leaders’ ride at Eurobike

The ministers’ ride at the Cycling Summit, Luxembourg

But after the professional interests that give me the enormous privilege of writing this blog I can chose three photos from Great Rides, days out that will live long in the memory.

The Taichung Mountain circuit, Taiwan.

Mountain biking in the Five Finger mountains, North Cyprus (blog post still to be published – coming soon)

Finally my bucket list ride of the year, the Tour of Flanders Cyclo. One impression of the day that I took with the coloured string of riders crossing the Flemish Ardennes, then one from the official photographer which pretty well sums up the whole occasion.

I did not despair in 2015.