MARTIN TAYLOR, 2010 LEADER

Our leaders are sometimes unknown and discrete members. Like Martin Taylor, our leader for the year 2010. He writes us : "

After a short trip to the North Yorkshire Moors and Rosedale Head, myself and a few friends headed to Belgium to claim as many BIGs as possible in 3 days' riding. We managed only 15 in the end - even though they are not big BIGs, they still take time to ride over.

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I finished my job at the end of May and set out on a 2 week road trip (in the car with the bike on the roof) through northern Spain with my girlfriend. She is more fond of the sun and a good book so I was left to climb the BIGs on my own. Our journey took us through the hills of Rioja, Guadarama, Gredos, Galicia and the Basque country. Over-ambition and poor weather meant that I only got 22 of my 28 planned BIGs.
After a very short break back in England I was on the road again. I drove through Belgium (and cycled all the BIGs I had missed earlier in the year), claimed all the Luxembourg hills before ending up in the Black Forest. This is where the serious cycling started. After a brief sejour in the Vosges to climb the remaining BIGs there, I crossed into Switzerland to ride the Jura. Some of these climbs were deceptively hard, especially the ones leading to nowhere.
I continued my journey south and tackled the fearsome Mont du Chat. I have to confess I did it the 'easier' side but what a great ride.
I was now starting to get fit and by the time I had passed through the Massive Central I was ready to tackle the Pyrenees and the Etape du Tour. I missed out on that elusive gold medal again but finished a creditable 897th.
It was now time to relax so I meandered my way back to the UK via the Eastern Pyrenees, Auvergne, Dijon and finally Maastricht. My only major disappointment was to find that there is no longer a road up the Puy de Dome - I should have checked the web site more carefully.
My most recent outing was to Wales and South West England to ride the Devil's Staircase and Cheddar Gorge. It is easy to forget that there is some good climbing in the UK.
I should be able to bag the two remaining BIGs in Cyprus later this year but other than that I am finished.
But then there is next year - I think it will be another 100 BIGs!
However, I think Rob B from the Netherlands will catch up this year - he has more free time I think. It is the tortoise and the hare.

Martin Taylor