11 of the most beautiful bike rides

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say. But there's no doubt that cycling is one of the best ways to experience beautiful surroundings as it allows you to cover a lot of ground but still feel in touch with what is around you.

We recently asked Cycling Weekly readers to tell us what their most beautiful bike ride has ever been. Here are a selection of answers, brought to you in association with Decathlon.

What was your most beautiful bike ride? Tell us in the comments section below.

Summer evening riding with my son in the Suffolk countryside when a barn owl flew along the road with us for about 200 yards, silent and graceful a sight we'll never forget.

James Asker

Racing a rain cloud across Warwickshire with my nine-year-old. The countryside around Walton Hall is lovely, made more beautiful by the dark clouds and drops of rain to our left as we laughed our way along the lanes to a dry car as the heavens opened. We beat the rain and had the best time!

Tom Abbott

>>> Cycling New Year resolutions

The first one where I wasn't so terrified of falling off that I could actually look round and see the countryside I live in. It was early morning on a late spring day, the slight dew made the air smell clean, the lanes were edged by beautiful bright green hedgerows, and I was joined by a pheasant for a while who flew just off to my right.

Nadia Lewis

Side to side (Land’s End to Lowestoft) in 2015, end of first day approaching Okehampton. Sun setting over Dartmoor... simply stunning.

Darren Woodward

Mont Ventoux via the Gorges de la Nesque this year the day before the Tour visited. Amazing weather, but savagely windy from Renard to Ventoux summit. Hardest six kilometres ever on a bike, but also absolutely the most rewarding day ever.

Barry Moulder

Are you having a laugh? I live in South Wales. Every ride is beautiful!

Gareth Thomas

Riding with my best friend from Dover to Rye. We got lost a couple of times but that's not new. My spouse and I had come to visit our friends from America. It was breath-taking to look across the Channel and see the coast of France. I tried to imagine what it must've looked like as soldiers were escaping from Dunkirk. Truly humbling.

Reid Wagner

Rented a bike in Luca, Italy. Had about an hour to fulfill my vow to ride in Europe while on vacation. Rode 24km around a mediaeval wall in the rain, laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. Might be the purest, most affecting ride I ever take. Won't stop me from trying to top it when I go to central Europe in a couple of years!

Ridge Harper

Summer of this year when I got back into cycling. I went out and managed 36.2 miles and I saw so much beautiful scenery on this clear day along with some rare wildlife for where I ride. It inspired me to ride more often!

Danny Lee Lennon

This afternoon, just an ‘ordinary’ chilly grey 12 miles of Berkshire country lanes that magically changed a grumpy family into a happy one, with hubby, nine-year-old and 14-year-old. Ah, the amazing power of cycling.

Julia Hoaen

Our club Christmas Eve ride, riding through the Nottinghamshire countryside when the sound of hundreds of migrating geese flew over us we got of our bikes and stood amazed at such a beautiful site, never to be forgotten.

Martin Roche