The Rides
The Ride. It is the cathedral of our sport, where we worship at the altar of the Man with the Hammer. It is the end to our means. Indeed, The Bike may be the central tool to our sport, but to turn the pedals is to experience the sensation of freedom, of flight. It is all for The Ride.
The world is overflowing with small, twisty roads that capture our collective imagination as cyclists. We spend our lifetimes searching out the best routes and rides; we pore over maps, we share with our fellow disciples, we talk to non-cycling locals all in pursuit of the Perfect Ride.
The Rides is devoted entirely to the best routes and rides around the world. Some are races or cyclosportives, others feature in the Classics and stages of The Great Races, while others still are little-known gems, discovered through careful meditation on The V. Be warned: these rides are not your average Sunday Afternoon spin; these rides are the best and most difficult rides in the word – they represent the rites of passage into La Vie Velominatus. It is to be taken for granted that these rides require loads of Rule #5, many of them Rule #10, and all of them are best enjoyed in Rule #9 conditions. They have been shared by you, the community. The Rides also features articles devoted to the greatest rides and providess a forum for sharing other rides for discussion.
If you’d like to submit a ride or an article about your own favorite ride, please feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to work with you to include it.
[rideitem status=”public” title=”Haleakala” distance=”56km” category=”Grimpeur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/50412514″ location=”Paia, Maui, Hawaii, USA”]
Haleakala is simultaneously the longest paved continuous climb in the world as well as the shortest ascent from sea level to 10,000 feet in the world. Though not terribly steep, this is a long, grinding climb that will reduce a strong rider to a whimpering lump.
To put the effort in perspective, this climb is 60km long a an average of 6% with two pitches as steep as 17%. That translates to somewhere between 3 or more hours of nonstop climbing, usually in Maui’s direct heat and often into a whipping headwind that spins around into a headwind no matter which direction the switchbacks take you.
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[rideitem statuc=public title=”Liege-Bastogne-Liege” distance=”265″ category=”Rouleur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58053308/” location=”Liege, Belgium”]
Liege-Bastogne-Liege is not only La Doyenne, the oldest of the Classics, but also represents perhaps the most demanding course in cycling. The 280 km, 3000m vertical route starts with an easy ride out from Liege to Bastogne which lulls riders into a false sense of security; the hills are frequent, but none of them terribly demanding. Into Bastogne, and the story changes on the way back to Liege with 9 categorized climbs in the second half, including the fearsome Côte de la Redoute and the Côte de Saint-Nicolas.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Paris-Roubaix” category=”Hardman” distance=”265″ url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58052610/” location=”Compiégne, France” guideurl=”http://www.cyclingpave.cc/” guide=”Pavé Cycling Classics”]
L’enfur du Nord. The Hell of The North. The Queen of the Classics. This isn’t a ride over the stones from your local brick-paved roads. You think climbs are what make a ride tough? We’ve got news for you: this is the hardest ride on the planet and it boasts a maximum elevation of 55 meters. These are vicious, brutal stones; the kind that will stretch each kilometer to their full length, the kind of stones that you will feel long after the rattling of the bars has stopped. These stones will change you. Forever.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Mortirolo/Gavia Loop” category=”Grimpeur” distance=”115km” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59027020/” location=”Bormio, Italy” contributor=”Joe”]
The Mortirolo is perhaps the most feared pass in Western Europe, and the Gavia the most storied. Given their proximity to each other, its a wonder why this isn’t the most talked-about ride in Italy. Maybe it is; its impossible to say without being Italian. The loop nature of this ride makes it feasible as a solo escapade, but any ride with the kind of stats this one bears – 3200 meters ascended in 115 kilometers including the viscously steep Mortirolo – is best enjoyed with a riding partner or support car.
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[rideitem status=public title=”200 on 100″ category=”Grimpeur” distance=”330km” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58052808/” location=”Vernon, VT” contributor=”cdelinks” contributorurl=”http://cyclowhat.com”]
“Dumptruck of Awesome” has become the catch-phrase associated with this brutally hard, yet strikingly beautiful 330 kilometer (200 mile) ride down Vermont Route 100. This ride was made popular during the summer of 2011 when Ted King, Tim Johnson, and a local amateur cyclist, Ryan Kelly, documented this ride on film. The ride starts on the Canadian border and finishes on the Massachusetts border. With over 2500 meters of climbing on this 330 kilometer ride, you will need to pack a few lunches to get through this one. Do this ride in the Fall, and the foliage might be beautiful enough to distract you from the horrible pain you will most certainly suffer.
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[rideitem status=”public” title=”De Ronde Van West Portlandia” distance=”76km” category=”Grimpeur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/15276210″ location=”Portland, Oregon, USA”]
A ride that officially “never happens” each spring, this 76 km route charts a course through Portland’s West Hills, paying homage to the European Spring Classics. Approximately 1,800 meters of paved and unpaved climbs are spread throughout the course, with several sections reaching grades of over 20%. More information can be found at Ronde PDX.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Seattle Master Urban Ride” category=”Rouleur” distance=”130km” url=http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/57732282 location=”Seattle, Washington, USA”]
This is perhaps the most challenging urban route in Seattle, hitting three of the big hills that define Seattle’s topography. The route starts and ends on Phinney Ridge, but hits the climbs of Interlaken and Alder Street/Lake Dell Drive on its way to Mercer Island, before coming back to hit Queen Anne and Magnolia, weaving its way up each of these hills as many times as possible via the steepest route available before the finale to the north via Golden Gardens, Blue Ridge Drive, and Carkeek Park. Panoramic views of the Cascades, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, The Olympic Penninsula and Puget Sound makes this a standout Urban ride.
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First night of winter track training tonight, which means it’s officially autumn. Which is strange because it’s a glorious day.
Also,
@Teocalli
This is the guy that ‘won’ Cardiff-Roubaix. No wonder I was having some trouble holding his wheel at times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alun_Owen_(cyclist)
@RobSandy
Ha Ha !
@Teocalli
Had it not been for my puncture I’d have been doing my best to hold his wheel all the way to Maindy. He’s a well-known local hard-nut. I saw him on my way into work yesterday, actually, going in the opposite direction, phantom aerobars, smashing it.
I might start an Alun Owen fan club.
@MangoDave
best to get there by friday to pick up your fondo packet and goodies… lining up saturday you have to be early..no one bothers to follow the rules when lining up (they have it segmented by speed) everyone tries to get up front. It was nearly 100 degrees F last year.. so your heat training might come in handy. The climbs are tough the descents are scary (road condition is average at best).. Coleman Valley road (near the end) sucks when you are tired already. I’m doing the Gran Fondo again… they have all kinds of offroad panzer routes now.. no thanks.
Fit in a 2 hr hilly ride on my way to work this morning. Challenging conditions – very wet roads, threat of rain in the air (although it didn’t actually rain) and that awkward temperature. I did one of my standard routes out from Cardiff, climbing 4 short nasty climbs, Pentyrch Hill, Penycoedcae, Mynedd Eglwysilan from Pontypridd and Caerphilly Mountain (one of the great things about living here are the place names and the kudos from knowing how to pronounce them correctly).
It was also the first ride I’ve done with my new mid-compact crank, so I found some of the steep pitches (the top of the road up to Mynedd Eglwysilan is between 15 and 20%) a bit of a grind, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Was rewarded with a cloud inversion all across the valleys from the top, which made it feel worth it.
Had my first ever Rule #64 failure this morning. 30mph down holme moss, hit a cats eye reflector on the inside of the corner which forced my wheel straight. Down the ditch on the outer edge, over the bars & from the pain i’m still in after my hospital visit my broken left hand & left hip took the impact.
The #1 has literally nt got a mark on it. All the brambles, thistles & nettles broke the fall clearly. Had to ride 20 miles home after that.
Spring racing Kiwi styles- ‘a brief respite from hostilities in the break’
@JonnyG
Get well soon! I’m relieved also to hear that your bike is fine.
To anyone else who’d just been hospitalised I’m sure that would sound ludicrous, but I hope you understand.
@RobSandy
Final damage is a triple fracture of the left hand. 5th metacarpal is broken top & bottom, 4th is broken at the top.
My garmin says I was doing 76kph (47mph) when I crashed. I reckon it was closer to 50kph as I managed a bit of braking before heading off road.
Literally no idea how I got off so lightly. 6-8 weeks healing time now which means I’ll be back on the bike just as my V-Kit arrives which is the main reason I cannot get fat in the interim period.
Wow, get well soon, JonnyG. Sounds like a pretty wild crash.
@Johnny
Just saw this. I’m flying in on Wednesday night and doing the Thursday night dinner event so I should have plenty of time to pick up my packet early. The friend that talked me into the dinner said it gets you a spot near the front of the start. Not that I probably need to be there… I did an 88km/1500m event yesterday, heat, tough climbs and varied road conditions. The front group took off very fast right from the start, I got caught in the second group and never saw the leaders again. I doubt I’ll have any miracles in the next two weeks to give me the fitness to be at the front of the fondo. I’m doing the Gran, also – no panzer routes for me, either.
Rode a local sportive yesterday. 95k and 2,000m of climbing. Managed to finish top ten-ish so I was pleased with that, on an absolute corker of a day – still, clear and crisp. Lovely stuff.
Also established that a 52/36 crankset with 11-28 on the back is pretty much the perfect set up for my riding and the terrain around here.
@JonnyG
Get well soon! (Glad to hear the bike is ok)
Have to share. Last year I was registered for the Heck of the North. Work got in the way. Plan B was the Hibernator 100 in Laona in northern WI. Fell through because of work. This year the calendar was clear and I was up for it: 100 miles on gravel/dirt roads through the Nicolet National Forest. One water stop (hit twice at 37 and 77 miles) that comprised a few cases of bottled water and some boxes of granola bars. No sag unless you count hunters in their pick-ups and ATVs. This was going to be a challenge.
Being WI, the ride started and finished at a bar. Weather was cool and overcast. 30 or so souls headed out to do either 29, 65 or 100 miles. I got in with a group of six and we were clipping along quite nicely. Surfaces varied from hard pack to loose sandy gravel to really rough, to shaley. Hills were hard because of wheel slippage of you got out of the saddle. Descents were tricky because of loose gravel, uncambered corners, washouts etc. Passing trucks and ATVs meant each rider got to taste the gravel and dirt. Four riders from our group bailed to do the 65 miles. That left me and firefighter Andy to do around 60 miles together. He informed me that it was his longest ride of the year. “Bloody hell” I thought, “helluva way to do your first century.” Good chat turned to silence as we both rode further and further into the course. Too much concentration was needed to find the best line and stay upright. (I was riding a CX bike, he was riding a sweet carbon fiber Salsa fat bike).
I’ve never been so happy to see a rest stop as I was at the 77 mile mark.
Over the last 25 miles I was stronger than Andy but we stayed together to finish the ride for a few reasons: we were in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea where we were. I’ve been left behind by groups in the past and it’s no fun – and that was near civilization. I didn’t want to ride solo. Both of us had good bikes but what if there had been an accident or mechanical? As I said, there was no sag – you’d have to wait for a good samaritan to come along and that might be hours away. It’s funny the bonds you forge with someone you’ve known for a couple of hours.
I usually finish centuries strong but this time I’m glad I slowed a bit to stay with Andy as I know from how I felt the last five miles that I would have blown big time. Total time for ride? 7 hours. I had no idea what to expect from this ride except that it was 95% on gravel/dirt and basically unsupported. I’m very much looking forward to doing it again next year. If you’re in WI, the UP or even MN and want a challenge, do this ride.
@wiscot
That is what it is all about my friend. Challenge and Adventure!
Good on you.
@wiscot
Chapeau
@wiscot
Chapeau on finishing together, unless it’s actually a race that’s the true spirit of the sport. And chapeau for describing a century in miles.
Surely, though it wasn’t a rest stop at 77 miles but a feed zone.
JonnyG,
A road I know well, when young and foolish I used to see how many Sunday drivers I could overtake on the way down. Miraculously, my only mishap was when taking a friend up sufficiently short of stature to borrow my VMH’s steed. We swapped at the summit and on hitting a rock during descent I wrote off the front wheel of said VMH’s machine. No injury tho. Until I returned home, that is.
Get well soon.
Charity Gran Fondo with money raised for the Jays Care Foundation. This is the third year I’ve done this this ride and it is always a blast. Rohan Dennis was in attendance and was even seen to be seriously bidding on a Pinarello F8 frame…I think he bowed out at $5000. Great weather again this year as we toured the country North and East of Toronto. I’m in the foreground on the ‘Dale.
Eroica Britannia entries are open for 2016. Booked up.
https://book.eroicabritannia.co.uk/EventDetail
@Teocalli
really fucking awesome and classic!
This Saturday I had my first meeting with the Man with the Hammer. His first blow was as I rode through the Derwent Valley in the Peak District, halfway into a 120km solo ride. I had not eaten enough the night before. I had not eaten enough for breakfast. I had no food. I had nowhere to buy food. It was raining, windy and cold. All I knew was that I was pushing harder and harder on the pedals and going slower and slower.
He struck again on the torturous slopes of Snake Pass. And again. And again. I died a thousand deaths desperately trying to keep the pedals turning up and up the hill. Rule #10 was inverted; it got harder and harder and I went a lot slow, but Rule #5 was obeyed – I did not give up. The on the descent I got so cold that the violent shivering threatened to have me off the bike. And I was almost late for a friend’s wedding.
What other sort of hobby would leave me exhausted, hungry, wet and cold, whimpering like a baby and barely able to function? The Vie Velominatus. Would I do it again? I rode 155kms solo on Sunday.
@RobSandy
Fixed your post…………
@Teocalli
Thanks. All true.
Does the fact I was also hungover score me more or less V Points?
@RobSandy
I think before a ride it’s negative preparation, after all it’s Recovery Ale.
@RobSandy
A long ride in cold, wet conditions with a hangover is just inviting the man with the hammer to visit. I had a ride in 2014 where I thought the man with the sickle was going to show up. I spent far too long in the hotel bar on the Friday night, I started the ride dehydrated. It was 6deg and wet n windy, the first hour was into a block head win so I went way too deep to stay with the front group, I didn’t drink enough and on the first climb I was dropped and settled into survival mode. With 50k to go I necked a caffeine gel as I thought it would help but fuck me I thought it was going to kill me. On the next hill my HR shot up to 213 bpm, I was wheezing like a meth smoker (and probably looked like one) and was shit scared looking at my Garmin wondering what the fuck was happening to me. My HR settled down on the downhill but shot up above 200 bpm again on the next hill. I just had to take it very, very easy for the rest of the ride and the final kick in the balls was that my official finishing time was 6hrs 00mins and 1 fucking second.
@Teocalli
I had plenty of recovery ales in the Briton’s Protection in Manchester on the Saturday afternoon. I’m pretty sure it helped. I got the feeling back in my hands after an hour or so.
@eenies
Sounds very much like my ride. Complete empty tank with a long way to go.
I just had a look at my data on Strava from the darkest bit of that day – I was climbing a hill for half an hour and couldn’t get my HR about 135. Strava reckons I was doing 100w, when I was climbing at around 265w earlier in the day.
That Man is a bastard.
Bit late, but view from last Sunday mornings ride was a good one. South Australia at its best
@RobSandy
He is no bastard. He knows well his forebears; the ones who forged his hammer from the bare minerals of the Alps, the Ardennes, the Pyrenees, and the Carpathians. That hammer wrought in a forge fueled by the Flemish winds and cooled by the very sweat of its makers.
But the Man is merciless and his blow absolute.
@Teocalli
Ditto. And I won’t mess up the Saturday this time!
@davidlhill
Up for the full distance?
Lot of crazy talk on here recently re a Velominatus’s choice of tattoo. A common refrain was to move on and ride the bike. So I did. Had a few days off work and was blessed by a coincidental few days of unbelievable weather (for here in WI, in early November – high 60s/low 70s).
Rode Friday, 128 kms. Saturday was 100% rain so screw that. Sunday was good: 123 kms. Monday windy as hell and legs were iffy, 88kms. Wasn’t sure how Tuesday was going to be for the guns, but the weather was damn near perfect: low 70s, low wind. Off I set and the legs were good. I’ve been finding new roads in the county adjacent to mine (Didge Co. and as it’s pretty rural the back roads are in decent shape and traffic light.
Anytime you can ride in November in July gear is good. When you can hear geese flying overhead to the Horicon Marsh, when you hear the corn being harvested, when you can smell burning leaves, when there are still a few trees with color on them, when drivers are unbelievably courteous and considerate, when the legs are good, when the stop lights are all green then you know you are glad you’re a cyclist. When you do 123 kms at 29 kms/hr at this time of year you’re so damned happy. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. VLVV!
@eenies
I really, really fuck hate it when you drank too much the night before and you just can’t breathe the same as you could the previous day. How can alcohol steal your breath?! I hate that.
@wiscot
Sounds awesome! I haven’t had the time in far too long for long rides. It sucks, but that’s just how things go sometimes.
Also, LOVE that average. I’ll get caught seeing what the PROs do and then compare my solo riding avg to theirs…and it’s goddamn depressing. Thank you for some real world riding average!
@wiscot
Indeed! While my distance today and pace weren’t quite the level of yours, @wiscot, for us to be able to ride in WI in Nov in temps above 5C, much less 10C or even 15C the last several days, wow, truly grateful. And I also am really appreciating my Shamal tubs — I wouldn’t feel bad about riding these all the time and even foregoing my Bontrager D3 3 tubs, they’re that nice.
As for the tattoo discussion — meh. I don’t get it, tangential to riding at best, so I don’ t need to talk about it.
And on another note, I’m sure @wiscot can be the first to tell us the third guy in this photo; I’m blanking out on his name….
@teleguy57
Damn, no pressure! No idea. It’s not Jan Raas. Gotta be a Belgian.
Yesterday’s ride was truly one to remember. Anytime I hear about Milwaukee guys riding up around Holy Hill, I want to tell them to come another 15 miles north and I’ll show them what good roads with minimal traffic look like.
It’s Walter Godefroot, isn’t it?
@wiscot
10-4 to that! The whole getting dark at way too early though kinda takes away the fun.
I did that this afternoon in regular summer kit leaving the house at 4:18pm thinking early enough start and I’d quick knock of a regular 40km weekday evening ride and oooops, dark at 5:15 ish and I was needing a friggen headlight !! Ughhh. That was mistake. Time to hit the gym I guess.
@Oli
For sure, and with the advantage of reading Dutch, confirmed by a commenter whose identity and credibility I can’t verify.
@Teocalli
this may be a full blown velomifamily trip in which case no.
On the other hand my VMH has been known to withdraw from such events in the face of inclement weather, so……..
@Oli
You are, good sir, correct as always. A bit of a google search and it’s Mr Godefroot.
@davidlhill
Whatever, we must share a beer. Or two. Or……
Gents,
I have been to Eroica Tuscany – best event I’ve ever done.
Eroica UK – extremely good too.
There is now Eroica Spain, in the heart of Rioja country. Did anyone here do it last year, I believe its first? I am very tempted to sign up……
David
Angus had his first cross race today (and only his second time on a cross bike off road), he fell off a bitbut but came fourth. Unfortunately, I missed it, instead spent the day in the day working towards my British Cycling Level 2 Coaching certificate.
VLVV
@chris
Came here to post/lament/whine about the distinct probability of no more rides until 2016 and discovered “the wee Angus” shredding a ‘cross course whilst demonstrating a healthy dose of Rule #2.
Chapeau!
@davidlhill
Similarly tempted. Must look up the details. I need to plan a summer holiday
@DeKerr
You’ll like these then…
LifePaint