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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@Sparty
Yeah, super nervous before the start — settled in after a bit, though. Then you’re just racing, you know? And the feeling of being off the front, even briefly, was incredible.
The 40+ Cat 4 was a good choice, for me. Definitely more stable and reliable than the Cat 5 bunches I remember.
@ChrisO
great to see you practising Rule #5 with such commitment!
I have not seen 24% – Ouch!
https://www.facebook.com/StevenLammertink1414/videos/483110585211762/
@sthilzy
I’ve hit mid 20’s in 36/25 & looked quite similar, when it went beyond 30% I, somewhat involuntarily, decided it was time for a lie down…
@Simon Spence
Haha, yes well any crash you can walk away from and still smile is a result.
Pretty much healed up now although some of the scars will take a while to fade. Been back twice for TTs without incident and did OK.
I’m glad I was doing it on my road bike though – I’d be too scared to get on the bars of a TT bike on that course and I don’t think it makes much difference on a course with lots of twists and turns and about 300m of climbing.
I’m hitting about 28.30 on average (it’s about 1km over the standard 10 mile distance) and the winners are doing about 27.00 on TT bikes.
At a flat 10 mile TT last week I did 23.03 on my TT bike and the guy who was doing 27 on the other course did a 22.04. So it’s less than 30 seconds I’m giving away on the road bike even if I could stay in position. It would probably be worse because I’d be sitting up more on a TT bike.
Been a year or two since I posted but wanted to share my recent experience riding the Mortirolo/Gavia loop from Bormio mentioned above. The reason I was in Italy was for the Grandfondo Stelvio Santini which, by the way, is a tremendously well organised event.The whole of Bormio was alive with the buzz around it in the days prior and a very enjoyable week all round. The hotel we stayed in was outstanding; super secure bike room, workshop, tools etc, cycling kit washed and dried by 7.30 every morning free of charge, they even served full breakfast from 5:15 on the morning of the event.
On the Wednesday prior to the event taking place on Sunday 5th June a friend and I rode out from Bormio and had a crack at the Mortirolo from Mazzo, down through the valley to Ponte di Legno and onto the Gavia. Although the Gavia was still closed to motorised traffic we had it on good authority that bikes could get through OK.
Overall, I enjoyed this ride more than the Stelvio Grandfondo (Teglio, Mortirolo – the bonkers relatively new Recta Contador route with 25% no tarmac sections and Stelvio from Bormio).
The Gavia gets a rough deal for being c 100m short of the top of the Stelvio but it is an incredible climb, especially when closed to cars. The isolation, narrow road winding up out of the trees, fantastic scenery changes, knackered tarmac and gradient variations made it for me a much more challenging climb both mentally and physically but therefore much more rewarding than the Stelvio. A special treat was the Galleria del Gavia, total darkness at 9% and absolutely freezing. Lights next time!
Outstanding route, if you are in the area you should definitely do this one.
@ChrisO
Oh, Chris, got a question for you.
I break the rules by fitting aerobars onto my road bike to ride TT’s. I can’t afford a TT bike right now so I think this is a decent compromise, and I’m pretty sure the bars save me a number of watts on flat courses.
One of the photos from my effort this week is a really good one for assessing position as it’s exactly side on (excuse the watermark).
I think I can get maybe 10mm lower at the front by taking out the headset crown spacer thing and sitting the stem right on top of the headset race – worth it?
I was also just reading an article about aerodynamics (think it might have been posted here), where they tested a pro riding 40kph around a race track with various different configurations (of road bike to TT bike, aero helmet TT helmet, etc), and it seems as if I could make a big saving on wattage by going for a TT helmet and skinsuit rather than road helmet and bibs/jersey – more of a saving than by using a TT bike.
Any thoughts on how likely this is? If true it’s a very good £’s to watts equation…
Photo didn’t post first time.
By the way, I did a 23:48, well short of my PB of 23:15. But it’s not a flat course.
Hoping to go under 23 minutes for the first time next Thursday.
@RobSandy
Looking good. Position is a funny thing and lower doesn’t necessarily mean faster if it compromises your power. The lower you go, especially on a road bike, the more your hips will close up so I’d be hesitant to say based on the photo.
The guys I know who are really aero do a lot of trial and error – even with kit – just by doing the same course at the same power and working out if there’s a difference. There are some programs which will take the data and work out your drag coefficient as well, but I’ve never got that geeky.
But as for helmet and skinsuit, yes definitely. There are at least 20-30 second savings to be made between even the best road helmets and a decent aero helmet.
If you’re on the road bike I’d go for a short tail – the long ones are only really good if you stay in position with the tail down on your back and can be worse if you lift the tail up.
It’s fairly new but the Met Drone tests very well. It has a wide body which helps air flow onto your shoulders with less turbulence. I’ve got a Lazer Wasp Air which is the short tail version and has good ventilation. Stay away from the Kask Bambino – it tests well but is very hot inside. The Bell Javelin has been around a few years and is relatively cheap but still performs well. Best budget option.
And skinsuit – for sure. Tight and smooth. It does make a difference.
@ChrisO
Nice one, cheers. I’ll definitely look at equipping myself better and see if I get any speed improvements. I can probably still make a lot of improvements to the engine!
I was scanning the gallery of all the riders in the TT and noticed this guy immediately from the thumbnail – check out how low he is. And guess what? He’s a pro. He drew (20:17) with a guy from my club who is a complete beast against the clock.
@RobSandy @ChrisO
So how would characteristics rank in order of providing most benefit ? Something like this maybe:
1) Aero qualities of TT bike vs a road bike
2) Aero qualities of disc and TT wheel vs spoked low profile road wheels
3) Aero quality of wind tunnel tuned TT rider position vs a good position
4) Aero quality of TT helmet vs vented road helmet
5) Aero quality of skin suit vs decent race kit
6) Aero benefits of overshoes/shoe covers vs not having
We’d note that the gun maintenance side of the equation is well managed btw!
@Randy C
3,1,2,4,5,6
@RobSandy that second shot shows a much higher saddle, as well as a low front and flat back, I think you would find it a bit cramped if you slammed your stem without lifting your saddle
@piwakawaka
Exactly. That’s why I think going lower on your road bike might not be an improvement.
Look at the angle of his legs to back through the hips. It would be better to compare if the pedal position was similar but he’s at least as open as you despite being so much lower. The TT bike geometry puts you more forward to keep the angles when you get down.
@Randy C
I’d go slightly different to @piwakawaka, mainly because I would also factor cost and likely actual benefit into my ranking although he’s probably right if you just take it in pure aero terms.
So I’d say:
1 – TT bike is the most difference of all, even over an aero road bike.
4 – Aero helmet is a relatively cheap and simple gain.
5 – Skinsuit likewise. These two are so simple and obvious it’s like “Why wouldn’t you?”
2 – OK, over spoked low-profile wheels yes this one should be Number 2. But the reality is most people who are into racing or serious riding are going to have some good, deep-section carbon wheels and they will be perfectly OK on them. True, a disc wheel is potentially a very big gain but it’s a very big price and it isn’t always useful. It works best in angled sidewinds so if it’s a head/tail wind or a direct side wind then you may not be gaining. They do sound fucking awesome though… sigh. It’s on my list.
3 – I really think you need to have a lot of TT-ing under your belt to make this useful. Undoubtedly it will be interesting but can you maintain the optimal position from a wind tunnel when you’re doing the club 10 on a Tuesday night on open roads? You can get similar benefits from finding an uninterrupted stretch of a couple of kilometres and doing it a few times in different configurations at the same power.
6 – It’s like shaving legs. Everyone does it but nobody is quite sure why. Whatever, they cost 10 quid so you might as well, even if it is very marginal.
Does the UCI legislate for BB height? Hypothetically speaking, for a straight TT with no cornering, surely it would be more aero to get the BB as low as possible, so as to drop the entire setup, smaller headtube etc.
Granted for a race/prologue with corners you’d want a bit of height so you can start pedalling while the bike is still banked out of a corner.
But if perfectly straight course, the lowest drag coefficient surely would come on a bike setup as low as possible, where the pedal has the least margin for error, correct? You’d be able to drop the bb and therefore entire body by quite a bit I would imagine. 10’s of cm?
Hypothetically speaking of course. No one would probably want to ride such a bike.
The thing that strikes me about looking at photos is that without knowing someone’s height they can be misleading. What I mean by this is that the height difference between saddle and stem will be greater for a tall person than for a short(er) person. Kinda like an application of the Golden Ratio where the optimum position of seat to stem for a aero (flat?) back is a ratio to other measurements rather than x cm for everyone.
@Randy C
Here’s the article/study. Apologies if this has been picked over before here;
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/how-aero-is-aero-19273/
Actually, I appear to have got myself in a slight muddle but according to that an aero helmet would provide me roughly a 7w saving at 40kph (and I ride around that speed when I TT so it’s probably pretty comparable). The biggest saving is from riding in the drops to riding on aerobars.
After that I think you’e pinching the odd watt here and there.
This weekend. No Energy Bars and Bananas at the food stops, instead it will be Bacon Butties, Egg Butties, Sausage Butties, Sausage Rolls, Pork Pies, Beer and Sparking wine.
@Teocalli
@Randy C
@chris
@Barracuda
I need to add a footnote to my Tourmalet epic – I was just passing some time during a lunch break, looking at Strava flybys of that ride, when I spotted something – a rider I passed just after I’d turned back from the road block to start my long ride back via the Tourmalet for the second time clearly rode up the road which was shut.
I thought I recognised a lad I’d seen around then going up the Tourmalet as I was descending for the 2nd time, and now I know that this was in fact the case. I rode all the way around while this bastard just nipped over the barrier and rode up. I can’t believe it.
@RobSandy
Sorry but I just spat my lunch over my screen………………now creased up on the floor……..
@Teocalli
I’m staggered. Maybe he was mates with the gendarmes on the road block?
I’m so astonished I’ve sent a message to the guy on Strava, in French, to find out what the hell went on.
@RobSandy
You see it’s just that we are polite and obey our Police. He probably just shrugged, muttered “Huh” and carried on.
@Teocalli
I’M VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS
@RobSandy
Why? Your ride was epic in the true sense of the word that you’ll never forget.
His wasn’t.
@chris
This.
@Teocalli
Yes ok. But still.
@Teocalli
And also, from a certain point of view, very funny.
Not mine though.
Finally going out to consecrate an all-road route on Saturday. This is all leading to an eventual all-road race event — in South Carolina! 28mm!
@RobSandy
You have to let us know if he responds… but all the same, this does add a certain twist and helping to make a story of epicness even more interesting as time passes. What I’m saying, is in a strange way, it just makes the experience better. Cheers
I can think of two very challenging hikes up mnt’s that I’ve made only to find a parking lot and roadway at the top.
Another great weekend at L’eroica Brittania. Pictures never do a hill justice and the gradient picked up round the corner but The Mur de Brassington could compete with The Mur de Hoy in the vintage scene. Just what you want to find at 155 Km of 160 Km on a vintage rig. Managed to clean it with the guy I was with at the time (thanks to fitting a bail out gearing) but I suspect many would have to walk that one.
Sorry @ 115 Km (makes all the difference……)
Ha! Pics from the event last weekend. The last shot of the stamped card is mine!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2016/jun/23/eroica-britannia-2016-in-pictures
@Teocalli
Thank Merckx you are not the bloke on the one but last picture with long black socks and wrongly placed skewers…(rider nr 4408). Will post picture next couple of days with my outfit (machine & jersey) so you know whom to look out for at the Limburg Eroica. Do not have hairnet or old shoes of those days anymore…
@KogaLover
Indeed. There were some strange interpretations of vintage when it came to socks in with vintage jerseys.
This is from last year but is still valid…..
and this is the social attire for before/after…..
@Teocalli
Here’s my envisaged equipment for next week, so you know whom to look out for. Not sure if the jersey is retro/vintage enough though… But many thanks to Fellominatus @ErikdR for sending me his orange Koga Miyata jersey. If anyone thinks the jersey violates Rule #16, by all means, bring your minipump to Denmark next time when you catch up with @ErikdR!
@KogaLover
Will look out for you, that should stand out – then again as it is NL there could be quite a bit of Orange around.
How long will you be in down? We are driving over on Friday and leaving on the Monday and will be staying in the hotel Walram.
down = town
@KogaLover
They’ll have to catch me first, though…
Just crossed my mind that you may have hit upon an excellent training method, i.e.: violate a rule (within reason, to avoid excommunication) and then ride like the wind to stay away from a bunch of angry Velominati with mini-pumps. Or: “Prepare to suffer – or you will suffer!”. Something along those lines.
Bike looks sweet. Jersey looks sweet. Have fun in Limburg, gents – Best wishes for a great weekend and a Happy Eroica!
@ErikdR out for now (I will be spending the weekend away from reliable Internet connections. ‘See’ you Monday)
@Teocalli
I will drive over on Saturday, stay with my sis close to Maastricht and come to Valkenburg only on Sunday morning. Will drive back on Monday morning. How can I recognise you btw?
I’ll be on a pale green metallic Claud Butler with a Wiel’s jersey per the pic above and I’m doing the long route. Maybe we should try to hook up post event unless you are also doing the long route, I’ll message you my mobile number and we can arrange to meet by text? Not sure of start times as they don’t appear to be sending anything out till you get there and register but if it is like the UK then the long route starts between 6 am and 7 am or thereabouts with shorter routes starting later to try to have people finishing in a closer timeline.
@KogaLover
Ah.
I guess you probably just got their emil too.
Starting times:
You can find the starting times of the different routes below. Be aware! The start will not take place on the Eroica Limburg Festival Area, but on the ‘Theodoor Dorrenplein’, in the middle of the historical centre of Valkenburg. Besides your first stamp, you will also receive a Italian espresso there, offered by Cup & Vino Valkenburg.
160 KM
07:00-09:00h
100 KM
08:00-10:00h
60 KM
09:00-10:30h
Start: Theodoor Dorrenplein
@Teocalli
Yep, got their info earlier this morning. Sooo Denglish, makes my toes curl, apologies on behalf of my fellow countrymen, but then again, you laddies have it coming with ya rotten vote against the EU… Let’s catch up indeed!
No worries re the Denglish. It’s way better than anything I could do in anything other than perhaps ‘murican.
This place should be a non political zone but today my house feels like a bereavement took place last night.
@Teocalli
Yup, the UK/EU divorce is going to be long, messy and costly. And Boris Johnson might end up as PM. The implications for Scotland vis-a-vis the UK and EU are also startlingly unknowable and unpredictable.
@Teocalli
@wiscot
I was gutted. But now I’m intrigued. This isn’t over yet.
@RobSandy
We live in interesting times.
Possibly the only certainty is that the odds on Chris Froome getting doused in French piss have risen.
I’ve run out of excuses, I can’t go on putting the current inertia down to workload.
I was entering the boys in a race this evening when I thought sod it. You’re fat, haven’t ridden much in ages and will come last but it’ll get you riding so I entered the Cat 4 only race at the Berkhamsted Castle Revolutions Festival on the 10th of July.
Not only that but booze is off the menu until we go to Majorca at the end of July and I’ll be lining up at the club 10 on Wednesday evening to see how badly I’ve gone to seed.
@chris
And you are missing out on this great summer we are having so far. Oh wait…….
Not at all. The walk from the station to the office has generally qualified as Rule #9 weather.
Rule #9 on the day of the race might work in my favour as a leveller.
@chris
There truly is a bright side to everything.