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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
[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.
[/rideitem]
View Comments
I've now seen the results sheet and am pleased to say I scooped my first road race points of my career on Sunday. Ok, it was only a single point but I'll take it.
The circuit had a short but steep hill, about 1km at 6%. Each time I managed this pretty well, getting to the front and sliding back through the bunch slightly during the climb (I ain't no climber). The 3rd and last time I did the same, but hadn't realised how reduced the bunch had got and I lost contact just before the summit.
There followed a frantic downhill chase with 2 other guys and I managed to get back into the pack and spent the next 20 minutes as the finish approached trying to work my way up the bunch. As we pulled into the finish, a 700m drag at about 3% I put the hammer down, with everything I had left, and from a long way back I got in touching distance of the lead group, crossing the line just behind.
If only I had been able to get in a better position prior to the sprint. There we go, that's racing.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1524787091/overview
Oh, and this is me chilling at the front early on in the race. I'm in the white/blue/red kit sitting 5th at this point.
@RobSandy
Impressive stuff and a nice looking course (if you like hills), chapeau.
Is that real power on your Strava or a Strava estimate that doesn't take into account riding in the bunch?
@chris
The power is model's own mate.
I have had a Stages since last summer.
@RobSandy
Frank would probably poke us in the eye with an old spoke for talking about power but I don't think he's paying attention.
That's a pretty impressive set of numbers, both in terms of the whole ride but also the last few minutes.
I've had a Stages PM for a few years, it's a great bit of kit but it has a huge appetite for batteries.
@chris
Frank ain't here!
Power is a funny thing for Road Races - there was a lot of time when I was rolling along in the bunch doing less than 150w, but also times were I was doing 400w + for a couple of minutes. It's very stop/start. Bearing that in mind my average power wasn't actually that high. I also never really opened my full sprint (1500w+) as the finish was a long drag and I was doing my damndest to pass as many people as possible.
Only time I can think of it being any use is if you're out in a breakaway and want to try and keep a consistent effort going. This ride was a more consistent effort, but obviously a lot shorter (An E123 crit).
https://www.strava.com/activities/1506498581
I'm glad you've said that - my Stages chomps batteries like nobodies business. Glad it's not just me.
I'd quite like to do either a turbo-based FTP test, or better, get out on the road and do a proper TT effort to see where my FTP has gone recently because I feel in super form right now.
@RobSandy
It's not much use during a race I agree.
But it is useful to look at afterwards and see what was happening at different times so you can train appropriately. Also to compare different races and efforts.
I'm yet to complete a race this year. First one was called off because of the Beast from the East, the second was stopped after 12 minutes when a guy crashed and sadly died of a heart attack.
Next chance on Bank Holiday Sunday but it's a flat track on an old airstrip (the one they use for Top Gear) so it will be a bit of a lottery I guess.
@ChrisO
Yeah, it's not like you look down at your Garmin and think 'Oh no, I'm doing FTP x 120%' when there's a kick in the speed of the bunch, you just go with it. Or don't.
But I've had a good look through the data after, good to see how much of the race I was able to ride at 'audax' pace (<220w) and save energy for when I needed it (the climbs and the final).
We had a race called off because of the snow, so I've done 2 road races and 2 E123 crits. I couldn't decide whether to race the 3/4 races or the E123's (being a Cat 3) but the 3/4 races have been horribly negative and there was a massive pile up last week. The E123's have been fast a furious, but smooth and safe. And I reckon with a bit of luck I could scoop some points in one.
Are you TTing this year Chris?
@RobSandy
Not seriously TTing this year. I've actually sold my TT bike.
I think my biggest problem with TTs is my position - I'm not going to make significant gains in my FTP - and the problem with the Trinity being so integrated is that it's difficult to use other setups.
So I'm going to get a proper bike fit and recommendation on a new bike and work on that for next year, assuming budget allows it (looking OK at the moment, we have lots of projects happening or on the cards - the irony being that means more travel and therefore less training).
Having said that, I fancy a new road bike too now that they are allowing disc brakes in races.
But for now I'm going to concentrate on the LVRC races for the summer, and will just do our club TTs on my road bike.
I've marked a couple of open TTs that have road bike categories too.
@ChrisO
There is a point where you can only go more aero. I'm still improving FTP, I think (I don't test as regularly as I should).
I'm still doing them on a road bike with clip-ons, however this year I'll be going from my old alloy F75 to my new AR1, with super speedy aero wheels, so I'm expecting that will make a difference. Going to do a bit of experimentation out on the road over the next couple of weeks to get a decent position and plan my pacing.
Sub 22 minute 10 is the aim. Should be doable with an FTP of about 320, right?