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

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”]

lbl

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”]

paris-roubaix

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”]

seattleronde

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]

3,329 Replies to “The Rides”

  2. @G’rilla

    Super technical. Roots, rocks, twists, turns. Mostly forest.

    +1

    It’s amazing how absolutely frictionless the surface of a tree root can be when it’s soaking wet and has been worn smooth by thousands of mtb tires. I have found this to be the case.

  3. Museeuw riding the Kapelmuur to the the Flemish anthem De Vlaamse Leeuw in the full old school colored Mapei kit!  Brings a tear to my eyes.  And he did not like riding in the small ring as there was no reason to go slow!!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnX4uaDYyIU

    Rode with him last August in Belgium, then had dinner at the next table over.  Got to chat with him.  Great guy, very nice.  BIG F’ing thighs even now.  Duvel was one of our sponsors at the time, so it was perfect, just perfect.

  4. Oh, and I got to ride with Eddy too, Crushed the poor old thing though on the cobbled bergs.  He’s a tad bit batty these days too, maybe from all that cannibal stuff……

  6. First ever race.  Registered, went back to the car and first thing I pulled out was the rear wheel.  Sidewall cut, there goes my race…

  8. @DerHoggz

    First ever race. Registered, went back to the car and first thing I pulled out was the rear wheel. Sidewall cut, there goes my race…

    If it helps, three weeks ago I flatted in the first 30 seconds of a race.

    Changed the tube and got back on the course.

  9. @DerHoggz

    First ever race. Registered, went back to the car and first thing I pulled out was the rear wheel. Sidewall cut, there goes my race…

    That sucks to be sure. But when you’ve been on the bike for 75 miles, a shit ton of climbing, whittled the field down to 8 (from 110 starters, trip to Nationals on the line), 3K to go, and you flat. That sucks worse.

  10. @scaler911

    @DerHoggz

    First ever race. Registered, went back to the car and first thing I pulled out was the rear wheel. Sidewall cut, there goes my race…

    That sucks to be sure. But when you’ve been on the bike for 75 miles, a shit ton of climbing, whittled the field down to 8 (from 110 starters, trip to Nationals on the line), 3K to go, and you flat. That sucks worse.

    To finish first, first you have to finish.

  11. @piwakawaka

    @scaler911

    @DerHoggz

    First ever race. Registered, went back to the car and first thing I pulled out was the rear wheel. Sidewall cut, there goes my race…

    That sucks to be sure. But when you’ve been on the bike for 75 miles, a shit ton of climbing, whittled the field down to 8 (from 110 starters, trip to Nationals on the line), 3K to go, and you flat. That sucks worse.

    To finish first, first you have to finish.

    I actually invented the milarcopter.

  12. @G’rilla

    One thing I love about mountain bike racing is the silence of the forest after everyone has passed you and you’re just pedaling along, carrying the larnterne rouge.

    Last place today. At least I finished! And had fun.

    Here’s a mob that breaks the silence – good fun crowd….

    ProGRT How To Cheer from Transition Bikes on Vimeo.

  13. Who among you would vote on riding 7 days a week? Taking rest days on the bike.

  14. While for the most of my time on a bike I was someone who toured, I understand so much about being on a bike. Many years ago I traversed Canada from Vancouver to Montreal with a mate of mine. We were on the road for 59 days. Recently we have been both entertaining finishing our trip to the East Coast of Canada. He may be entertaining it, but I will do it.  I am going out tomorrow on a shitty day just to be a bad ass like I was when I was preparing for that trip back in the early 1980s. I am glad a friend pointed me on to this site. It brings back a lot of emotion.

  16. Got is a pretty great 32km MTB ride today. Not much climbing at about 300 meters but plenty enough for me. temps got to 35 degrees, blazing sun and little to no shade to be found. Lots of decomposed granite to make it interesting.

  17. @unversio

    Who among you would vote on riding 7 days a week? Taking rest days on the bike.

    In a perfect world, yes. But one of those should be “active rest” (riding short and easy). But I don’t live in a perfect “cycling” world. Family life is how I get my rest days.

  18. @unversio

    Who among you would vote on riding 7 days a week? Taking rest days on the bike.

    All things in moderation, even riding. I think that to stay cycling-fit long-term I need to be doing some other stuff as well so that I use muscles differently and don’t become completely cycling-specific.

    That doesn’t necessarily mean not riding 7 days a week, but here I don’t have the option of riding to work or the shops or even just leisure riding. When I ride it’s for training and I’m doing 10-12 hours a week. So I have two days off the bike where I swim instead.

  19. The Velominhoti and I did different courses of the 7 Hills of Kirkland yesterday – hers 64k, 1,000 meters, while my mates and I rode the 100k, 1,500 meters – both in Rule #9 conditions.

    She tells me that at one of the feed stops she met a Velominatus clad in the sacred vestments.  Who was it?

  20. Why is it that when I go on an athletic weekend with friends (rent a cabin, go biking/kayaking, etc), I always come back weighing more than before?

  21. @G’rilla

    Why is it that when I go on an athletic weekend with friends (rent a cabin, go biking/kayaking, etc), I always come back weighing more than before?

    Malted Recovery Beverage Consumption – gotta break the seal sometime!

  23. @urbanwhitetrash

    A photo from a random stranger on my way up Haleakala. Please note, the bike is a rental so I claim no lordship over it and its infringements.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/57241178

    Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA in the pool afterwards FTW.

    Fantastic! Monster of a ride, adding all that extra in there! I’m delighted you were slower than me on the way up, though I am aware you rode there and back home from your hotel, so that takes some of the pride out of my basket.

    That section where you were shot is hard. How’d you like that jog up the summit? You should have a beer with Gianni while you’re on island.

    I do hold you responsible for the EMPS.

  24. @urbanwhitetrash huh, she wasn’t from Florida was she? One of the guys I sometimes ride with back here in Adelaide did the business on the volcano a week or so ago & had a stranger take a shot of him in nearly the same spot.

    It seems Adelaideans are staging an invasion of sorts on the island over the coming months. I know of at least two others that are hitting Maui with the sole intention of taming Haleakela.

  25. Why the hell do these things rotate on me?

    Anyway, as a shop owning V, I must pass on this greatness. The MCipollini Bond climbs well, but truly descends as advertised – like a demon! Kitted out with TRP brakes, Dura Ace Shifting & Crankset, Miche Stupertype wheels and cassette, a test SMP Dynamic saddle, Deda stem, & an OEM set of carbon handlebars I am testing. This is the medium without cutting the seat tube (for myself, I need to cut another cm or two, so I can lower this by 5mm), it weighs a UCI tickling 15lbs 9oz. Oh, that’s with crap R45 pedals, just a set for test rides here in the shop, so add a set of Time Xpressos and say good-bye to legal…

    As I dropped my daughter off at daycare this morning I said, “daddy need to test ride a bike today.” The daycare worker replies, “that sounds like a tough day.” Yes, yes it is. Note, that I am a trackie and I PR’ed my local cat 3 climb for the test ride.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/58823195

  27. Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

  29. @wiscot

    Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

    That happened to me last summer about this time. Was riding a very standard route, and noticed how there was no cars, trucks or anything. Then as I continued east, I started catching tri-geek after tri-geek. Closer I got to the start finish, I had people cheering me on, got my photo taken, got yelled at when I missed the “transition area”. Made me happy overtaking $10,000 Argon’s kitted out with Zipp 808’s on my #2 steel 9speed equipped rig.

  30. @scaler911

    @wiscot

    Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

    That happened to me last summer about this time. Was riding a very standard route, and noticed how there was no cars, trucks or anything. Then as I continued east, I started catching tri-geek after tri-geek. Closer I got to the start finish, I had people cheering me on, got my photo taken, got yelled at when I missed the “transition area”. Made me happy overtaking $10,000 Argon’s kitted out with Zipp 808″²s on my #2 steel 9speed equipped rig.

    I did restrain myself from yelling “Obey the Rules! Obey Rule #42 people!” There were way more of them than me.

  31. Maybe some of y’all have seen this already… I bet the marshal regretted volunteering.

    The first bit you don’t see is her being hit out of shot, then while she’s on the ground the other marshals tell the riders to go left, but they are facing the riders so they mean right – although it is clear from the way they are indicating.

    I guess the riders at the back might not see or hear them in time but they could surely have seen the front of the peloton moving sharply.

    Apparently everyone was OK. Not known at this stage if any of the injured were named Joey.

  32. @wiscot

    Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

    About 20 years ago I was in Madison during the summer.  One day I went for a big bike ride west of town.  Might have been 4th of July weekend.  Blasted right down the main street of a small town, possibly Mt. Horeb, about 5 minutes before the small town holiday parade started.  The whole town was out lining the street, and cheered for me.

  33. @G’rilla

    Why is it that when I go on an athletic weekend with friends (rent a cabin, go biking/kayaking, etc), I always come back weighing more than before?

    try spitting instead of swallowing

  35. @Marcus

    @G’rilla

    Why is it that when I go on an athletic weekend with friends (rent a cabin, go biking/kayaking, etc), I always come back weighing more than before?

    try spitting instead of swallowing

    Bang! One shot….one kill!

  36. @Nate

    @wiscot

    Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

    About 20 years ago I was in Madison during the summer. One day I went for a big bike ride west of town. Might have been 4th of July weekend. Blasted right down the main street of a small town, possibly Mt. Horeb, about 5 minutes before the small town holiday parade started. The whole town was out lining the street, and cheered for me.

    That’s a fine feeling indeed! One charity ride I do in the fall out of Sheboygan has cheerleaders to welcome you home. It’s kinda embarassing but kinda nice. Would be nice to have it after every ride but I think the neighbors might object.

    On the flip side, in the late 80s I got caught behind an Orange Lodge parade in Glasgow while wearing a Tour replica green jersey. No one cheered for me and I was shit-scared. Those parades tend to bring out all kinds of nutjobs who have a particular distaste for he color green for some reason . . .

  37. if you havnt seen this yet, do so asap. Its old but I just watched it tonight.

  38. Just finished 6 days riding in the Sonoma California area.  King’s Ridge, Mill Valley, and Timber Cove, among other famed northern California climbs.  What a beautiful part of the world to ride in.  As a kid from the Garmin development team said to me the other day, “the roads around here don’t waste any time gettin’ up!”

  39. This caught my eye while out looking over roads on a new possible route. The roads are not so good.

  40. @unversio

    How much for the tractor?

    @cantona

    Beautiful. I did a couple of rides in the Santa Cruz area in April. The climbing from Hwy 1 up to Empire Grade was kickass—gorgeous and sustained.

  41. Any of you British Columbian Canadanians got any suggestions for rides or a place to stay on Salt Spring Island? We’re thinking of stringing some rides from the house to Port Angeles up the Sammich Peninsula and over to Salt Spring where we’d get a B&B for a couple of nights.  Just throwing the crocs and a toothbrush in a teeny rucksack, so the accommodations will need to be casual…

  42. Oh, wait, there’s like one road on Salt Spring Is.

    Ha, ha…nevermind.

  43. Rode tonight with 7 others – all stronger than me.  it was my first club ride wih my LBS and it was SO good for me.  I’m usually the quickest rider mong my group of friends and more often than not I dictate the pace.  Tonight I was fighting hard to keep the wheel of the guy in front of me And it was a hugely rewarding experience when I was able to keep pace…barely.  Big stretches pushing 40kph.  I can’t wait to ride with these guys again!

  44. Another thing I will say is that adherence to The Rules by these young men was near perfect — just one saddle bag in the bunch.  One guy was riding a Cyclocross bike but when he put the hammer down and left us all in the dust my doubts were assuaged.

  45. In the interests of disclosure, I followed some of you losers on Strava, and some of you are following me as well, after buying a f#*^ing Garmin. I had it for 48 hours before it broke and I had to send it back to the distributor for repairs , and it would have been 2 weeks tomorrow. If anyone gives a shit, I actually have ridden for more than 16 kilometers in the last 2 weeks.

  46. @minion I’m not one of your followers but yeah, my android phone’s GPS doesn’t always work so all the kilometres I do don’t get on there, and sometimes I keep em private, so help me Merckx.

  47. @wiscot

    @Nate

    @wiscot

    Had a scary moment on Saturday. Was doing a 200kms charity ride out of Oostburg, WI. At Elkhart Lake I ran into what was, I think, a biathlon or triathlon. Roads blocked off, cops, crowds. Managed to slip through unscathed and unaffiliated. While not wearing V gear, I was wearing all black with white shoes/socks, on an all black bike with orange bidons, so at least I was V color compliant.

    About 20 years ago I was in Madison during the summer. One day I went for a big bike ride west of town. Might have been 4th of July weekend. Blasted right down the main street of a small town, possibly Mt. Horeb, about 5 minutes before the small town holiday parade started. The whole town was out lining the street, and cheered for me.

    That’s a fine feeling indeed! One charity ride I do in the fall out of Sheboygan has cheerleaders to welcome you home. It’s kinda embarassing but kinda nice. Would be nice to have it after every ride but I think the neighbors might object.

    On the flip side, in the late 80s I got caught behind an Orange Lodge parade in Glasgow while wearing a Tour replica green jersey. No one cheered for me and I was shit-scared. Those parades tend to bring out all kinds of nutjobs who have a particular distaste for he color green for some reason . . .

    @wiscot Excellent dit there, classic west of scotland tale. Sad bastards.

  48. @snoov

    @minion I’m not one of your followers but yeah, my android phone’s GPS doesn’t always work so all the kilometres I do don’t get on there, and sometimes I keep em private, so help me Merckx.

    I think you should log all the rides you do, sort of like a confessional really, and knowing you are going to make it public tends to reinforce the V.

  49. @PeakInTwoYears

    Any of you British Columbian Canadanians got any suggestions for rides or a place to stay on Salt Spring Island? We’re thinking of stringing some rides from the house to Port Angeles up the Sammich Peninsula and over to Salt Spring where we’d get a B&B for a couple of nights. Just throwing the crocs and a toothbrush in a teeny rucksack, so the accommodations will need to be casual…

    Call Jackie and Candy at Lakeside B&B, they may be able to set you up or make recommendations: http://www.islandescapades.com

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