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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Are any Velominati riding the Maratona dles Dolomites next weekend? I’ve had such a shitty run up to the event, with a torn quad muscle and seemingly endless viruses for the past 2 months that the Man With The Hammer has booked passage in my bike box. Any pre-event beasting on Rule #5 will do my head the world of good, cos right now it’s full of demons grrrr.
Serious V for me…
117km through rolling hills @ 32.5 kph average speed.
http://app.strava.com/activities/62362864
I saw an alpaca being walked today on a ride. At first I thought it was a small horse, nope, alpaca.
@DerHoggz
@Joe and I saw a camel and a dromedary on yesterday’s ride….though it may have been the heat…115f can play tricks on your mind.
@paolo
Par for the course on my rides.
Just watched this
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=6QKdnz8i14E&feature=player_embedded&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6QKdnz8i14E%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded
any you ‘muricans ridden this climb?
@ChrisO
I knew you’d say that. They are a little less common here in the Santa Monica’s.
My 5-year old daughter just did her first 10km ride. Is the proper term a “metric decade”?
“College on a cycling scholarship” gets zero return on google.
@DerHoggz
I saw a dead alpaca or llama a couple weeks ago.
Was out for an evening of hill repeats when the phone rang. As it was the State Police, I pulled over to pick it up.
Motorist drove into a group of 13 kids on a rural state highway this evening. Hit seven of them, three had to be airlifted, one in critical condition. The kids were on an organized, cross-country ride from Charleston, SC, to Santa Monica, CA. I would love for my kids to take a trip like that, someday, but my heart is bleeding for the parents who got that phone call this afternoon.
Be careful out there, people.
@xyxax they do offer them. generally smaller lib arts schools. and awesome job for her! if this was a ride through ny, then doubly awesome!
@cantona looks fantastic out there. dont stop for a photo on the descent though, enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Who was wearing the V kit on the STP this weekend?
Did part of Stage 19 today. My first Cat 1 climb and my first HC climb. First Cat 2 climb was yesterday. Just awesome.
@snoov
Are you shitting me??? Really? FUCK, my life sucks!
@snoov
Make some notes for me. Intending to do the iconic Alps and Pyrenees climbs over a couple weeks in 2015 followîng retirement from current job before I’m forced to look for another.
@JohnB You won’t regret it. Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Soulor, Aubisque and Hautacam last year. F’ing hell of a way to get mountain fever. Just back from the Dolomites and they are stunning and challenging in equal measure.
I have a good friend with an apartment in Bareges if you are ever stuck for accomodation in the Pyrenees.
If there are any Coloradominati or Utahminati around in the next 3 weeks, I’m in the area riding sweeeet singletrack and drinking some good beers (with luck). Look me up.
Can’t figure out why it’s on it’s side but after several attempts I’m just leaving it like this. Over 30 degrees which sapped the legs somewhat. At the cafe at the top we regularly heard deep heavy breathing from those that had joined us at the top.
@Mike_P
Absolutely go for it. Did the Hautacam and Tormalet last year. Awesome(ly slowly). I was going to do Luz Ardiden as well but decided that would probably kill me. It was 230km as it was.
@Mike_P Your friend could become very popular.
@snoov Sweet !!!
@Chris Well, he only purchased the place for use in the winter as he’s a skiier, so I doubt he’d complain about the income stream. Hmmm maybe there’s some free accomodation incentives coming my way!
@brett
Yes, I’ll be around. Moving households in Co Springs, so it’ll depend on the day.
@brett niksch [at] mail [dot] com
Had a bit of a confrontation with a rock on Monarch Crest trail two days ago… broke my toe and got seven stitches. Back on the bike today in Crested Butte.
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@brett Ouch. Must be on some good pain relief to get back out so quickly!
Between that and your luggage on the KT you’ve not had much luck with bike related travelling this year.
@brett Hope the riding and view make you forget it, doesn’t look comfy!
Fuck riding can be humbling. 2 months off with new bubba, 1 month trainer, first outdoor ride. Used to tap out 100k fine, ride was 70k 800m climbing, met the man with the hammer big style!
But having earned suitable browny points over that time, VH advised I should “just buy” a new #1…
wtf, sorry Brett, that is me just above, dunno why it came through as you?
@Brett
Don’t forget to add the 8,900 feet in elevation to make riding all the more humbling. Unloading the car in Crested Butte is an effort once you first get there.
@Beers preaching to the choir here. Only a handful of rides since the little fella arrived in May & went out for two 50k rides before work on back to back days last week…absolutely empty trying to climb at the end of the second ride.
@Mikael Liddy
Yeah I’ve only been on a handful of rides in the last month. It’s amazing how quickly the strength goes away. I still feel like I can be “quick”, but the endurance just isn’t there. Went out and did 70 kms yesterday, that was pretty rough at the end!
Embracing a ride this Saturday named the Witch Curse Omen Massacre. It has a “backroad” hex that we all thrive on. The group that is being attracted may inflict some “bloodletting”.
Awesome ride by Mini-Phinney today! http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Last+2+Km+of+Stage+4&dashboard=tour-de-pologne&id=_Af8qs38-K4&yr=2013
great ride today in Niagara Ont. Wine Country.
Camera man thinks he’s funny making my bike looks small.
this is reason enough to throw your leg over the saddle of a bike
I’ve got the state criterium championships coming up in 2 weeks from today. Throughout this past week, I’ve mainly just been targeting strava segments, from 1 – 7 minutes in length.
Good training idea pre-taper?
Scody 3-Peaks
Any Oz Velominati done this ride or thinking of doing it in 2014?
https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/great-rides/94624/
Being over in WA it hasn’t appeared on radar to date – sounds like “fun”!
And how fast do the entries fill-up?
@asyax
I did it in 2011. Amazing day. I was a lesser rider then but it remains the toughest and best day I’ve had on the bike.
Just think of your favorite 190k ride with 23k of brutal uphill on top. The climb up the back of Falls Creek starts with a sustained 9k at 9%. I spent long blocks of time out of the saddle in 39-28 gagging on wasps…
I won’t be doing it in 2014. I think Sam from the Adelaide Cogal may be riding…
@harminator Thanks – Spotted a ref to it on Sam’s Strava. Trying to get a/few mates together to head over – I should be resplendent in full V-kit by then (fingers X’d). Be nice to know if anyone else planning to do it.
Hey guys,
Travelling to Monterey next weekend on business and will have some time to myself on Saturday afternoon – August 17th.
Anyone know of a good place to rent a bike?
Any suggestions for a route to ride?
Thanks!
Found a bike rental – Bay Bikes will rent me a Specialized Tarmac with Ultegra for $65 for the day – perfect! I’m riding a Tarmac now so the setup should be a breeze.
Would still be interested in routes to ride in that area though.
@kixsand
Won’t it be a tiny bit congested on the roads in and around Monterey next weekend? Try not to endanger any of the million-dollar autos that will be flying around the roads.
Enjoy your trip!
Kudos to Mike Cotty and his Mavic Team — completed 36 hr journey thru the Alps. What a good idea for a ride.
@moondance
Hopefully it’s not too crazy – The Concourse D’Elegance is the reason that I’m there. I work for Mercedes-Benz Canada and they’re sending me down as a bit of a perk. To tell you the truth though, I’m more excited about the bike ride!
@asyax
Yeah it’s on the to-do list although I think 2015 is a more realistic target budget & training time wise, I know a few guys that did it this year including a guy in his 50’s that also did the Race to the Sun up Haleakala a couple of months back.
@Mikael Liddy
Milestone ride for me this morning…my first century. I did it solo and averaged just over 30kph.
My legs were a little pissed but my head thinks I’m a fucking rock star.
@kixsand
Congrats. There’s a lot of satisfaction. And you’re right, it is not the equivalent of a marathon.
BTW, unless the course was pancake-flat (or unless they were serving pancakes at the finish), you are a rock star in my eyes.