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.
[/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]
Anyone doing the Dirty 40 in VT at the end of the month?
@RedRanger Ah sweet sweet dirt. I’ve been reveling in it as well. Living in the bay area I have hundreds of miles of dirt right outside my front door. The Colnago is currently out of action for some frame surgery so in the meantime I suppose this will have to do.
(Apologies in advance for the drive side facing away, but not for the EPMS since it’s a cross bike)
@xyxax
Ha! Thanks.
It’s not as hard as a marathon was…but it was closer than I thought it was going to be. Riding solo and essentially time trialing it created something close to a maximum effort for me. I was having a tough time walking afterwards. I’ve basically felt like shit all day…headaches and almost like I had a fever…chills and sweats.
I did it right.
@Weldertron
Im signed up, but have a stooopid amount of dtuff to get done…are you a vt’er?
@EricW
What a great back drop. i miss my cross bike sometimes.
@roger
Nope. Montrealer. Bunch of the club is going down to do it.
@Weldertron
route should be amazing. are you all heading down friday or leaving crack of dawn saturday?
Saturday. It’s only about an hour drive. Should be interesting as the route is not closed to traffic, but it is a race. Need to stop at all stop signs, traffic lights, etc… I guess the winner will be whoever is not afraid of running the most reds.
Would like to invite everyone to an epic early season event….
http://www.rougeroubaix.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rouge-Roubaix/133129676743513
http://spencerpaxson.blogspot.com/2013/03/lenfer-du-sud-rouge-roubaix-2013.html
@CerveloR3 There are a lot of great youtubes on it. JUst search Rouge Robaix
The kids had their first shot at racing yesterday. Circuit racing on a local airfield. It was bllody windy.
Ed, the youngest rode his BMX i a full face helmet, the only single speed bike there. He was in tears by the end form standing up for pretty much the full fifteen minutes.
Angus had been planning von riding his new mtb but a last minute mechanical put him on one of the club bikes. He said he knew how the gears worked but once he got going he realised that he only knew how to change up through the gears and ended up grinding away for half the race. Eventually his big sister rode beside him for a bit to explain.
Katie rode in the under 14s at the same time as the U14 bous and U16 girls. She’s not sully used to her road bike and having her gears restricted didn’t help, she was effectively left with an eight speed.
Some of the kit the kids were on was ridiculous, one kid in the U12s was on a Supersix whilst another was on Zipps. The U14s boys were sporting Cannondale Evos and Canyons with SRAM rRed or Di2. WTF.
Off to France tomorrow for a fortnight. Bikes are loaded up.
the downside being a 0230 start…
Le Giro d’Italia di Mutton
@Chris this is defo the way forward for kids racing, keeping them off the road – we do a monthly sesh on a little used local car race track – best craic, and the kids love it
@Chris
You sir, are doing it right.
@Dr C
You are not supposed to draft in an ITT but I couldn’t help myself of doing it for the recon lap of M.Moser on the Eneco tour last Friday. Note the 46km/h on the “U Rijdt” indicator.
@Dr C We’re going to be running training sessions for the kids on the airfield on a regular basis and more racing. They loved it. When I find some spare time and cash I’m going to get the British Cycling road coach training. I’m planning on giving up the day job to become the next Dave Brailsford.
The club is also planning on getting some grown up racing going there. Can’t wait.
@veesanteeco
Fantastic.I caught the last stage on my Sunday ride and took a few shots in Geraardsbergen. There’s always pain on De Muur.
On the mtb today, just for the hell of it. So much more fun when the tree roots aren’t all covered in snot. At least that’s how I feel about it. This is looking out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca (pronounced Wanda Fooka), and that would be Protection Island and Mt. Baker in the background.
I can get here almost exclusively via gravel and twisty singletrack from my front door in about 45 minutes. It would take less time if I were fitter and knew how to ride a fucking mountain bike.
@PeakInTwoYears
Is that some kind of petrified prehistoric eel in the left foreground of the shot? Awesome photo by the way.
@Mikael Liddy
There’s a sign on that beach that says “Here There Be Huge Great Fossilized Reptiles.” No, not that I’m aware of. But there are cougars around. Last year, somebody just a mile or so from that beach had one run out from under his back porch. Puppies and kitties and are on the menu. No one that I know of has been taken for prey whilst riding.
Going to be in the Portland OR area on business Aug, 3.4.5.6. Thinking of shipping my bike with me to ride in the evening.
Any thoughts? I have rented bikes in the past while in Idaho and Colorado. But I think I would like to ride my own.
If you could recommend a shop to rent a decent road bike please let me know.
@PeakInTwoYears very nice to be able to ride to a place like that. what are the details on that bike?
@Rob C
The short answer is Veloce bikes rents a couple different masi’s. website has info. Ur dates are a bit confusing to me but they will still prolly rent u a bike.
post up if u need more riding info. There a few speed bumps in town and routes to wild terrain. G’luck. Also, cx season is about to start…
@gaswepass Thanks for the info. I will look them up. Tuesday Sept. 3 to Sept. 6. Wrong month.
@RedRanger
2007 Epic Comp M5, XT with XTR RD. Bought lightly used last year. Fox fork and Brain in the rear; both work well, by my noob standards. Since purchase: Roval wheels and Spesh rubber; have done the full bleed and new pads and cleaned up rotors on the brakes as well as chain, rings, and cassette. Putting on a new FD and re-cabling that bit tomorrow, just to smooth out the front shifting, which is a little stiff for my arthritic (now swollen) thumb.
It’s all the mtb I deserve at this point. Although I must say that today I rode it down some steep-ass switchbacks a bit like I stole it. (Only, I hasten to add, by my own standards. But it was fun.)
@Chris
That is a lovely set up.
Its a Rule #25 breach offset by some Rule #11 compliance, the fact your road bike has the safest position on the trailer is clear to see.
@TommyTubolare
Great shots. They’re not even on the hard part yet.
Funny. It never occurred to me that de Muur might feature in races outside the Spring Classics.
@PeakInTwoYears “Wanda Fooka” – love it. I think that’s how I’ll start spelling it officially from now on.
@DeKerr
funny, in Seattle we referred to it as the “the strait of want to f— you”. potato, tomato…
Over here on the Peninsula we’re all old and slow with low T-levels.
So, this has been a summer of upheaval for me and my family, which has translated into very little time in the saddle. New baby (velomi-nipper #4, for those of you keeping count), New town, New house, and (soon to be) new job all tend to take time away from riding! (This also explains my absence from the site this summer).
Anyway, I’ve finally gotten to ride a bit more regularly lately in my new surroundings, now that things have finally begun to settle down. I have to tell you, although they’ve been fairly ordinary rides from the terrain/landscape perspective (although I now live in a much hillier part of Wisconsin), and although I have no form whatsoever, these rides have been real eye-openers, in demonstrating to me just how much riding a bicycle has became part of the fabric of my life. It’s like I’ve rediscovered a part of me that I wasn’t fully aware that I was missing all summer long.
I think I’ll always remember these rides, despite their relative ordinariness, because after sucking wasps and making homes for butterflies for 30k and barely 300m of elevation, I’m still wearing a big fool shit-eating grin when I get home. VLVV
@EricW
Hey Eric, where is that? Looks fun.
I’ve added an extra 7km of off road to my commute and ridden it everyday this week. This fast smooth grass track drops at -5.5% for 3km before the chalk gravel roads start.
I’ve not seen a single person out here all week.
had an amazing ride on the steel today. was only 30some k’s, but it was splendid…love the autumn in new england
@motor city you are killing me!
@roger
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I’m am NOT ready for yet another nine months of sub-clinical depression. Do not even joke about this.
@PeakInTwoYears Odd, I cant wait for summer to be over.
@RedRanger
Heh, heh, go figger. My sister moved to Phoenix this spring, so I’ve been noting the temps.
How you know you have had a solid summer of riding
I get home from yet another ride VMH says “why don’t you take your socks off when you are out by the swimming pool? those tan lines look stupid” I respond ” We have a swimming pool?”
Anyone? Anyone?
http://www.savemountdiablo.org/activities_events_chal.html
@Nate
It’s Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. I forget the trail name but it runs from Sunol to Hayward all on dirt. A lot of very nasty steep but shortish kickers.
@EricW Looks like a good event. I can be in Nor Cal on Oct 6.
@Rob C
Cool. Let me know, maybe we can coordinate. I’m riding Levi’s Gran Fondo on the 5th. Figure this will make a nice, masochistic recovery.
@EricW I have two pair of 27 mm tires headed my way. Let’s hit some dirt soon. Diablo is calling my name too. Maybe Mitchell Canyon Road, a dirt climb on the north side?
@Nate
Sounds painful. Count me in. Are road tires gonna cut it on the dirt climb?
@motor city
To be fair, the bikes are on top of the trailer (which probably cost less than all the bikes) than on top of the Disco.
@EricW
Levi Grand Fondo will kick your butt. I will confirm with you this week.
@EricW
I have only ever hiked it so who knows but isn’t that the fun of it? Well graded fire road. 27 road tires will probably work. Bring your cross bike. I wouldn’t want to try it on 23s. Plus in the fall there are all kinds of giant tarantulas wandering around, just to make it that little bit more… interesting.
@Nate
I’ll bring mudguards then.