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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Just quietly, riding around Adelaide at this time of year does not suck (even if it’s going to get to 45 degrees today). Managed to tag on with the Giant Shimano boys for a while this morning & have a quick chat to “Aussie” Koen. Was going to lecture Marcel on the finer points of Rule #7 but he’s fucking massive!
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@Mikael Liddy Very jealous, caught this on the inter webs yesterday.
https://vimeo.com/84091755
Away on the white stuff at the moment but leg training by skinning uphill in the evening. Beautiful under a full moon this evening. Simple solitude and laying out a rhythm directly up the fall line. So peaceful. My VMH asks me why at the end of a day’s skiing – it’s beautiful because it’s hard. VLVV.
@Teocalli Oh man! at first I thought you were talking about something completely different… great shot.
@piwakawaka
Yeah – not sure that listing “Skinning Up” is a great thing to list under pastimes on a CV these days. Hmm and just realised that “on the white stuff” was open to (mis)interpretation too.
@piwakawaka it’s a great time to be riding in one of the best cycling cities in Oz, saw the Europcar boys rolling out towards the hills this morning as I made my way back towards work.
Sadly Tommy the Tongue was not among them as he’s heading home today after breaking his collarbone less than 2hrs after landing yesterday.
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/52602/voeckler-s-tour-down-under-over-before-it-had-even-begun
Cuddles pushing some other pedals before the TDU.
http://bcove.me/0tuhxb89
That was a 44′ day as well.
Brief article in the Wall Street Journal today about the team of 70 year olds who set their age group Ride Across America Relay Record. 6 days, 13 hours, 13 minutes – 4800km.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949504579262711575922246
@sthilzy
The thing that struck me about that clip was how much more animated Evans was talking about cars. Have never heard him be that enthusiastic about anything to do with cycling.
Cycling is old news (for Cadel). V8’s, now that’s something fresh!
On alternative winter training….
Yesterday evening – So I’ve skinned up to over 11,000 feet and it’s dark and I’m just changing from skins to downhill mode and putting on a couple of layers of clothing by the light of a little headlamp.
I hear what to me, alone up there, sounds like a grunt from a large animal in the trees that I am by. Now at this time of the year the deer and elk are way down the valley and (hopefully) the bears are asleep so the only other big things that are around tend to be coyote (not that big) and occasionally the odd cougar…….
So I do what any self respecting person would do – I near crapped myself!
Got out my mountain bike really bright headtorch pronto and looked as much like a too-lively-prey-animal-to-be-worth-chasing would do as I packed my gear and hoped that if there really was a cougar in the woods it would go for the dot of light that was the next guy/gal I could see coming up the trail and got out of there pronto.
Is that a lack of V I have to wonder though?
@Marcus
Seen Robbie lately?
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/video/watch/17972110/joh-catches-up-with-robbie-mcewen-ep-24-12-07-2013/
Some rides that make you smile the whole way.
Pic taken aboard my trusty old Balance AL450
@sthilzy Nice – is that a pushalong bike for the little one ?
For any future Velomiparents, my advice is to use these and your kids will be confident and stable on their bikes, to the envy of children twice their age.
If there were Velominati Junior Rules they would forbid training wheels.
@ChrisO
Little guy has a Giant Pre balance bike. The eldest had a wooden balance bike when he was 2 years old. They’re so confident on their respective bikes it’s scares the crap out of me! Awesome fun to watch.
Youngest also has a pedal bike with no training wheels. When he’s in the mood he’ll have a go in the backyard. He can pedal, just getting the first push down on the pedals in the right direction. I ask him to pedal out on the road, but he’s a little embarrassed about his pedalling confidence. In his own good time and egging on from older brother and myself, he’ll get there soon enough.
My boys rip up the road on their balance and pedal bikes in front of a 9 year old and 6 year old on training wheels that live in our court. Soon after seeing my boys, their parents take off their training wheels and are so shaky, not confident riders.
@Barracuda Lookin’ good there Barra! Have a great time!
@Barracuda great work. Keep flying them both!
The solitude and serenity offered by a winter ride continues to surprise me. This afternoon I took a 74km solo ride to and from East Canyon Reservoir. On the way up, a particular bend caught my eye, so I stopped to snap a photo. It was then I realized, beyond the gnarled trees to my right, the quiet gurgling of a passing stream. Then up to my left, I heard faint footsteps and noticed several deer observing my actions. I breathed in the moment, exhaled and pushed to the top.
I think this sublime moment was counter-balance for a full-on adrenalin rush earlier when I had passed two dogs whose collective barks were deep and ominous. There was a wire fence on the property between us, so I quickly dismissed any threat as they paced me. At that point I reached into my pocket for some food and immediately heard what sounded like dogs’ toenails on cold tarmac right behind me. As the adrenalin surged, I glanced back to see nothing. It then occurred to me that a wrapper for energy cubes at near-freezing temps sounds an awful lot dogs’ toenails on cold tarmac. On the way back I stopped for a picture, just to remember how big they were.
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@Barracuda
Nice work ‘Cuda.
ok, its travel time again. Who knows anything about the riding and the bike rental situation in SoCalifornia around irvine/laguna woods area? Time to visit the inlaws, perhaps get a warm weather (gasp- the horror!) training block in… Thx!
@gaswepass
Bike Religion. They have a web site, scroll to the bottom and they have an extensive rental programme for all types of bikes. Watch out on the PCH…nut case drivers. If you google previous years for the Orange County Grand Fondo you can find some good routes that take you out by the coast, back in via the bike lane that runs along the channel and out in to Santiago Canyon to the east of Irvine out by the lake. It can be pretty nice considering its so near to such an urban area. Or drive 50 miles North up the 405 or the PCH and come do some of the climbs in the Santa Monicas…it’s worth the drive especially in the week when there aren’t a bunch of motor bikes around!
@paolo
thanks! checked their site out. pretty efficient looking system they have. does anyone have experience with rocknroad cyclery? they seem to be a bit closer to where I will be staying, which is going to be important this trip.
more importantly, anyone know where to ride down this way by laguna woods? not going to be able to drive to the ride, prolly wont have more than about 4 hours at stretch. not too far from laguna niguel.
@Barracuda we had the top of the hill covered as well, saw someone else in full kit up there as well as myself.
@Mikael Liddy Saw a “V” kit in Mclaren Vale also at start of race but due to crowd numbers didnt get to talk … dont know who that was, I was at Oxygen Cycles on the porch viewing the Omega Pharma “mascot”
Yeah we were just outside Mclaren Vale for the start, then went up Penny’s Hill to get round the back of Willunga. Pro-tip: 39×26 is not the ideal combination for that hill!
@Mikael Liddy
I was on the Corkscrew. So was half the world. There was a cycle jam afterwards.
@Weldertron
reg’d myself and a buddy..hope to see you up there!
Ok – for reasons that escape me the VMH wants to go on holiday to Malta – can you actually ride a bike on Malta? Someone must know.
Never ridden there, the driving was mental enough. Shit myself the first time I was forced to stop while actually on the roundabout. Apparently you have to let cars on. Not keen to go back but that has more to do with too many rocky beaches and once you’ve been you’ve really seen it all. Great pizza and pasta.
@GeeTee yeah last year was mental, trying to get out with the delays caused by the crash on the descent was a nightmare.
@Barracuda Hey B’man where’d you get that flag can’t see it on the gear page @frank?
@piwakawaka
Mmmmm, where do I start.
” I can tell you, but I may have to kill you ! ”
Its very close to the keepers hearts and apparently only gets let out of captivity for special occasions.
I emailed the great @Gianni and had to sell a lung and my first born.
Its the same flag that flew over the cobbles at Roubaix and now its here in sunny South Australia for the TDU and then our Cogal.
I find it pretty cool how its been round the world like that ! Its smells of Belgium
Sadly Ive got to return it after our Cogal to be placed back in the vault !
@Barracuda guess I’ll have to fight for the right, on the cobbles 2015.
@Barracuda
What can I get for my first born, and second born for that matter, some socks?
@the Engine
I am guessing your good lady has trawled t’interweb to find the one place where the cycling is shite and you will be forced to Enjoy Yourself at la plage instead. I will quote from p.175 of the Lonely Planet guide..
“Cycling on Maltese roads can be nerve racking. The roads are often narrow and potholed, theres lots of traffic and drivers show little consideration”
Just like Scotland then.
@strathlubnaig It ticked all the boxes for me and for everything else. He will just have to go out on a mountain bike instead and you know how much he loves that! His travel insurance is all up to date as is his payout upon death.
@@mrs engine oh, and I dont need the body flown home either!
@roger
Cool! Are you doing the Rasputitsa as well?
@Weldertron thats the one we are signed up for…not sure on plans during dirty40 yet.
will you be at rasputitsa as well? If so, keep an eye out for a ti tandem. Might do it on that steed for the laughs
There was a couple who did the Dirty40 on a ti tandem last year.
I will be there. Black tcx with orange bars.
They made the postcard, but omitted the better half. Definitely looking forward to it.
are you running the new fizik orange tape or lizard skins?
The performance Fizik, not the new thin stuff with the logos. (My cross bike was my first “real” bike, but it was still entry level. The fork is a huge chunk of aluminum, so the thicker stuff helps a bunch with the buzz.)
I also just hit the jackpot on this.
Right, you will be please to hear that the divorce is off, for the moment. Turkey for 3 weeks it is, near a village called Sogut. Its in the hills, near a river, near a lake, not far from the beach. Lots of history, stinking hot and cheap wine. Ticks all my boxes. So if any of you are near there for any of July, @the engine will need someone to play with, sorry cycle with, look at the views, compare guns, razor burn, tan lines, lycra, tubs of petroleum jelly or whatever the fad is at the moment and discuss anything else that is going to bore the crap out of me and the kids.
@@ mrs engine
Congratulations to all. The divorce is always looming out there, there is no other way. Turkey! ewwww, holiday snaps! Say no more. It sounds like a high old time for everyone. It’s something to dream about in January.
@strathlubnaig
And Turkey…
@@ mrs engine We went to Turkey in July a couple years back, 45C. Side was the place. Enjoy.