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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@Weldertron
Did you get a discount because of their spelling mistake on the sticker?
@gianni,@strathlubnig We are going to Turkey now and be dammed! The kids and I cant wait and will love it. Will take extra band aids for Ivor to put on the punctures. Of course as soon as it was decided it turns that there is a Turkish Tour too (why would I know this?). How bloody convenient that the route they have taken isnt too far from where we will be………. Grrrr
@@mrs engine
Yeah – so what do you take for 3 weeks sans LBS if you’re a Mechanical Muppet (according to your local LBS)?
@the Engine The finest multi tool you can find, a puncture repair kit and some poolside reading Zin & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance. Return home tanned, still fit and no longer a Mechanical Muppet. Oh, and not divorced. Win, win.
@the Engine, Mechanical Muppet – thats not what they called you. If I remember rightly the words arsehole and complete tool were used in the sentence.
@@mrs engine
I do like how the two of you are increasingly communicating via this site. Duelling keyboards!
@HMBSteve
I’ve known Dave Burnett for about 20 years from the Sunday ride group. I was in Annapolis a day after he finished RAAM but wasn’t able to hook up with him.
@@mrs engine
Is a complete tool like a multi-tool or have I missed something?
So who does this apply to on the Velominati – photos please.
Faster cyclists are more attractive, study says
Women rated facial attractiveness among riders in the 2012 Tour de France, won by Britain’s Sir Bradley Wiggins.
The top 10% of performers were rated on average as 25% better looking than the laggards.
The scientists conclude that humans have evolved to recognise athletic performance in faces.
The research has been published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters.
Some biologists argue that evolution has shaped women to select mates on the basis that they would either make good fathers or would pass on good genes.
Healthy, physically fit men would on average be seen as more attractive by women.
A number of other studies in recent years have suggested that women have a sophisticated radar for athletic performance, rating those with greater sporting skill as more attractive.
This new work, though, set out to test if the same applied to more inherent physical qualities such as stamina and endurance.
Cycle of life
Dr Erik Postma, from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Zurich, asked people to rate the attractiveness of 80 professional cyclists from the 2012 Tour de France. The cyclists were all of a similar physical stature, were tanned and around the same age.
Around 800 participants were then asked to score the cyclist’s attractiveness based just on their facial appearances. Their scores were excluded if they recognised the athlete.
Dr Postma then compared the attractiveness scores with the cyclists’ performance in time trials and in the race itself which, at well over 3,000km (1,860 miles), is a renowned test of endurance and speed.
“To my initial surprise, I found a positive relationship between the two and it was actually quite strong,” he told BBC News.
“We don’t know what people are picking up in the faces that is signalling the riders’ performance.”
One element that significantly interfered with the overall results was contraception.
Dr Postma and his team found that women who were on the contraceptive pill were less likely to link attractiveness to performance.
“Typically, studies find that women using the pill have a reduced preference for masculine faces, and we found the same phenomenon: women on the pill had a reduced preference for faster cyclists,” said Dr Postma.
Many men argue that they find it difficult to rate the attractiveness of other males, but in the study the researchers found that men who took part had a fairly similar view on who was handsome as the women.
It suggests that men do have this inherent ability to judge who is handsome, according to scientists, and they believe it has evolved to help men rate their competitors.
The scientists say that smiling didn’t make a big difference in the survey. Men who were beaming were rated as more likeable but not as more attractive.
What about Wiggo?
Other scientists who looked at the study found the performance measures “convincing”.
“It summarises performance over a long time and should therefore be especially meaningful,” said Dr Johannes Honekopp from the University of Northumbria.
“We should bear in mind that the sample is highly selected and should therefore show little performance variance in comparison to a more representative male sample of that age.
“This limitation should lead to a reduction in effect sizes. Any such effects might be stronger in a more representative sample.”
And what about British favourites, such as 2012 winner Sir Bradley Wiggins and leading sprinter Mark Cavendish?
“Unfortunately, Team Sky decided to wear sunglasses for their photos and to improve standardisation I decided to not include them. That is really a pity,” said Dr Postma.
Yep, quite fancy him myself!
The top ten ‘Lycra lads’
This is the list of the most handsome cyclists in the 2012 Tour according to the research. Although he was the top pick, French rider Amael Moinard (pictured), finished in a modest 45th place.
2. Yann Huguet
3. Maxime Monfort
4. Andriy Grivko
5. Michael Schar
6. Martin Velits
7. Christophe Riblon
8. Adam Hansen
9. Rui Alberto Costa
10. Manuel Quinziato
@@mrs engine
What no Faboo?
Oh wait they asked women…
@the Engine No they asked men as well.
And Scaler911 answered twice.
Now that’s living the dream!
Thanks to womenscycling.tumblr.com, via Cyclocosm.com.
@ChrisO
well played
@All I know there are Kiwi Velominati out there! Are there any in the Auckland area?
@ New Zealand ( Auckland) Velominati. Very short notice and a long, long story short. I will be filming a show this Thursday/Sunday called House Hunters International. So i pitched the idea of filming a few shot of me cycling with some new mates? If anyone is interested in getting there 15min, of fame let me know. I will not find out until Wednesday this week if things are sorted and where it will take place.
First ride of the year last evening in temperatures above freezing! After a brutal winter and 5″ if snow on Monday, we had temps in the 30s/low 420s Tuesday and Wednesday. We even had sun yesterday. That really helped clean up the roads. Man, it felt good. Lighter tights, overshoes, gloves and a cotton cap. Still a bit of ice/snow in sheltered spots and had to deck the bike out with lights, but every one of those 40kms felt good. Wind, rain, sleet, rain today. Gotta get those rides in when you can!
Rigo at Oman — not bad.
So the course for the 2015 worlds has just been released:
http://media.rvanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2015RoadCircuit.jpg
A couple notes based on looking at it for 10 minutes on this crappy little map:
1. I have to walk like 6 blocks to get to the course from my house. Darn.
2. It looks like they’ve included a section of fairly rough cobbles. I’ve never ridden European cobbles, so it’s hard for me to compare but the stretch on Cary St. (between kms 9 and 10) is some pretty serious cobbles. To the point when I ride them my bike shakes so hard I can barely see straight if it’s the section I think it is. It is downhill and only a couple blocks, so I suspect it won’t really have a significant impact on the race, but still, that’s awesome they’re on a worlds course.
3. I am extremely excited they put in the 23rd street hill (the one around 14 km). It is very short, basically only one city block, but extremely steep, at least 12% if I remember right. What is particularly interesting is that it is partially cobbled. It was originally cobbled, then they put down asphalt, but it’s one of those cheap deals where the asphalt only covers half the road with the sides still cobbled. It’ll be interesting to see if it gets paved before the worlds or (fingers crossed) they remove the asphalt and make it a cobbled climb. Again, have never ridden in Europe, but I imagine this a smaller version of a Flemish climb.
4. The last climb up Broad Street is not especially bad, but I don’t think there’s any way this can end in a field sprint. The comparable that springs to mind is that long drag up to the line in L-B-L, but perhaps a bit shorter. My guess is the first couple hundred kms will be all about being in the first 25 positions when they reach the base of the last hill with 3.5 km to go. From there it will pretty much be an individual race. There won’t be any regrouping between those hills I don’t think. As to who can win, probably not a pure climber, but perhaps a puncheur if they can create a gap on the 23rd St. ramp. However, I’m pretty sure these climbs are short enough that this could easily go to a classics type rider who is on a good day.
Bottom line, this has darned near every element you could want in a bike race and I’m very pleasantly surprised by the course at first glance. It probably won’t be the most exciting worlds overall since there’s so much time to pull back breaks, but I think the last few kms are going to be wild and worth the wait.
Shattering ride today… 194km with 2100m climbing, including being talked into doing not one but two ascents of one of the biggest mountains in these here parts.
Finished about 2.30pm when the temperature had got up to 38C.
Part of it was an ftp test and I added 13 watts to my threshold, and a new PB on the climb down to 33 minutes, nearly 4 minutes faster than a year ago.
All in all a good day ! But I am utterly spent.
And before anyone asks, no that’s not a violation of Rule #16 or Rule #17.
@ChrisO Respect (but you’re boasting now).
well, make room marko, will be seeing you at hotn. party on wayne. cant wait to have some of that curry slurry that frank speaks so highly of
Interesting article on Cycling Tips on the concept of “Everesting”
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/03/everesting-climbing-8848-metres-in-a-single-ride/
Worthy challenge for a Velominatus!
Only 34 repeats of Welshpool Rd!
@asyax
Couple of mates tried this over the weekend. Both pulled up short after being let down by their equipment (unrepairable tyre blow out) & body (achy knee being saved for 3 peaks). Ludicrous amounts of time on the bike…
Are any Velominati up for the Manchester to London Challenge on 7 September? Starting at dawn at the Manchester Velodrome, the aim is to get to the London Olympic Park by midnight over a 355km route. They are also billing it as a North vs South event and will somehow calculate the winning region from the finish times.
PS. Here’s the link – http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/manchester-to-london-challenge/product/MTL01?cm_mmc=email-_-0403114-_-textlink-_-AAA
@PedallingTom I could be up for this, I’ve got a double imperial century planned for June so this would give me incentive to keep going from that. I’ll have a word with Mrs Chris tonight. Maybe I should hold a Rule #33 auction as well.
It would be good to get a V-Team together.
The cause is a good one too. My son has a bit of dyspraxia and dyslexia going on.
@Chris Great. I suspect the places will go quickly so I will probably sign up now. I was due to join your double imperial plan although I think I’m now due at a wedding in Spain that weekend (!!!). I’ve got Ride London lined up (ballot place) and that will just a a training ride for this one. It is a good cause and one I’m happy to support.
A V-Team would be great if we can get others interested.
@PedallingTom A choice between a wedding in Spain and flogging yourself into a fenland wind for ten or twelve hours? Not an easy one that.
You’re right the places are likely to go quickly. As I said I’ll have a word with Mrs Chris tonight and let you know.
@PedallingTom see u on Ride London. My last organised event of the year as I’m front loaded May, June, July. Unless there’s a London Cogal this autumn.
@Mike_P
That goes without saying.
[ Steve Martin voice ] “These are summ’a wild’n crazee’guys…” [ video ]
@Mike_P Good that you’ll be there. Let’s try and arrange to meet on the day. Definitely interested in a London Cogal.
@PedallingTom I’m signed up. I think I’d better get training. Lots of training.
Saw a Velominati kit on the start line of 3 Peaks on the weekend, on a Pinarello I think it was.
@anotherdownunder ‘Twas me – Rule #69 compliant the whole way – bloody hell – that was tough! Excellent day out though (in hindsight)!
@asyax
Well done. Yes was a big day out. Fortunately we had no mishaps, no mechanicals and just tapped away all day. No walking either. Saw quite a bit of carnage and a few crashes, one within 10 klms of the start as they were bombing down Falls. Rode past so many on the Falls Ck climb, some very tired and emotional people walking and weaving doing that climb with 200klms in their legs. How was WTF corner at the 200 klms mark – sure was a Harden Up if ever there was one. Not sure I would do it again. But never say never.
@anotherdownunder
@asyax Looking good!
http://rideons.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/the-3-peaks-challenged-and-conquered-again/
Maybe a Cogal next year? I’s hate that Tawonga Gap!
Fundraising for the Rapha Manchester to London charity ride has got off to a cracking start; no money yet but after pinging out a tweet or two yesterday, Jonathan Vaughters and Garmin have popped a signed 2013 jersey in the post for me to auction off. Strong work JV.
@PedallingTom @MikeP @Chris – Definitely interested in a London Cogal too, methinks a tad earlier than the last one though. An alternative is a Dover Cogal which starts with a ferry to Calais, Imperial Ton round France (inland to Le Touquet and back up the coast) anyone interested in that concept?
@Teocalli
PS there are a load of farms that (at least used to) sell Coffee and Crepes around the half way mark so we won’t have to forego cakes…….
@Chris
I’ll break the only rule of auctions and make the first bid, 50 NZ peso’s + postage of course!
@piwakawaka Excellent. I’m going to auction it on ebay a bit nearer the time (during the Tour when interest in cycling is at it’s highest) but I’ll make sure everyone here is aware of the fact. At this point I’ve no idea whose autographed it – I’ll have to wait a week or so until it arrives, (possibly longer if Her Majesties Customs and Excise get hold of it and want their cut).
@ChrisO
Rule #16, eh? So is that Emily Roper?
@Bianchi Denti No, her name’s Louisa Lobigs.
Remember the Cycling Tips article about the AIS Women’s boot camp – she was on that one.
And rode the Tour of Qatar with the Aussie women’s team. She’s studying a doctorate I think, based in Qatar – they have quite a big sports science speciality there. But she comes over to Dubai quite a bit and rides with our team.
Anyone attending the Ronde this year? For lack of anywhere else to post, I’ll do it here: I’m going to Nivelles for work on April 2nd and 3rd and will be staying in Brussels through the weekend in order to attend the Ronde van Vlaanderen in person. I have a friend driving up from Stuttgart, too, but if any Velominati will be there, it would be nice to meet up. Or if anyone has any travel/viewing tips, those are most welcome!
Seth
ok, who’s got intel on the riding around laguna hills, CA? going to be squeezing in a training block while providing the kids w/ grandparent time (doing it for the children, yo!) spring break. Sounds like there might some great mtb going on, but gonna be a road focus nonetheless. Thx!
The signed Garmin Sharp jersey from Jonathan Vaughters arrived today. Can anyone help out with a bit of signature identification? The more I can list the more the jersey will make when I auction it for charity.
There’s a few there that are easy, Jack Bauer, Steele Von Hoff and the one over the Cervelo Logo looks like David Millar but could be Dam Martin and I’ve no idea about most of them.
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Cool catch up ride with @asyax this morning, and in keeping with last year’s Adelaide Cogal, the puncture fairy was along for company. Hopefully the 2 I’ve had in the last 2 months are me done for the year…