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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Visiting the old country, and borrowed my bro-in-laws old school steel bike, friction shifters and all. Chilly and damp, but enjoyed the ride.
@strathlubnaig
Fantastic shot.
@strathlubnaig Where’s the rest of the shot? Always loved a steel Pinarello!
@Chris
Hey Chris that’s like asking what vintage are the wines in the rack behind.
Anyway pretty sure FW is Fabian Wegmann and AH is Alex Howes. Last year team riders also signed?
@TommyTubolare
If you can guess the wines, you can have the jersey…
Good call on Alex Howes and Fabian Wegman. It’s signed by members of the 2013 squad. Ryder Heysjedal would be good to have as GT winner.
@Chris
Ok. Before I start working on wines I think you have Haas – Nathan Haas.
There is what appears like RH on one of the photos but iirc Ryder signs R plus surname, not sure.
Noticed during a ride.
I must be going stir-crazy… I’m really excited that my coach has agreed to extend my usual 70 minute tempo session tomorrow to 90 mins, plus warmup/warmdown. Happy days !
Building up to a big race in 5 weeks. Apparently I’m going to peak.
Truly, he’s been talking this up as a real thing I’m going feel – frankly if I don’t have sparks coming off my thighs I’m going to be disappointed.
Coincidence or what? Just done a regular 50 Km loop and set a PB on every sector bar 1 which was a 2nd fastest. The coincidence – first time I’ve worn the V-socks I bought late last year. No kidding.
V-socks make you fly?
Did anyone watch the final day of Criterium International? Frank Schleck completely blew a finish he should have won. What a fuck. He could have just attacked in the last km and won but no, a lot of silly attacks and then he stops and let’s everyone catch up. Then ends up in fourth. He makes Abandy look tactically savvy.
@Tartan1749
Good questions. The Koppenburg climb would be awesome but you would be ten deep in Belgians. The Oude Kwaremont climb is done twice this year so that might be the place. When we did it with Pavé Boys we drove up a small side road that got us maybe 2/3rds up the Oude Kwaremont climb, just above the giant screen and access to frites and shiet beer. Wear a V shirt and William or Alex might recognize it and then you will have some fun. Very jealous.
@Gianni
Are you seriously telling us you’re surprised? They’ve built a career on this type of cock-up. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the image of the Dirty Schlecky’s escorting Phil Gil to the line in the 2011 Liege Bastogne Liege. It has to be the pinnacle of examples on how not to win a bike race.
Did my first really long ride yesterday, 155km/1250m, twice as long as I’ve gone before, and about 50% more climb. Amazing experience, really; the legs were still turning happily by the end — if anything, the gears felt easier — but I underestimated the extent to which my body would be running purely on what ate. I ran out of food and gel shots about 10km from home and suffered for the rest.
If I’d had one more gel and my gps hadn’t died about 1km from home, I would have gone for the 161km/100mi mark, but this way, there’s something for next time. I’d meant to be home for the last hour of RvV, but that was a full day in the saddle, especially as it involved route finding, or at least, interpreting what I’d look at on the map versus what the roads actually presented, so had to make do with the highlights.
Now that I know that’s possible, I’m going to have to reassess my idea of a long weekend ride… VLVV.
@andrew
Congratulations on the big ride. Now you know what it’ll take to do a century/160kms ride and pretty soon you’ll be knocking them off easily. The first one is the toughest physically and mentally. Once you’ve done one, you know that next time you’ll try to do further or faster.
@andrew Great stuff. Well done, and sounds like you enjoyed it too. Bonus.
@andrew
Nice. The great thing about getting in long rides is being happy doing long rides. You get to feel happy longer.
@PeakInTwoYears @Mike_P @wiscot Thanks, gents.
A nice Birthday with 90 Km on The Butler with a good mate and now a suitable recovery drink for the evening……and generous prezzie from my mate too. Kinda cool to ride my 13th Birthday present on my Birthday cough cough years later.
@Teocalli
Very nice cuff links. Subtle and classy!
Just gotta say that last night’s ride was a special one. As you’re all tired of hearing me and the other midwestern Velominati say, this has been a shitty, long winter. Got out of work a bit early and was on the road by 4pm. Warm (low 60s), dry, moderated wnw wind. Headed west on some favorite rollercoaster roads around Kohlsville, Wayne etc. Heading back on Hwy 28 to Kewaskum, I saw another road heading north and took it. I then spent quite a few miles on fresh, new roads, generally well-surfaced and virtually traffic free. The wind died down but I had just the right amount of gear on. I was like a kid in a candy store I was enjoying myself so much. I got home having done 80kms and I was so happy and contented. I truly see this ride as one of the special ones that was a reward for all the crap weather ones in the first three months of the year. It was if everything aligned: the weather, the roads, my legs, amount of gear, distance. Perfect.
@wiscot Yeah that first warm ride of Spring feels sooo good, especially after the winter you guys have had temp wise. We just got oceans of rain, and gales.
In honor of Paris-Roubaix, I searched out the closest thing I have to pavé in my neck of the woods: a 2km section of what was once a transcontinental brick highway, paved in 1913:
And a better one from the internet.
An enjoyable ride. Next time I want to try it with wider tires than the 23mm one I’m currently running.
I was hoping to find other secteurs of this road to plan some kind of longer ride on but unfortunately it looks like they’ve been lost to history and tarmac.
Any day where you can score a decent ride both before & after work is generally a good one, when you do it with these kind of backdrops it’s just ridiculous!
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@Teocalli
Yup, and just so I didn’t get too used to nice temps, it was 32 on my ride last night and all the winter gear was back on. We got hail on Saturday and snow on Monday FFS!
To fellow Cheeseheads:
Wiscot and I will be riding the Cheesehead Roubaix on April 27th. Meet-up will be at Wiscot’s car. He’s promised to adorn it in a manner that will stand out. Since most of us still have snow on the ground and have only seen a handful of days with temps above 45F (7C) the goal (mine at least) is to finish. Register at the Cheesehead Roubaix facebook page and let us know who else is in.
One of my local climbs ( 17% ) turns into a strava smash fest of a different kind once a year. Some heavy hitters come out to play in this little sleepy part of South Australia too. http://youtu.be/tJLWZ65XI6k
@Mikael Liddy
Great shots, fairly handy part of the planet we live in eh !
Stage One 96km Road Race.
Saturday dawned with clear skies and sunshine, given the last two weeks of extreme weather this was a major relief, a great turnout across all grades was excellent to see. B grade looked strong with some very good local riders and some strong guys from across the North Island. Roll out was fairly sedate and given the parcours, only one good climb and that was a Big Ring mash up, it was always going to come down to a bunch finish, that didn’t stop some of us stretching our legs, after the second climb up the Millers KOM, myself and one other bridged across to the lone rider up the road, he immediately sat up and we were hunted down, hey at least I won’t die wondering!
The stage was not without incident, about two km out of town the road was in really poor shape and I managed ride into a hole the size of a 404, lose both my bottles and puncture! Now where’s that wheel wagon? The wait seemed interminable, hell I’m only two km from the start, they showed, with my bottles one empty, but one mercifully still full, I grabbed my spare wheel and we set off in persuit of the race, I know I was paced back on but it was still an effort and I’m grateful for all those times I’ve drafted other vehicles over the years, riding 50-60 kph 10cm off the bumper of a Budget rental van takes some focus!
There were two crashes in the race the worst of which was within 200m of the line, thankfully behind me, there is nothing worse than the sound of a bikes crashing, the first rule of bike racing is don’t panic, if you touch another bike or rider, straighten up keep riding hold your line, Don’t Panic. I finished safely in the bunch but without any sprint points, KOM points or time bonuses at the finish, so at least I’m only 15 sec down after one stage.
Stage Two 25km Kermesse.
This was a 4.75 km circuit, we averaged 39kph and I hit a top speed of 59kph on a dead flat track, fortunately no incidents this time, but one young guy got away and put 40 seconds into the bunch, my first experience of this kind of racing nothing much changes, it’s all about positioning and timing, but short, sharp and lots of fun.
Stage Three 123km Road Race.
The Queen Stage of the tour, seven major climbs at almost 1900m vertical, I averaged 32kph and hit a top speed of 83kph!
This was always going to be tough, throw in a solid 35-40kph N’west wind and the daunting prospect of a 16km ITT in the afternoon ment there were a lot of questions that would need to be answered, most of the race was simply a game of attrition with a few digs here and there to shed the weak and lazy, it wasn’t until the penultimate climb when the main selection was made, six of us made the top together and made sure there was no return for anyone else, this left 20km into the head wind and a 1.5km climb to the finish. Once our break was established the games began, however we all arrived together to battle it out, a couple of early digs did little to break up the group but unfortunately when the big moment came as I stood up both my quads at the hips screamed with cramp, I quickly sat down changed gear and tried to regain some composure for five seconds, went again, same thing, shit, shit, shit. Had to stay seated and ride tempo to the top on dropped 34 seconds on the GC, never mind there is still the ITT.
Stage Four 16km ITT.
This was an almost flat out and back course with two bends which gave us tail, cross and head winds to deal with and for me my second ever ride on a TT set up. I borrowed an aero road bike from the LBS, for a fine bottle of Rum, threw on some bar extensions, tubular 404’s, shunted the seat forward and slammed the stem.
There was a start ramp, a countdown and a truckload of hurt, as it was a borrowed bike I rode without data and just tried to ride out fast and come back full gas, the set up was quick, definitely faster than my road rig, but tragically for us more powerful but bigger guy’s the timing system failed and everyone got the same time 00.00. I passed the guy in front and put at least a minute into him, gutted.
Stage Five 122km Road Race.
Monday, blue sky, dropping wind, man I am so sore, I hope everyone else is feeling just as bad. Logic tells you the guys behind on GC have not ridden as hard, and they intend to show they have plenty left in the tank, and so when the flag drops it is on, the only option is attack, there are six of us at the top with a five minute gap back to the next quickest, we are racing for the GC, everyone else is in it for the glory or just to bring the hurt.
There are three sprint primes and three KOM’s so there is still plenty to fight for.
There parcours is 15km out to a 30km circuit with a 2km climb at 5% which is done 3 times and then the 15km back to the finish, in B Grade for this climb, we were averaging 33kph and I was in 52×21 and 52×23, A Grade the fastest average was 38kph by Joe Cooper of Avanti Racing in Australia who was 20 seconds quicker up the climb than his team-mate Taylor Gunman.
A fast and furious beginning see’s one rider escape, but surely it’s too soon, no seems to be able to get away and bridge across and given the six of us in contention for GC aren’t chasing, because the break-away is 12mins down it’s not until the final lap that we are all back together, as we approach the climb for the last time two guy’s get away both a threat to the stage, but not the overall, they can go, the Tour leader has a team mate and as all six of us bunch together across the road we tempo the climb covering all the surges that you can’t see but only feel, at the steepest pitch all hell breaks lose as we drop gears and sprint to the top, I get over fourth and just keep smashing it, I use my weight to my advantage and gap them down the other side, more to hurt the bunch rather than my rivals, with the bonus of maybe shelling some of the real fast men, it’s not long before they are on me, a few more attacks try and get across to the leaders but the pace is high enough that none will stick and it’s a bunch sprint for third. No change in the GC, 6th overall, not bad for my first multi stage Tour.
@piwakawaka Chapeau! Nice write up, and well done!
Ok, This Sunday is the Cheesehead Roubaix. 9am in Fireman’s Park in Newburg. I got a message from organizer Dave Hanrahan who said that we need to be careful. It’s estimated 200 folks might show up for what is basically an organized unorganized ride. He’s suggested the fast boys go off first then in descending order of speed to avoid one big ass bunch on the road pissing off drivers.
Here’s my take for any Velominati interested. I have a silver Ford Focus. I’ll have a WI state flag on the hood. I say we meet and ride this as a Velominati group. The route’s well marked and I’ve done the event a couple of times before. Let’s not get mixed up in what could be a clusterfuck if 200 DO show up.
Here’re the details: https://www.facebook.com/events/657188131005632/
See you guys on Sunday. Weather looks fine but not too toasty.
@Kyle
Ok, This Sunday is the Cheesehead Roubaix. 9am in Fireman’s Park in Newburg. I got a message from organizer Dave Hanrahan who said that we need to be careful. It’s estimated 200 folks might show up for what is basically an organized unorganized ride. He’s suggested the fast boys go off first then in descending order of speed to avoid one big ass bunch on the road pissing off drivers.
Here’s my take for any Velominati interested. I have a silver Ford Focus. I’ll have a WI state flag on the hood. I say we meet and ride this as a Velominati group. The route’s well marked and I’ve done the event a couple of times before. Let’s not get mixed up in what could be a clusterfuck if 200 DO show up.
Here’re the details: https://www.facebook.com/events/657188131005632/
See you guys on Sunday. Weather looks fine but not too toasty.
@wiscot
Best of luck guys. If I thought I could make it the whole ride I would show up. maybe next year.
@piwakawaka Good speed and Godspeed! Glad to hear that you’re doing well in your part of the race.
@KW
@unversio Thanks guy’s, a great weekend, a Tour is a whole new kind of ‘fun’. I think its well worth the effort.
Muur de Huy??? This makes it look like a pimple. Welcome to Yorkshire lads!
@Mike_P
Holy Merckx that’s painful to watch!
Is the TdF going up that? If so, sweet.
Head under feet, skipping like a stone, tumbling like a log until momentum halted by flapping limbs.
This hurts like fuck, how is it not worse?
Never been so happy as to see the family, standing there dripping crimson dressed in tattered rags of battle
Lying in ED, How soon can I get back?
Realisation the only thing Pro within capability is losing skin.
Never been closer to death.
Never been so alive.
@Beers is the bike ok?
@Dan_R Seems like a few of us found some mud this weekend. @EricW and I went out for some dirt, and ended up having to field-wash our steeds at a campground to regain braking capabilities. Great fun.
@Mikael Liddy
Very pertinent question. Really, skin grows back, but the bike ……….
@Mikael Liddy
It’s in one piece, but quite a different beast now. Not a good pic of her, more to record my FRB with too much climbing on a stonker of a day. A training bike to you lot, but her and I have been through a lot lately…
@Beers so if that’s the FRB, I take it this hasn’t just happened.
@Mikael Liddy
3 weeks patching up, physio, LBS stalking….
@Mike_P
I’d imagine Fast Phil still wakes up with a stupid grin on his face when he dreams about that win. Incompetence of the highest order.
@Beers
It always surprises me how quickly I’m plotting to get back on the bike, whenever anything gets in the way.
Nice spot for a ride, looks very Marlborough Sounds?
@Beers Sounds like a big one. Are you ok?
@Mike_P Thanks for asking. I’m doing pretty good considering. Even slower than before tho.
@piwakawaka I wish it was. Great story above btw, inspiring stuff..
For what it’s worth, here’s my report on the Cheesehead Roubaix. Despite anticipating around 200 riders, maybe 75-80 showed up on a pretty miserable morning. A strong east wind coming off Lake Michigan was joined by raindrops and temps in the upper 30s as the riders assembled in Newburg. Heavy rain was in the forcast. Spirits seemed fairly high with everyone wanting to set off and get warm. The attire ran from full winter to are-you-sure?
I set off behind the main group as we would our way into the Ozaukee backroads. My hands were frozen from the get-go but otherwise my clothing was spot on as I knew it would warm up a bit. The first off-road section was Lovers Lane – basically a mud, rutted farm track with bad washouts and tons of tree and twig debris. Fortunately it was relatively dry as we struggled our way up the hill to the church. A long downhill eastwards to Boltonville reminded us how strong the wind was. A couple of miles later on my back tire started feeling squishy – puncture. I pulled over at the Boltonville Gun Club and fixed the flat. One spare tube and one co2 cannister gone and I hadn’t hit the first gravel section.
I’m not exactly a rookie and I checked the inside of the tire for debris and found none. I ran my hand over the outer tire – seemed fine. Off I set only for the same squishyness to return about two miles later – puncture #2. Reason? Bit of twig/wood debris in the tire. Second spare tube and co2 cannister used. This was around the 13 mile mark and no gravel sections had been attacked yet. I think at this point I was the last rider on the road. Fuck. Rather than make the foolish decision to ride 80kms with no help (this is an unsupported ride) and all the gravel still to come, I rode for home feeling mighty pissed off. I can’t remember ever having two punctures on one ride and the forecasted rain held off and the sun even peeked out. Instead of a great 100 kms I barely got 40 in.
Will I be back next year? You bet. Dave Hanrahan runs a great event that’s worthy supporting and is fun (usually) to ride.